A Cross-cultural Analysis Of Pragmatic Strategies Of Refusals Based On Face Theory

For language learners, learning a foreign language not only means to master the grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary of the target language, but also means to use the language in a polite, accurate and effective way so that can be minimized the cross-cultural communication misunderstandings and embarrassment. And the success of cross-cultural communication can be increased.This study is undertaken to investigate the similarities and differences of the strategies used by Chinese EFL learners and native speakers of English, with a particular focus on the Speech ACT——Refusal. The study is conducted from the perspective of cross-cultural communication within the theoretical framework of Brown& Levinson's Face Theory. The aim is to find out the underlying cultural value orientations influencing the strategies chosen by Chinese EFL learners and native speakers of English. The research questions addressed in the study are as follows:1. Are there any similarities and differences of the refusal strategies used between the native speakers of English and the Chinese EFL learners?2. Do the social status of interlocutor affect the refusal strategies used by the native speakers of English and the Chinese EFL learners?3. What are the reasons caused the differences?The survey is carried out in the form of Discourse Competition Test (DCT) questionnaires. And two questionnaires are designed, one is in English and the other is in Chinese for both English speaking subjects and Chinese subjects. The initiating acts of refusing are:requesting, inviting, offering and suggestion. In the procedure of data analysis, the factor of social status is taken as a controlled variable. The results of the study are demonstrated and discussed by the SPSS 13.0 and percentage.Previous researchers in the survey process only compared the Chinese with American(or Canadian)students, the subjects are from only one country in English-speaking countries. In fact, in cross-cultural communication, we can not only communicate with people from one country. In order to use the refusal strategies appropriately, we need to know and understand the differences of politeness strategies in English speaking countries'and Chinese culture, finding the reasons of differences in the cultural backgrounds, so the subjects chosen to answer the questionnaires are from many different English speaking countries.As for Chinese subjects, students in the independent college are chosen as subjects for the first time.The results indicated that there are some similarities as well as a large number of differences in the choice of refusal strategies in two groups. Both two groups prefer indirect strategies to direct strategies such as:reason, regret, alternative, dissuasion and avoidance. There are obvious differences in the frequency and contents of direct and indirect refusal strategies and different degree of sensitivity to the social status between the two groups. Generally speaking, the Chinese subjects utilize a greater proportion of indirect strategies than the English-speaking subjects. However, when the refuser is of higher status the Chinese subjects prefer the strategies of reason, dissuasion, avoidance and direct refusal, while reason, regret and alternatives when he or she is of lower statues. And the English-speaking subjects usually utilize reason and direct refusal. There is no notable link between strategies chosen and the interlocutor's status in society. The Chinese subjects choose the specific reasons to refuse, usually involving families and parents, while the English-speaking subjects tend to be vague. So through the analysis of refusal strategies employed by two groups, it can explore similarities and differences between Western and Chinese cultures and values:Chinese Collectivism and Western Individualism.In addition, there is a phenomenon appeared in the analysis of questionnaires. Among Chinese subjects, a small part of them are 90's generation. In their answers, it is found that Chinese traditional culture have been changed among 90's generation. They tend to be westernized, they are more confident and self-respected, posses less self-abasement and self-contempt. They usually tend to be self-centered, good at applying law(labor) for seeking rational refusal strategies and more direct refusal.