비교문화적 화용론의 관점에서 본태국인 한국어 학습자의 사과 화행 연구

A Study on Thai Korean Learners Apology Speech Acts from a Cross-Cultural Pragmatic Perspective

This study tries to compare the differences of apology speech acts in Thai Korean learners from the cross-cultural pragmatic perspective, and analyzes what causes these differences. The research questions are as follows: (1) Do native Koreans and Thais apologize in particular situations respectively? (2) How different are Koreans, Thais, and Thai Korean learners in using apology speech act strategies in each situation? We used oral DCTs and post-interviews for situational apology speech acts among Koreans, Thais, and Thai Korean learners. The research questions (1) utilized chi-squared tests and (2) used a multiple response analysis. The oral DCTs result showed no significant difference among groups. However, post-interviews revealed that Thais do not prefer explicit apologies in strange and official situations and that they prefer them in more familiar situations. On the other hand, Koreans use various apology strategies in more familiar situations to replace explicit apologies. Moreover, difference in perception of situations and idiomatic expressions among different groups suggests the high risk of pragmatic failure for Thai Korean learners. Thus, the field of Korean education must teach various expressions and strategies preferred and used in actual Korean apology speech acts. (Ewha Womans University)