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Article published In:
Spanish in Context
Vol. 19:1 (2022) ► pp.25–47

Politeness and pragmatic transfer in L2 pronominal address usage

Variation of T/V pronouns in Spanish by Chinese learners

| Nanjing University
This study investigates how Chinese learners of Spanish, who have a T/V distinction in their first language (L1), use the T/V address forms in Spanish as a second language (L2). Findings show that the learners rely mainly on their L1 pragmatic knowledge to employ the T/V in the L2. Despite having relatively good grammatical control of T/V, the learners produced frequent T/V alternation due to negative pragmatic transfer. In Chinese using V normally conveys speaker’s perception of a high-power differential and in relationships that are borderline T or V usage, shifting from T to V can convey deference and tends to co-occur with face-threatening or face-enhancing acts. The learners transferred from Chinese their tendency to use V to express deference and overutilized this politeness strategy in Spanish regardless of their relationship with the addressee. This problematic usage may generate negative social consequences and calls for pedagogical intervention.
Keywords: T/V address forms, L2 Spanish, Chinese
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
    • 2.1T/V systems in Spanish and Chinese
    • 2.2T/V usage in L2
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Participants
    • 3.2Instrument
    • 3.3Data analysis method
  • 4.Results and discussion
    • 4.1Overall results
    • 4.2T/V variation in L1 Spanish and Chinese
    • 4.3T/V variation in L2 Spanish of Chinese learners
  • 5.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 14 January 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/sic.19018.wan
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