감사와 사과가 공존하는 상황에서 한국인과 일본인의 화행 실현 양상 연구

Comparative Study of Speech Act Realizations with Co-occurring Gratitude and Apology in Korean and Japanese

This study aimed to investigate Korean and Japanese speakers’ preferences for using expressions of apology and gratitude in contexts where both speech acts co-occur. A total of 160 participants (80 native Korean and 80 Japanese speakers) completed a survey to examine their preferences for apology and gratitude expressions in thesed contexts. The results showed that Japanese speakers tended to use apology expressions more frequently than Korean speakers, who often favored gratitude alone, particularly with less intimate or older interlocutors. Both groups demonstrated an increased use of apology expressions in less intimate relationships; however, Japanese speakers overall exhibited a stronger tendency to apologize regardless of the addressee’s age or familiarity. Additionally, Japanese speakers exhibited consistently high use of apology expressions even with peers or younger interlocutors, whereas Korean speakers preferred gratitude expressions. These findings revealed cross-cultural differences that may lead to pragmatic errors among language learners and highlighted the need for pedagogical strategies to address these differences. The study limitations included its reliance on survey data, with no inclusion of natural speech samples or interviews, highlighting the need for further qualitative research.