A Pragmatic Study on Managing Rapport in Responding to Reprimands in Jordanian Arabic

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate both the strategies Jordanians use to respond to reprimands and the impact of gender on them. Data were collected from 95 Jordanian university students at the Hashemite University using IDCTs, including Emotion Liker-Scales. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted utilizing Spencer-Oatey’s (2008) rapport management approach. Twelve strategies were used for responding to reprimands: illocutionary force indicating device, admission of responsibility, intermediate responsibility, denying responsibility, other responsibility-related examples, managing the problem, expressing reprimands, irony, and sarcasm, swearing, opting out, working out compromises and using violence. The results showed gender differences in the type and frequency of responding to reprimand strategies, reflecting good observance of the socio-contextual variables. The findings of the study revealed that Jordanian native speakers of Arabic took into account a rapport-enhancing perspective, weighing the costs and benefits, and rapport-threatening perspectives, including asserting autonomy and infringing upon principles of association and involvement. The study concludes with some pedagogical implications and recommendations for further promising research.