Pragmatic Transfer in Thai EFL Refusals

Autor/in	Wannaruk, Anchalee
Titel	Pragmatic Transfer in Thai EFL Refusals
Quelle	In: RELC Journal: A Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 39 (2008) 3, S.318-337 (20 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0033-6882
DOI	10.1177/0033688208096844
Schlagwörter	Graduate Students; Thai; Native Speakers; North American English; Language Proficiency; Pragmatics; Transfer of Training; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Intercultural Communication; Interviews; Translation + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Graduate Study; Student; Students; Aufbaustudium; Graduiertenstudium; Hauptstudium; Studentin; Muttersprachler; Amerikanisches Englisch; Language skill; Language skills; Sprachkompetenz; Pragmalinguistik; Training; Transfer; Ausbildung; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Interkulturelle Kommunikation; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik
Abstract	Communication breakdowns can occur during cross-cultural communication due to different perceptions and interpretations of appropriateness and politeness. This study investigates similarities and differences between refusals in American English and Thai and incidences of pragmatic transfer by Thai EFL learners when making refusals. The participants of the study include Thai and American native speakers and EFL learners. All of them are graduate students. The data were collected by means of a discourse completion test (DCT) which was designed on the basis of interviews carried out with a view to possible situations for refusals. EFL data for refusals were compared with similar data elicited from native speakers of American English and Thai. Results indicate that overall all three groups share most of the refusal strategies and that pragmatic transfer exists in the choice and content of refusal strategies. Awareness of a person of a higher status and the characteristics of being modest in L1 culture motivate pragmatic transfer. Language proficiency is also an important factor in pragmatic transfer. In making refusals, EFL learners with lower English proficiency translate from L1 to L2 because of their lack of L2 pragmatic knowledge. (Contains 4 tables.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10