A Sociolinguistic Study of the Use of Refusal Strategies by Saudi and American Females

Abstract

This paper examines refusal strategies employed in invitations and requests used by Saudi and American female students. As speakers’ performances in refusals vary, the paper investigates the content of the semantic formulas and their frequencies in the speech acts of these females when interacting with different interlocutors of different statuses. The assumption proposed in this paper is that speech acts reflect the cultural norms and values of speakers from different cultures (e.g., Arabs’ collectivist culture vs American individualistic culture). The analysis and description of refusal strategies are motivated by the need to provide new information on how native speakers really use language, rather than how we think they perform such acts. Data collected in this paper is based on speech acts of refusals employed by a sample of Saudi and American female students.

Variation in Dispreferred Responses among Rural and Urban Saudi Arabic Speakers: A Socio-pragmatic Analysis

“…Adjuncts were also commonly used, while direct strategies were less frequent. This variation aligns with the collectivistic culture in the Arab world and Saudi Arabia, which emphasizes maintaining social harmony and avoiding offense when expressing dispreferred responses (Abdul Sattar, 2009;Alaboudi, 2020;Alghamdi & Alqarni, 2019;Al-Shalawi, 1997). The rural community used indirect strategies more often than the urban community, indicating that effective communication in rural communities is centered on maintaining social harmony and preserving relationships, while urban communication prioritizes individual (Wan, 2015).…”

“…Examples include ‫ضرورية'‬ ‫شغله‬ ‫'عندي‬ (I have an urgent task); ‫عائلية'‬ ‫ظروف‬ ‫'عندي‬ (I have family circumstances); ‫'اعتذر'‬ (I apologize) and ‫'لألسف'‬ (sorry!). These strategies were preferred by Saudi Arabic speakers, serving as precursors to their refusals (Alaboudi, 2020;Alateeq, 2016;Alsairi, 2019;Al-Shalawi, 1997). The study also revealed that rural Saudi Arabic speakers prioritize sociability when producing FTAs in social interactions, resulting in higher usage of "wishing expressions" compared to urban communities.…”

“…In collectivistic cultures like Saudi Arabia, maintaining social harmony and avoiding offense or disappointment is highly valued (Al-Shalawi, 1997). Therefore, the realization of refusals in these cultures is often indirect and mitigated.…”

“…Previous research has extensively examined the speech acts of refusal in different languages and cultures, focusing on comparing and contrasting EFL/SL speakers' strategies for pedagogical purposes (see Al-Kahtani, 2005;Alsairi, 2019;Al-Shalawi, 1997;Beebe et al, 1990;Félix-Brasdefer, 2002). Researchers have examined both the content and forms of refusals, as well as the strategies employed to mitigate their impact.…”

“I Know How to Manage My Time”: Refusal Strategies by EFL Nursing Students

“…Initiating the refusals with the "wish" and "statement of regret" semantic formulas was specific to the invitation scenario in this setting which indicates students' awareness of the sensitivity of turning down an invitation rather than a request. Additionally, various investigations indicated that "regret" is a common strategy used by Arabic speakers with which they demonstrate their inability to accept an invitation (Al-Issa, 1998;Al-Shalawi, 1997). In this dataset, the "regret" statement in its different forms (e.g., Sorry, I'm sorry, I'm very sorry, etc.…”