한국어와 영어의 거절 담화 비교 연구 - 사회적 지위 변수를 중심으로

Refusal Speech Act in Korean and English: Focusing on the variable of social status

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This study aims to compare the refusal discourse structures of Korean and English speakers with a focus on social status differences between the speaker and the listener. To analyze these patterns of refusal discourse structures, 20 native Korean speakers and 20 native English speakers were recorded performing various refusal scenarios. The analysis revealed several key findings. First, Korean speakers employed more refusal strategies across all social status contexts than English speakers, while English speakers favored direct refusal expressions. Second, when the speaker held a higher social status than the listener, both Korean and English speakers displayed similar discourse structures. Third, in refusals directed toward someone of higher social status, Korean speakers used a wider variety of strategies and consistently expressed regret or apologies across multiple stages, whereas English speakers focused primarily on achieving their communicative goal with minimal additional discourse. Fourth, when the speaker and listener shared the same social status, English speakers often expressed repeated regret or apologies, while Korean speakers more frequently employed direct refusals compared to other social status relationships. This study not only highlights the influence of social status on refusal discourse patterns in Korean and English but also provides valuable insights for developing Korean language teaching materials and assessment standards.