Request Realization By Efl Algerian Students A Cross-cultural And Interlanguage Pragmatic Study

Résumé: It was for too long the assumption that, interlanguage-users transfer knowledge of language use from their first language to the target language either at the sociopragmatic level or at the pragmaliguistic one. Consequently, the transfer of first language rules of use may lead to communication breakdowns or intercultural misunderstanding, especially because, rules of politeness and speech act realization differ cross-culturally. The current researchendovers to explore the realization of speech act of request by EFL Algerian learners in relation to variables of relative power, social distance, and ranking of imposition. The primary focus is to capture any hint of pragmatic transfer from native language to the target language. To achieve our aims a discourse completion task is administered to three different groups of subjects, Arabic native speakers (achieved with unbiased multistage sampling method), English native speakers (achieved with biased convenience sampling method), EFL Algerian learners (achieved with unbiased simple random sampling method). Data provided by both Arabic native speaker group and English native group represent baseline data. The results did not show any strong linkage between learners' language and the first language. The same can be true when comparing learners' data with English native speakers' data. It has come to be seen that, while approximating the target language, learners develop their own system that is similar and distinct from the first and target language. However, the study failed to determine the possible driven factors for such performance. Therefore, further researches mainly longitudinal ones are recommended.

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