Teaching Speech Acts in Taiwan''s EFL Classroom: Analysis of Teaching Materials

• Main Authors: Ching-shu Peng, 彭敬淑
• Other Authors: Sai-hua Kuo
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2000
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/05022224522237173766

碩士 === 國立清華大學 === 外國語文學系 === 88 === This study aimed to explore two speech sequences (making/responding to requests and giving/responding to compliments) in the materials for the EFL learners in Taiwan based on previous research in order to get insight whether there is necessary and sufficient information for learners in these teaching materials to communicate successfully with native speakers. The data for analysis were obtained from the examples of model dialogues in the two sets of communicative-based textbooks: Spectrum and New Interchange. Three research questions were (1) Are the linguistic forms or strategies of making/responding to requests and giving/responding to compliments covered in the teaching materials presented as the forms and strategies found in the empirical studies? (2) Does the relationship of forms and contextual factors of speech acts in the materials correspond to that found in the empirical studies? (3) Is there any activity or practices of teaching requests and compliments in the two series of textbooks and if so, what type of activities are they? The results of the study can be presented based on the two different speech acts. In the part of requests: (1) every type of request forms in Ervin-Tripp’s classification can be found throughout the teaching materials in different proportion. Imperatives are the most frequent forms and request questions and hints are the least ones. (2) The distributions of request forms in the dimension of social distance and status generally correspond to the findings in previous research. (3) Spectrum provides more varied activities than New Interchange including those both for understanding and production. In the part of compliments: (1) The two sets of teaching materials do not provide sufficient information about compliments for learners. One of the commonly used type (I like/love NP) in American English and the topics on ability/accomplishment are not found at all in the two sets of textbooks. (2) The interaction between topic and sex do not exactly correspond to the findings in the previous research. (3) The activities about compliments are found to be rare in Spectrum and none in New interchange.