A Socio-Pragmatic Study of Gratitude Speech Act in Learner English in Korean Context

This socio-pragmatic study examined the use of gratitude speech acts in English as L2 context. The study presented a comparative investigation of the gratitude speech acts realized by Korean L2 learners and native English speakers in terms of strategies use and length of speech. The participants encompassed 49 Korean university students and 20 native English speakers. The study used the purposive sampling to select the participants. The data consisted of responses to eleven situations of written discourse completion test to elicit the speech act of gratitude. The responses were coded using eight categories to determine the strategies used. The data for expressing gratitude were analyzed according to frequency and the choice of gratitude strategies. Findings revealed that Korean L2 learners of English and native English speakers showed differences in the use of strategies to express gratitude in various situations. Possible explanation for the results and educational implications are provided.