Interlanguage Pragmatics : Syntactic and Lexical Downgrading in Request Realization by Japanese EFL Learners

Abstract

This study examines the use of syntactic and lexical downgraders by Japanese EFL learners in order to mitigate requests in high imposition situations to listeners of higher status. The relationships between learners' use of syntactic and lexical downgraders, and their grammatical competence and time spent in an English-speaking environment, were analyzed. Their request realizations were also compared with those of Native Speakers. In general the learners demonstrated the ability to use appropriate syntactical downgrading but an inability to use appropriate lexical downgrading. Reasons for this are discussed along with suggestions as to how instruction could have a more positive effect on the acquisition of forms of mitigation. INTRODU CTION This study investigates the extent to which Japanese EFL learners use syntactic and lexical downgrading in polite, high imposition requests, as compared to native speakers of English. Various studies have examined the use of internal and external mitigation of speech acts (Faerch & Kasper 1989; Trosberg 1995; Hassall 2001). However, there appear to be fewer studies which look in more detail at high-imposition requests and compare the respective use of syntactic and lexical downgrading. This study also examines the relationship between learners' pragmatic competence and (1) their grammatical competence and (2) time spent in an English-speaking country. Studies have been undertaken comparing the pragmatic competence of EFL and ESL learners (Bardovi-Harlig & Dornyei, 1998; Niezgoda & Rover, 2001). In contrast, this study compares the pragmatic competence of EFL learners with varying lengths of time spent in an Englishspeaking environment, and seeks to shed light on the matter of whether L2 exposure is more effective for pragmatic development than improving grammatical competence. It is the aim of this study that, by focusing in detail on microlinguistic aspects of speech act production, it will be possible to see more clearly those aspects of speech act production which learners acquire more easily, and those which cause more difficulty. Furthermore, it should be possible to see more clearly which factors are most effective in the enhancement of L2 pragmatic competence. BACKGROUND Speech Acts Study into the second language learning and acquisition of the pragmatics of speech acts has developed strongly over the past two decades. Seminal works in this field include: Blum Kulka, House & Kasper (1989) and Kasper & Blum-Kulka (1993). A large number of studies have been undertaken into a variety of speech acts, with the strongest focus on requests and apologies. This research has led to questions concerning what factors lead to the successful production of speech acts in the L2. Studies have been conducted in the area of instruction in pragmatics (Rose & Kasper, 2001). The relationship between pragmatic competence and grammatical competence has also been examined (Bardovi-Harlig & Dornyei, 1998; Niezgoda & Rover, 2001) with the conclusion that there is no clear relationship between them. A further area of study has been the difference in pragmatic awareness between ESL and EFL learners. Bardovi-Harlig & Dornyei (1998) concluded that ESL learners tend to have a more developed pragmatic awareness. However,