Discourse Completion Test Research Articles

L2 Korean learners’ pragmalinguistic features

Abstract This study investigates the pragmalinguistic features of Korean as a Foreign Language (KFL) learners’ request speech acts in power-asymmetrical situations, focusing on interactions with social superiors. Through a discourse completion test (DCT), 31 KFL students and 12 Korean native speakers (KNS) were analyzed using a coding system which is developed based on the Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Project (CCSARP) (Blum-Kulka et al. 1989). Despite acquiring basic linguistic elements, KFL learners struggle to apply them effectively, particularly in nuanced social contexts. The findings underscore the necessity of explicit instruction on the pragmalinguistic functions of grammatical forms to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world language use. This study contributes valuable insights into the intercultural pragmatics of KFL learners, addressing gaps in the literature regarding the detailed analysis of learners’ language use in request speech acts, especially in situations involving social superiors. The pedagogical implications emphasize the need for enhanced instruction in KFL pragmatics to cultivate learners’ pragmatic awareness.

Effects of communication mode on EFL learners’ engagement and request learning

This study examines how different communication modes (two kinds of computer-mediated communication and face-to-face mode) influence EFL learners’ engagement during a collaborative writing task and its impact on subsequent request learning outcomes, measured by sociopragmatic and pragmalinguistic competence. Ninety-six high school English learners were assigned to groups for text-based chat, audio chat, and face-to-face interactions to complete a collaborative writing task in pairs. Two versions of the Written Discourse Completion Test (WDCT) were employed as pre-tests and post-tests to assess and compare the learning outcomes in request-making across the three groups. Cognitive and social engagement of learners were assessed by using multiple measures derived from chat logs and recordings, while a post-task questionnaire was utilized to gauge emotional engagement during the task. The results indicated that learners in the face-to-face and audio-chat conditions demonstrated higher levels of cognitive engagement compared to the text-chat group. The text-chat group reported fewer instances of negative emotions. In terms of request learning outcomes, all groups showed an increase in sociolinguistic appropriateness; however, no significant differences were found in overall pragmalinguistic competence. Social and emotional engagement significantly correlated with sociopragmatic improvement in the audio-chat mode, yet these indicators did not demonstrate significant predictive power.

Evaluating Pragmatic Competence in Language Learners Through an Assessment of Current Measurement Tools

This study reviews and evaluates current tools used to measure pragmatic competence in language learners. Pragmatic competence—the ability to use language appropriately in social contexts—is essential for effective communication in a second language. This article assesses various measurement tools, including discourse completion tests (DCTs), role-plays, self-assessment surveys, and technology-assisted assessments, analyzing their effectiveness and limitations. Findings suggest that each tool offers unique benefits, though a combination of traditional and digital methods provides the most comprehensive evaluation. The study concludes that blending these approaches allows for a more accurate assessment of pragmatic competence, supporting language educators in creating balanced evaluations for language learners.

Improving Grade Nine Students’ English Language Speaking Skill of Polite Requests: Misrak Chora Secondary School

Most commonly it is agreed that politeness is reflected in the pragmatic use of language. Although the politeness phenomenon is universal, with many expressional similarities, each language possesses norms and ways of expressing politeness within a given cultural context. Politeness has connection with everyday life such as with greeting, inviting, helping, apologizing, opinions, advice, questioning and suggesting information etc. English speaker tourists most frequently visit and resident in Hawassa City-Ethiopia and have cultural and communication exposure. However, many Ethiopian students are observed incompetent in this regard. Thus, the current study was intended to improve EFL learners’ polite requesting skills in some selected situations both in classroom contexts and outside contexts. For this purpose, the pre-experimental research design was employed to the study, and twenty students (10 females and 10 males) were randomly selected by lottery system from the 9<sup>th</sup> B classroom. This makes 22.2% of the population in the class. Six politeness genres were selected from the students’ English textbook for explicit lesson intervention. Based on Written Discourse Completion Test (WDCT) instrument prepared from these contents, both pretest and posttest conditions were administered to the selected students. Also cooperative learning strategies such as role play, pair work, group discussion, extemporaneous speeches on situations, cooperative jigsaw, interactive discourse, timed interview, Think-Pair-Share (TPS) were utilized during the lesson sessions. Then, frequencies, means, standard deviations, variances and percentages were used to obtain the main findings. On pretest, students have scored the overall 27.16% (mean, 8.15) regarding all polite request situations. However, it was found that the posttest scores showed great difference about 78.3% (mean, 23.5) in all situations. The study has also sought which request contexts grade nine students improve best as a result of the explicit instruction. Although students have improved performance in all tested situations, they had showed very significant change on request for apology followed by for help. In apology situation the students have achieved 90% and the least in preference scenario which is 65%. Thus, it is recommended that learners have to be explicitly taught in context of these language genres to develop learners' communicative abilities in the area. Teachers should devote time to instruct on this language content [polite request] as it is everyday encounter in one's life. Syllabus designers also should allot much time and tasks on the area so that school teachers give attention to areas.

How to close a telephone call in Chinese – A problem for foreigners

AbstractIn this study, we examine why closing a telephone call in Chinese can trigger intercultural irritations for foreigners. We investigate such irritations by comparing ways in which learners and native speakers of Chinese end phone calls. We follow a tripartite research design anchored in speech acts and interaction. First, we administered Discourse Completion Tests (DCTs) to a group of advanced European learners of Chinese and a group of native speakers of Chinese, investigating how members of these groups close telephone calls. Second, we studied two corpora of telephone closing conversations, including a Chinese and an English as lingua franca corpus. Third, we considered whether the pragmatic differences observed through our DCTs reflect broader Chinese and Western conventions of telephone closing observed through our interactional corpora, and whether the behaviour of foreign speakers of Chinese may have been influenced by pragmatic transfer. Through the research outcomes we interpret the above-mentioned intercultural irritations.

Use of English Gratitude Expressions by Yemeni EFL Female Undergraduates- Female-Female and Female-Male Interactions

The current study aims to explore English expressions of gratitude that are used by Yemeni female speakers in female-female and female-male interactions at Sana'a University, Yemen. The participants of the study consisted of 230 undergraduate students (115 males and 115 females). The data of the study were collected through a Discourse Completion Test (DCT) for eliciting the speech act of gratitude. It included twelve situations that were analyzed by using SPSS descriptive statistics program. The data were analyzed according to Cheng's (2005) taxonomy of gratitude expressions. The results revealed that Yemeni female speakers in F-F and F-M interactions utilized twenty-four English expressions of gratitude with different expressions of politeness markers in interacting with each other in the twelve situations and with difference in their frequencies and percentages. The results obtained from the data analysis also showed that the most frequent preferred strategy by all the participants in all situations is "bald thanking or using the word "thanks"". Furthermore, it can be observed that Yemeni female speakers use both two strategies ("bald thanking or using the word "thanks"" and "thanking and stating the favor") of English expressions of gratitude more than other strategies, especially in F-M interactions more than in F-F interactions. The reason behind this is because Yemeni female speakers tend to express themselves in their daily interactions, especially in F-M interactions because females appreciate any favor or service men offer or do it for them, so when receiving help from others, they have to thank them. Besides, women with their nature are more polite and use more politeness strategies than men and this is related to religious factors and social rules and conventions in Yemeni society. It is recommended that English teachers should make learners aware of using more suitable English expressions of gratitude in various situations. Consequently, learners can select what gratitude strategy that is most appropriate or required in a given situation.

Request Strategies of EFL University Learners at Jambi University

Making appropriate requests is a crucial aspect of pragmatic competence in language learning. This research aimed to investigate common request strategies used by EFL University Learners at Jambi University when making requests at the ages of 19, 20, and 21. This research design was an intrinsic case study to gain an in-depth knowledge of the phenomenon within its specific context. Data were collected through a written discourse completion test (DCT) from six participants, two from each age group. They were analyzed using discourse analysis, specifically focusing on the request strategies proposed by Blum-Kulka and Olshtain (1984), Blum-Kulka (1987), and Trosborg (1995). The findings reveal that most participants employed conventionally indirect (hearer-based) strategies in the form of ability, willingness, and permission (25 times, 83.3% frequency of semantic formulas) and conventionally indirect request (speaker-based) strategies in the form of desires/needs (3 times, 10% frequency of semantic formulas), followed by direct request strategies in the form of performatives (2 times, 6.6% frequency of semantic formulas). The research concluded that conventionally indirect request strategies (hearer-based) in the form of ability, willingness, and permission are mostly used in making requests among the studied age groups. It also found that age influenced how social power as a social variable maintained smooth social interactions in making requests. Those different age groups exhibited diversities in the use of directness level in making requests based on the age gap between the speaker and the hearer. Additionally, the research indicates how the focus shifts to the hearer's wants as the speaker casts requests in various direct forms. This suggests that people tend to make requests subtly, especially within academic settings. These findings have important implications for language teaching and pragmatics instruction, potentially influencing approaches to improving learner awareness of appropriate request strategies in academic and social contexts.

Request and Politeness Strategies in the Javanese-Speaking Generation Z Community: A Pragmatic Study

The aim of this research is to analyze the use of Request and Politeness Strategy used by the Generation Z Community of Javanese Language Speakers and to analyze the choice of Request and Politeness Strategy used by the Generation Z Community of Javanese Language Speakers. This research uses qualitative research by using descriptive methods. This research uses a pragmatic approach with an analytical method using Trosborg and Blum Kulka's theory. The sample for this research is 50 people in the Javanese-speaking Gen Z community. The data for this research are the results of the Discourse Completion Test (DCT) in the written form. The result shows that the use of Request Strategy and Politeness Strategy is used by the Generation Z Community of Javanese Language Speakers, in the Request Strategy in the Lower to Higher Category including Ability/Willingness, Statements of Speaker's Wishes and Desires, Statements of Speaker's Needs and Demands, Hint. Then in the Request Strategy Category, the Higher to Lower Category includes Ability/Wilingness, Statements of Speaker's Needs and Demands, Imperative, Obligation and Necessity, Be Pessimistic, Apologize. This research has an impact on efforts to ensure that the Javanese language does not only act as a means of communication, but is also a very important part of self-identity in the context of national and global interactions. Likewise, the perception that the use of regional languages ​​can hinder progress can be overcome by spreading awareness that the individuals who are developing today are those who remain true to their cultural and social character

중국인 여성 결혼이민자와 한국인 여성 결혼자의 불평 화행 전략 사용 양상 비교 연구

Objectives This study aims to examine how female marriage immigrants use complaint speech acts in everyday conversations and to compare and analyze the actual usage patterns of complaint strategies between Chinese female marriage immigrants and Korean female spouses. Methods To achieve this objective, data were collected in two phases. First, a preliminary survey was conducted with Korean and Chinese female spouses to identify nine real-life situations in Korean communication contexts that could trigger complaints. Following this, a Discourse Completion Test (DCT) survey was conducted to gather response data for each complaint situation. Based on the collected data, the usage patterns of individual strategies, combined strategies, and grammatical usage were analyzed. Results The analysis yielded the following results. In terms of individual strategy usage, both groups predominantly employed the ‘direct complaint’ and ‘indirect complaint’ strategies in complaint situations. However, the Chinese female marriage immigrant (NNS) group frequently used ‘sarcasm’ and ‘rhetorical questioning’ strategies, whereas the Korean female spouses (KNS) group tended to use ‘command’ and ‘situation explanation’ strategies more often. Next, the analysis of combined strategy usage revealed that the NNS group used combined strategies more frequently than the KNS group. However, when analyzing the combined strategies according to social status and the intensity of the complaint, it was found that the KNS group used a wider variety of strategies than the NNS group in most situations, except in equal status scenarios. Lastly, the analysis of grammatical usage showed that both groups most frequently used the ‘direct complaint’ strategy. However, the KNS group often used the form ‘-(으)ㄹ게요’ to express their intentions, while the NNS group showed a tendency to use ‘informal speech’ more frequently. Additionally, in the ‘indirect complaint’ strategy, the KNS group used the phrase ‘-(으)ㄹ/ㄴ/는 것 같다’ to express their assertions mildly, whereas the NNS group often used the phrase ‘-잖아요’ to emphasize their assertions more directly. Conclusions These differences stem from the distinct linguistic habits and cultural differences between the two groups. For instance, the development of honorifics in Korean, differences in child-rearing practices between Korea and China, and varying perceptions of dual-income households in Korean and Chinese societies contribute to these disparities. This study is significant in that it summarizes the commonalities and differences in complaint speech act strategies used by Chinese female marriage immigrants and Korean female spouses, and elucidates the reasons for these differences through an exploration of Korean and Chinese cultural differences.

Refusal Strategies by Young Jordanian Speakers in Arabic and English

This study aims to investigate refusal strategies used among Jordanian Arabic speakers and EFL learners of English in Jordan. Two Discourse Completion Tests (DCT), containing scenarios of refusal, were completed by 43 Jordanian Arabic speakers along with 37 EFL learners of English in Jordan. Data analysis reveals three main refusal categories used in the data: direct, indirect and adjuncts to refusals. Jordanian Arabic speakers used 7% direct refusals, 57% indirect refusals, and 36% adjuncts to refusals. In contrast, EFL learners used 13% direct refusals, 62% indirect refusals, and 25% adjuncts to refusals. Additionally, strategies such as insisting, insulting, praising the other, and invoking the name of God were observed. In conclusion, both groups preferred indirect refusal strategies over other types. It was also noted that EFL learners used more direct and indirect refusal strategies than Jordanian Arabic speakers but fewer adjuncts to refusals. Both groups produced similar strategies in response to the four types of situations, indicating that cultural background significantly influenced the way refusals were performed, despite the different languages used.

‘Men More Polite Than Women?': Gender Differences Study of Bimanese Interaction in Requesting

This study examines gender differences in request speech and politeness, focusing on how men and women use different linguistic strategies to convey requests politely. This study aims to analyze the alerter and supporting speech elements in request speech in the Bima language as spoken by male and female students. It also compares the request speech elements used by men and women. Using a qualitative approach, the data analyzed consists of request utterances in the Bima language. Data were collected through recording techniques and discourse completion tests. The data analysis involved categorizing the speech elements as units of analysis, focusing on alerter and supporting elements, and classifying them based on Blum-Kulka’s framework. The analysis revealed that male speech tended to demonstrate familiarity with the interlocutor through the varied use of alerter greetings, while female speech showed politeness by employing supporting speech. This difference indicates that men are more inclined to use positive politeness strategies, whereas women tend to use negative politeness strategies.

Vietnamese Speech Act Realization and Some Factors Influencing Refusal Strategies: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this pilot research was to explore the refusal strategies and factors influencing speech act realization of refusals employed by a group of Vietnamese language learners when making refusals to invitations, requests, offers, and suggestions by 5 participants at Tien Giang University to shed light on the possible problems leading to cross-cultural differences in communication. A Written Discourse Completion Test (WDCT) and 5 interview questions in English versions developed by the researcher were used to collect the data and analyze it qualitatively and quantitatively. The results illustrated that the participants frequently used indirect strategies for refusing each context given in the WDCT. Furthermore, based on the participants’ answers via the interview records, it could be concluded that social contexts, distance, and cross-cultural differences influenced L2 learners of English as a Foreign Language. The findings of this study highlight some strategies to help learners understand and gain more strategies in speech act realization of refusals and misunderstanding can be avoided. Besides, the interlocutors can receive appropriate responses to refusing invitations, requests, offers, and suggestions.

Interlanguage Pragmatic Competence of University Students: An Error Analysis of Apology Speech Act Strategies in Japanese Learners

While acquiring a second language, learners may encounter challenges and difficulties in effectively carrying out verbal communication in the second language. Mastering the apology speech act is a challenge for L2 learners. The objective of this study is to identify the apology strategies utilized by individuals learning the Japanese language, as well as the specific types and underlying causes of errors produced during the execution of apologetic speech acts. The results of this study were gathered via the Discourse Completion Test (DCT), which encompassed a sample of 150 Japanese language learners. The gathered data were further classified using eight semantic formulas based on the research conducted by Haristiani and Sopiyanti (2019), while the various types and sources of error categorization were conducted based on the theories proposed by Corder (1981) and Richards (1975). The results of this study suggest that Japanese learners utilize the same primary strategies in apology speech acts. Furthermore, the study findings indicated that learners at the intermediate level displayed a higher frequency of errors in their speech compared to learners at the beginner levels and pre-intermediate levels, particularly in the strategy of taking responsibility. The main reason for this was primarily a lack of familiarity with the conventions of sentence structures, the proper use of language, and the appropriate use of expressions. The other sources of errors in language learning are likely to be ignoring language rule restrictions, incomplete application of rules, the learner’s false hypothesis, overgeneralization, and language transfer. This study is anticipated to function as a point of reference for research in interlanguage pragmatics, second-language acquisition, and error analysis. Gaining comprehension of the various problems and difficulties encountered when performing the speech act of apology in Japanese can assist both learners and educators in reducing these errors.

The Misunderstanding of Jordanian Requests by the Non-Arab Students at the Northern Private Universities of Jordan: A Conceptual Paper

This study aims to investigate the misunderstanding of Jordanian requests by non-Arab students at the northern universities of Jordan. The misunderstanding among the students at these universities restricts building strong relationships among the students which could expand the problem of making successful communications among them. Brown and Levinson's (1987) politeness theory is adopted to analyze the data together with Austin's (1975) and Searle's (1975) speech act theories. A mixed method is used to collect the data. For the quantitative data, the Discourse Completion Test (DCT) will be used, and for the qualitative data, a semi-structured interview will be conducted. The results are expected to achieve the objectives of this study.

Analysing sympathy from a contrastive pragmatic angle: a Chinese–English case study

Abstract In this study, we provide a replicable language-anchored framework for capturing expressions of sympathy in interaction, by contrasting Chinese and English sympathising behaviour. Our framework combines interaction ritual and speech acts, and it captures sympathising without associating it with one particular speech act from the outset. Methodologically, we follow a tripartite design: First we identify puzzlements which ritual sympathising can trigger for Chinese expatriates living in the US and American expatriates in China. We then conduct Discourse Completion Tests (DCTs) to identify conventions of sympathising in the two linguacultures. Finally, we interpret our expatriates’ puzzlement through the outcomes of the DCT analysis.

한국어 모어 화자와 중국인 학습자의 거절 화행 전략 사용 비교 분석

This study aims to compare and analyze the use of refusal speech act strategies by Korean native speakers and Chinese learners of Korean, and to reveal the similarities and differences between the two groups. 94 Korean native speakers (KK) and 135 Chinese Korean learners (CC) completed a questionnaire using the Discourse Completion Test. T-tests results showed that, KK's speech strategies are more influenced by social factors. CC tend to use assertion and lack of ability strategies, while KK prefer to use strategies to promise the future, express desires to accept, show sympathy, and adjust flexibly according to social changes. Therefore, CC's refusal speech is more direct, while KK's refusal speech is more polite. Through post-event interviews, it was also discovered that Chinese learners of Korean encounter problems in implementing speech acts, such as insufficient understanding of complimentary expression and strategy, neglecting conversational variables, interference from the native language and cultural differences.

과업기반 수업을 활용한 초등영어 요청화행 지도의 효과

The purpose of this study is to investigate a task-based language teaching (TBLT) approach to teaching pragmatic competence for EFL elementary English learners focusing on requests. A series of 15 task-based lessons was developed to teach requests to 6th-grade English learners for eight weeks. In terms of choosing target request expressions, various request expressions were initially extracted from the English curriculum and textbooks and additional request strategies were added. Three target tasks that require request expressions were designed, incorporating pragmatic social variables such as power, distance, and imposition. Each task differed in terms of difficulty and complexity. Students’ pragmalinguistic competence and sociopragmatic competence were evaluated using a discourse completion test (DCT) as pre- and post-tests. Rating criteria, assessing pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic competence, were also developed and two raters evaluated the learners’ pragmatic production on DCT items to ensure inter-rater reliability. The findings revealed that the TBLT approach was effective in teaching EFL elementary school students’ request competence in terms of both pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic components. We discuss potential challenges and directions in teaching pragmatic competence for elementary school students in Korea.

What is Your Color? A Study of Najdi Bedouin Greetings

This study investigates the greetings of the Bedouin speakers of the Central Najdi Dialect in Afif, Saudi Arabia. It analyzes the greetings used by the subjects and examines the impact of the contextual factors of age, social status, social distance, period of absence, and formality of situation on their choice, and it also identifies the politeness strategies they opted for. The study uses a discourse completion test, interviews, and fieldnotes to collect its data. The study involves 50 subjects randomly chosen from the area. It shows that the subjects use the Islamic greetings, phatic questions, welcoming greetings, temporal greetings, and expressions of longing. It also demonstrates that the subjects use individual and group greetings that are differentiated by the second singular and plural pronoun inflections. Moreover, it shows that the subjects utilise some greetings the reference of which is made to the third singular and plural person pronouns. Also, it reveals that some of the greetings used take the present and past tense markers.

Effects of Social Power and Distance on the Realization of Requests in Jordanian Bedouin Arabic

This study aims to determine the request strategies employed by Jordanian Bedouin Arabic (JBA) native speakers in their interactions in diverse social situations by examining how they realize requests in speech. The study also explores the effect of social power (high, equal, low) and social distance (familiar and unfamiliar) on the realization patterns of requests by highlighting young JBA male speakers’ linguistic choices. Data from 25 young male speakers of JBA were gathered using an Oral Discourse Completion Test (ODCT). The collected data were analyzed based on Brown’s and Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory and following the Cross-Cultural Speech Act Research Project (CCSARP) request strategy coding scheme. The results showed that the participants employed various request strategies according to their occurrences in different contexts. Furthermore, it was found that there is a correlation between perceptions of (im)politeness and social power and distance controlled by the context. The results also showed that the participants employed different sequences of strategies and demonstrated different preferences for context-dependent strategies in their requests.

The Use of Request Strategies in an Academic Setting

The study compares requests produced by Omani and American students. It examines the differences and similarities found in the types of requests produced in a Discourse Completion Test and the frequency of strategies employed for each speech act used. The results show that Omani students (non-native speakers) use fewer indirect request strategies in English than their American counterparts (native speakers). Linguistic differences are attributed to inadequate linguistic abilities among Omani students. This deficiency is anticipated to create problems such as the underuse of the past auxiliaries like could as opposed to present tense modals like can; the misuse of would; and the overuse of the lexical downgrader please in comparison to the underuse of external modifiers such as grounders, disarmers and sweeteners. Past auxiliaries were also found to be underused by Omanis due to the non-existence of these verbal forms in the Arabic language.