The aim of this study is to investigate what is different or the same in adjacency pair of refusal acts of high-advanced learners of Korean, compared to Korean native speakers and English native speakers, and what tendencies exist among the three grou...
The aim of this study is to investigate what is different or the same in adjacency pair of refusal acts of high-advanced learners of Korean, compared to Korean native speakers and English native speakers, and what tendencies exist among the three groups in choosing strategies to make the adjacency pair.
Chapter 1 introduces the aim and necessity of this study and previous research focused on refusal speech acts in English education and Korean education as a foreign language.
Chapter 2 shows cross-cultural theory in relation with refusal, the adjacency pair theory including the concepts of ''preference organization'' and ''non-preference organization'', and refusal speech acts. In order to illustrate the refusal speech act, eight examples were extracted from a drama script, that was sent through KBS(Korean broadcasting system).
Chapter 3 presents the criteria and circumstances, needed for the study''s investigation. A survey made using 12 situations, in which social factors such as social status and solidarity are considered, was conducted 2 times to increase the confidence of the study.
Chapter 4 analyses not only each situation but also each group of situations classified by the degree of social status and solidarity.
The main results are as follows:
First, the frequency of ''Preference organization'' of English-speaking learners of high-advanced Korean (ELK) under the polite refusal situations is similar to Korean native speakers(KNS)''. However, KNS preferred ''Non-acceptance'' type while ELK preferred ''Re-request'' type. This was confirmed by the statistical data that KNS showed ''Non-acceptance'' type most under 6 situations, whereas, ELK showed ''Re-request'' type most under 8 situations, among total 12 situations. This result seems to come from ELK''s efforts to reduce the possibility of misunderstanding that might happen in conversation, with more definite and clearer expressions.
Second, under the situations in which English native speakers(ENS) showed ''Acceptance'' type most comes under ''Non-preference organization'', ELK also showed ''Acceptance'' type the most. This means that ELK was affected by their native tongue or English when they constructed adjacency pair of refusal speech acts, corresponding to ''Non-preference organization''.
Third, ELK and KNS chose ''explaining reason'' strategy most when the two groups make adjacency pair of refusal acts, which are corresponded to ''Preference organization''. However, ELK''s response and its content looked similar to ENS'', though they are high-advanced learners of Korean.
Fourth, in a high degree of solidarity, KNS preferred ''Non-acceptance'' type most. On the other hand, ELK preferred ''Acceptance'' type most under the situations where ENS showed ''Acceptance'' type high. And in a low degree of solidarity, KNS used ''Acceptance'' type, ''Non-acceptance'' and ''Re-request'' type in a similar frequency but ELK chose ''Re-request'' type most often.
Fifth, in a high social status, the adjacency pair of refusal act of KNS had some connection with solidarity. Because ''Non-acceptance'' was presented high in a high degree of solidarity and high social status but ''Re-request'' type was presented high in a low degree of solidarity and high social status. However, ''Re-request'' type was still shown most among ELKs. The frequency of ''Acceptance'' type of not only KNS but also ELK increased in the situations with equal social status. Rather, in a low social status, the frequency of ''Acceptance'' type of KNS was lower than those in the situations with equal social status. This is interpreted that KNS tends to avoid direct responses commonly except in the situations with equal social status. And also in this situation, ''Re-request'' type was still shown most among ELKs, this means ELK is not as sensitive as KNS with a social status.
In conclusion, ELK preferred different adjacency pair of refusal acts, compared to KNS and though ELK showed the same adjacency pair of refusal acts as KNS, they chose different strategies and constructed the content in English style. Above all things, when ELK showed ''Non-preference organization'', they were affected by their native tongue or English.