Pragmatic Transfer in Refusals

Interlanguage pragmatic studies have contributed a great deal of evidence which suggests that second language (L2) learners’ first language (L1) pragmatic knowledge has a significant impact on their pragmatic performance in the L2. Among other speech acts, a refusal can be pragmatically challenging for L2 learners since it includes face‐threatening act and this results that learners often use L1 strategies to deal with this uncomfortable situation. Koreans have been known to use overt strategies in refusals. The current study examines how such strategies are transferred to their L2 (English). Sixty participants were invited to the study. The study employed the discourse completion test (DCT) and retrospective interviews. The study found that Koreans and Americans shared the same range of refusal communicative strategies, while they differed in the frequency and the content of pragmatic strategies. Evidence of pragmatic transfer in refusals was found in both the frequency and the content of pragmatic strategies, as well as in unique expressions and perceptions which were directly translated from pragmatic strategies in Korean. The outcomes also reveal that high proficiency Korean learners of English showed a greater tendency to use their L1 pragmatic strategies in L2. This study suggests the importance of instruction for appropriate pragmatic strategies.