Abstract

A Pragmatic Study of Refusal Speech Act: A Gender Perspective

Dr Mushtaq Abdulrazzaq Abdulzahra

Volume: 11 Issue: 1 2021

Abstract:

In EFL context, there comes many situations in which we need to refuse an offer, suggestion, invitation or request. And because the choice of the refusal strategy may vary in terms of gender the current study, thus, aimed to reveal gender variations in the use of the speech act of refusal. The study sampled 86 EFL learners split equally into 43 males and females. Three quantitative research questions guided the study. The data were collected by means of DCT designed for this end. These data were input and analysed using SPSS and Excel sheets for descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that there is a partial gender variation at these two refusal strategies which are: flat refusal and expressing regret. Both of which were used dominantly by the males. In in terms of directness, it is found that the males use more direct refusals than the females. It was also revealed that most frequent refusal strategy expressed by Iraqi EFL learners is expressing regret.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.37648/ijrssh.v11i01.029

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