This study aims to analyze the use patterns of the Korean speech act of gratitude by Kazakh-speaking Korean learners (KKLL), with a particular focus on the expressions 'sugo' and 'gosaeng,' and to propose pedagogical implications for Korean langua...
This study aims to analyze the use patterns of the Korean speech act of gratitude by Kazakh-speaking Korean learners (KKLL), with a particular focus on the expressions 'sugo' and 'gosaeng,' and to propose pedagogical implications for Korean language education in Kazakhstan. These two expressions function as indirect gratitude markers that acknowledge the addressee's effort or hardship, but their use is governed by strict pragmatic constraints based on the social status of the interlocutors and the contextual weight of imposition. Since Kazakh lacks lexical equivalents that directly correspond to 'sugo' and 'gosaeng,' Kazakh-speaking learners are likely to face considerable pragmatic difficulties in acquiring these expressions.
To investigate this issue, a Discourse Completion Test (DCT) consisting of 24 situations was administered to 30 Korean native speakers (KNS) and 30 Kazakh-speaking Korean learners (KKLL). The collected responses were analyzed based on a framework comprising 14 gratitude strategies, encompassing both direct and indirect gratitude expressions. The analysis examined strategy use patterns according to situation type, social variables (status, intimacy, degree of imposition), and the specific use of 'sugo' and 'gosaeng.'
The results revealed both similarities and differences between the two groups. Both groups most frequently employed direct gratitude expressions (KNS 43.4%, KKLL 44.4%); however, KKLL used formulaic greetings (Strategy 2) approximately 2.9 times more often than KNS, while KNS used strategies such as emphasizing the listener's burden, self-deprecation, and humor more frequently. Most notably, KKLL used 'sugo' and 'gosaeng' approximately 3.1 times more often than KNS, with the largest disparity observed in their use toward higher-status interlocutors (4.4 times higher than KNS). The error patterns of KKLL were categorized into three types: (a) violation of social status constraints, (b) mismatch with the degree of imposition, and (c) semantic confusion between 'sugo' and 'gosaeng.' These errors appear to result from the combined influence of the Kazakh cultural emphasis on acknowledging others' efforts and the limited presentation of gratitude expressions in Korean textbooks.
Based on these findings, this study proposes the need for explicit pragmatic instruction on the use constraints of 'sugo' and 'gosaeng,' a stepwise instructional design reflecting social variables, explicit comparison of Korean and Kazakh cultural norms in gratitude expression, and supplementation of textbook materials with authentic discourse data. This study is significant in that it provides a systematic analysis of the gratitude speech act use of Kazakh-speaking Korean learners, a population that has received relatively little scholarly attention, and offers a foundation for the development of tailored pragmatic instruction for Central Asian Korean language learners.