A Pragmatic Study on the Speech Act of Refusal by Chinese EFL Learners

中國英語學習者拒絕語言行為的語用研究

李欣(Xin Li) ； 林麗清(Li-Qing Lin)

《語文與國際研究》 13期 (2015/06) Pp. 23-45

https://doi.org/10.3966/181147172015060013002

摘要

本文通過問卷調查的方式對來自中國某高校的80名英語專業大四學生和77名非英語專業大四學生進行了一項關於拒絕言語行為實施情況的調查，旨在暸解拒絕言語行為的語義成分構成、拒絕策略、以及影響拒絕言語行為策略選擇的因素，並就英語專業學生用英語實施的拒絕言語行為同中國非英語專業的學生用中文實施的拒絕言語行為在語義成分構成、拒絕言語行為策略選擇，以及受這些因素影響的程度等方面進行比較。同時本文還希望對中國英語學習者的語用能力進行總體暸解，並盡可能為今後的外語教學提出些拙見。對收集的資料進行定性和定量分析後發現，英語專業學生和非英語專業學生都傾向于選擇間接的拒絕策略，並且前者的拒絕較之後者的拒絕來得直接：拒絕策略的選擇受到母語文化的影響，表現出來的具體因素包括社會距離、相對權勢以及雙方之間的義務界定；這三種因素對兩組調查對象施加的影響不同，英語專業學生受其影響較小。調查發現，中國英語學習者已經具備使用英語實施言語行為的能力，但是使用的言語手段要比預期局限，且具體言語表達中還因受母語文化影響，而帶有漢語的痕跡。

關鍵字

語際語用學 ； 拒絕言語行為 ； 拒絕策略 ； 語用能力

並列摘要

This study, based on a questionnaire on the performance of refusing speech act among 80 Chinese senior English majors and 77 Chinese senior non-English majors from a university in China, attempts to investigate the semantic components and pragmatic strategies of refusal as well as the sociocultural factors that influence the choice of refusing strategy. After a qualitative and quantitative study of the collected data, it is found that both English majors and non-English majors show a preference for indirect refusing strategy to direct one, with the former being more direct than the latter. Factors influencing speakers' choice of refusing strategy include social distance, relative power, and whether a situation involves obligation/right, all of which are deeply rooted in the culture of speakers' native language. The degree to which these four factors exert their influence is not the same for the two groups, with English majors appearing less responsive than their non-English counterparts. Informants majoring in English are also observed to be capable of performing communicative acts in English, though using a narrower range of linguistic means than what they are actually capable of and to bear certain Chinese-specific traits in their utterances due to influence from their native language.

並列關鍵字

interlanguage pragmatics ； refusing speech act ； refusing strategy ； pragmatic competence

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