| Summary: | 碩士 === 東海大學 === 外國語文學系 === 106 === In recent years, there has been increasing interest in investigating the speech act of complaints. Much recent research has focused on cross-cultural studies in the differences between English and another language, while there are limited studies on interlanguage transfer in an Asian context. Interlanguage transfer plays a significant role to determine the extent to which language learners may communicate appropriately in target languages. To fill the literature gap, the purpose of this study is to investigate the interlanguage transfer of First language (L1) Mandarin Chinese and Second language (L2) English through examining the significant differences, if any, of complaint strategies and complaint response strategies employed by EFL learners. Furthermore, this study also investigates whether there are any significant differences in Taiwanese EFL learners’ frequency of opting out making or responding to a complaint in L1 and L2, and what their reasons for employing this strategy are.
The participants of this study were forty-nine English majors in a Taiwanese university. Data were collected through two Written Discourse Completion Tasks (an English and a Chinese version) with identical scenarios each. The resulting data were coded and analyzed using the framework from previous researchers for complaint strategies as well as complaint response strategies. The data were analyzed using the designated coding scheme, chi-square test and frequency analysis. Data analysis showed both positive and negative pragmatic transfer in the participants’ complaint and complaint response strategies. Furthermore, the participants displayed a sensitivity to social status and varied their complaints and complaint responses accordingly. Additionally, they displayed a larger repertoire of complaint response strategies in English. Finally, the participants not only displayed a higher frequency of opting out in Mandarin Chinese, but also presented various social and personal reasons for applying this strategy.
This study sheds light on theoretical and pedagogical implications for further interlanguage pragmatic research. Theoretical implications include the identification of additional complaint strategies and the importance of opting out as a complaint and complaint response strategy. Furthermore, Taiwanese EFL learners displayed both positive and negative transfer in their complaint and complaint response strategies. Pedagogical implications include the importance of emphasizing socio-cultural norms and the differences between the target English-speaking culture and the EFL culture in the classroom. Additionally, the emphasis on the cultural differences should include the appropriacy of remaining silent in both cultures. Finally, to create a more well-rounded curriculum on complaints, complaint response strategies should be taught alongside complaint strategies in the classroom.
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