Expressing Gratitude in an EFL Context: The Case of Jordanian Learners

Husam Al-Momani,Baker Bani-Khair,Abdullah Jaradat,Nisreen Al-Khawaldeh

doi:10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.6n.4p.190

Husam Al-Momani, Baker Bani-Khair + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.6n.4p.190

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Abstract

This study contributes to the existing literature on interlanguage pragmatics by investigating intermediate Jordanian English Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ gratitude speech act realization compared to that of native American English speakers. The study considered both aspects of pragmatic competence including pragmalinguistic knowledge (i.e., the use of gratitude strategies) and sociopragmatic knowledge (i.e., the influence of contextual variables). A discourse completion task (DCT) was employed to elicit data from 60 participants divided into two groups: 30 native speakers of American English, and 30 Jordanian EFL learners. Findings revealed that while Jordanian EFL learners and American English native speakers have access to the same gratitude strategies, both groups differed in the order preference of the used strategies and their frequency of use. Furthermore, the two groups showed different patterns in responding to contextual variables (i.e., social power and size of imposition), an indication that different cultural values govern the speech norms of each group. The study concludes with some pedagogical implications that could be implemented in the EFL classroom.

Highlights

The introduction of communicative competence for language learning and testing (Canale & Swain, 1980) has created a consensus that learning a second language for expressive and communicative purposes involves more than memorizing vocabulary, approximating native-like pronunciation, and mastering the rules of grammar; it entails acquiring pragmatic competence (Bachman, 1990)
This study contributes to the existing literature on interlanguage pragmatics by investigating intermediate Jordanian English Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ gratitude speech act realization compared to that of native American English speakers
Chi-square test analysis of equal vs. low power situations indicated that the Jordanian EFL (JEFL) participants used significantly more gratitude strategies in low power situations 56.4%than in equal power 43.6%

Summary

Introduction

The introduction of communicative competence for language learning and testing (Canale & Swain, 1980) has created a consensus that learning a second language for expressive and communicative purposes involves more than memorizing vocabulary, approximating native-like pronunciation, and mastering the rules of grammar; it entails acquiring pragmatic competence (Bachman, 1990). A major finding of ILP studies is that even fairly advanced learners might have considerable difficulty acquiring the rules of appropriate language behaviors, often leading them to experience a breakdown in communication known as pragmatic failure (Al-Issa, 2003; Al-Momani, 2009; Al-Shboul, Maros, & Yasin, 2012; Kasper & Schmidt, 1996; Rose and Kasper 2001). This is due to speech acts being a major problematic area for the second language learner. Billimyer (1990) argued that a major difficulty faced by nonnative speakers in acquiring pragmatic competence is that “speech acts are complex and highly variable, and require that the non-native speakers understand the multiple functions each serves” (p. 2)

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