Refusals in L2 English: Proficiency effects on appropriateness and fluency

Abstract

This study investigates effects of general proficiency on production of refusals. Fifty-nine Japanese college students of English at two different proficiency levels (proficiency determined by TOEFL scores) were evaluated for their ability to produce a speech act of refusal in a spoken role play task. The task elicited four refusals (refusals to invitation, offer, request, and suggestion) in two item types: formal and informal situations. Learners' refusals were analyzed for overall appropriateness and fluency. Appropriateness was assessed quantitatively by rating performance on a six-point scale, as well as qualitatively by identifying the directness levels of the linguistic expressions used to produce refusals. Fluency was examined for speech rates (average number of words per minute). Results revealed a significant proficiency influence on both appropriateness and fluency, but only a marginal difference in the types of linguistic expressions used between the two proficiency groups. There was an interaction between proficiency and item type: proficiency effect was larger for formal situation refusals than for informal situation refusals on both appropriateness and fluency.1 IntroductionThe speech act of refusal is a face-threatening act because of its non-compliant nature. In a refusal to a directive (e.g., request, suggestion), the speaker averts a threat to her negative face, while a refusal to a commissive (e.g., offer, invitation) involves the speaker declining support of her positive face (Brown and Levinson, 1987). If they are not performed appropriately, refusals could lead to unintended offense and communication breakdown. As a result, it is important to examine if and/or how second language (L2) learners' refusal patterns might deviate from those of native speakers in order to account for potential causes of miscommunication and suggest ways to teach appropriate linguistic strategies involved in this speech act.This study investigates the effects of general proficiency on production of refusals. Fifty-nine Japanese college students of English at two different proficiency levels (determined by TOEFL scores) were evaluated for their ability to produce a speech act of refusal in role-plays. The task elicited four refusals (refusals to invitation, offer, request, and suggestion) in formal and informal situations. Learners' refusals were analyzed for overall appropriateness and fluency. Appropriateness was assessed quantitatively by rating performance on a six-point scale, as well as qualitatively by identifying the directness levels of the linguistic expressions used to produce refusals. Fluency was examined for speech rates (average number of words per minute). Results revealed a significant proficiency influence on appropriateness and fluency. There was an interaction between proficiency and item type: the effect of proficiency was larger for formal situation refusals than for informal situation refusals on both appropriateness and fluency.2 BackgroundPrevious studies that examined interlanguage patterns of refusals typically used a categorical analysis by comparing native and non-native refusal strategies for their directness levels based on coding systems (e.g., Al-Eryani, 2007; Beebe, Takahashi and Uliss-Weltz, 1990; Felix-Brasdefer, 2003; Fujiura, 2007; Garcia, 1999; Ikeda, 2007; Kawate-Mierzejewska, 2009; Robinson, 1992; Takahashi and Beebe, 1987; Widjaja, 1997). An earlier study by Takahashi and Beebe (1987) examined pragmatic transfer in Japanese ESL learners' refusals. Using a discourse completion test (DCT), the researchers compared the differences in the order, frequency, and content of refusal strategies between American and Japanese students. They found evidence of LI transfer in all three areas. Frequency of transfer interacted with proficiency. Low-proficiency learners were more direct in their refusals than high-proficiency learners, suggesting their lack of pragmalinguistic knowledge. …