L2 Korean learners’ pragmalinguistic features
Focusing on making requests in power-asymmetrical situations
This study investigates the pragmalinguistic features of Korean
as a Foreign Language (KFL) learners’ request speech acts in power-asymmetrical
situations, focusing on interactions with social superiors. Through a discourse
completion test (DCT), 31 KFL students and 12 Korean native speakers (KNS) were
analyzed using a coding system which is developed based on the Cross-Cultural
Speech Act Realization Project (CCSARP) (
Blum-Kulka et al. 1989). Despite acquiring basic linguistic
elements, KFL learners struggle to apply them effectively, particularly in
nuanced social contexts. The findings underscore the necessity of explicit
instruction on the pragmalinguistic functions of grammatical forms to bridge the
gap between classroom learning and real-world language use. This study
contributes valuable insights into the intercultural pragmatics of KFL learners,
addressing gaps in the literature regarding the detailed analysis of learners’
language use in request speech acts, especially in situations involving social
superiors. The pedagogical implications emphasize the need for enhanced
instruction in KFL pragmatics to cultivate learners’ pragmatic awareness.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Literature review
- 3.Methodology
- 3.1Participants
- 3.2Data collection
- 3.3Methods
- 4.Findings
- 4.1Alerter
- 4.2Head act strategies and linguistic forms used
-
-e/a cwuseyyo ‘please do something for me’
-
-ko siphta ‘want to’
- Absence of head act (Hint)
-
pwuthak tulipnita ‘I am asking you a favor/I am looking
forward to your cooperation.’
- A query preparatory modal -(u)l swu issta ‘can’
-
-(u)l swu issta ‘can’ for seeking permission
- ‘-eto/ato toyta’ for requesting permission
- -keyss-...? ‘will...?’
- 4.3Internal modifications
-
hoksi ‘by any chance, maybe’
-
kanunghata ‘to be possible’ and
kwaynchanhta ‘to be okay’
-
com ‘a little’
- 4.4Supportive moves
- 4.5Honorifics and humble expressions
- Sentence endings
- Subject honorific suffix -(u)si-
- Humble expressions
- 5.Discussion
- 6.Implications for teaching
- 7.Limitations and suggestions for future study
- Notes
- Author queries
-
References
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