Proficiency Effect on EFL Learners’ Realization of Complaints

Abstract

Research on the effect of language proficiency on L2 pragmatics seems to provide somewhat mixed results (Xiao, 2015). On that account, this paper investigates the effect of English language proficiency on English language learner's use of complaining strategies in contrasting situations which varied according to the sociopragmatic factors of social status, social distance and severity of offense. Results show that learners at two proficiency levels demonstrated similar patterns with regard their use of buffer and complaint super-strategies across situations. However, negotiation super-strategies were more frequent across situations in the higher proficiency group. These findings are discussed and pedagogical implications suggested. IntroductionA major goal in learning a second/foreign language (L2) is to be able to communicate appropriately in the L2, which in turn requires not only mastery over the features of the language system but also over the pragmatic rules of language use. In fact, in cross-cultural communication, failure to do so may lead to unintended offense and communication breakdown. As a result, how learners acquire their pragmatic ability in the L2 has become a major concern in the study of L2 development. Following Thomas (1983), pragmatic knowledge is comprised of two components: pragmalinguistic competence (i.e. the ability to choose appropriate linguistic expressions) and sociopragmatic competence (i.e. the ability to evaluate context taking into account: i) the culture involved, ii) the relative age and gender of the interlocutors, iii) their social class and occupations, and iv) their roles and status in the interaction. In order to foster pragmatic competence, learners not only need to develop practice connecting form and meaning, but also they need to account for the rules that govern the use of language in context. This paper, therefore, is concerned with the development of one aspect of pragmatic knowledge, namely, the ability to make complaints in the interlanguage of Spanish learners of English because of the unique characteristics of this kind of speech. The speech act of complaining has been defined as an expressive illocutionary act "in which the speaker (the complainer) expresses his/her disapproval, negative feelings etc. towards the state of affairs described in the proposition (the complainable) and for which he/she holds the hearer (the complainee) responsible" (Trosborg, 1995: 311-312). This act