TY - JOUR
T1 - The refusal speech act in a cross-cultural perspective
T2 - A study of Iranian English-language learners and Anglo-Australian speakers
AU - Shishavan, Homa
AU - Sharifian, Farzad
PY - 2016/3/1
Y1 - 2016/3/1
N2 - This study aimed to investigate the refusal strategies of Iranian English-language learners and Anglo-Australian students to shed light on possible areas of cross-cultural miscommunication. Data were collected through a discourse completion test. Sociocultural norms underlying refusals of Iranian students were also investigated through focus group interviews (FGIs).In interaction with addressees of higher social power, both groups of participants used more indirect strategies. However, while making refusals to status equals, the performance of the Iranian and Australian participants differed from each other to a degree that could lead to intercultural miscommunication. The FGIs revealed that first language cultural schemas of tă'ărof (ritual politeness) and ru-dar-băyesti (state/feeling of distance-out-of-respect) greatly affected the refusals of the Iranian students.
AB - This study aimed to investigate the refusal strategies of Iranian English-language learners and Anglo-Australian students to shed light on possible areas of cross-cultural miscommunication. Data were collected through a discourse completion test. Sociocultural norms underlying refusals of Iranian students were also investigated through focus group interviews (FGIs).In interaction with addressees of higher social power, both groups of participants used more indirect strategies. However, while making refusals to status equals, the performance of the Iranian and Australian participants differed from each other to a degree that could lead to intercultural miscommunication. The FGIs revealed that first language cultural schemas of tă'ărof (ritual politeness) and ru-dar-băyesti (state/feeling of distance-out-of-respect) greatly affected the refusals of the Iranian students.
KW - Cross-cultural/Intercultural communication
KW - Cultural schema
KW - Ru-dar-băyesti
KW - Speech act of refusal
KW - Tă'ărof
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84956656702&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.langcom.2016.01.001
DO - 10.1016/j.langcom.2016.01.001
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84956656702
SN - 0271-5309
VL - 47
SP - 75
EP - 88
JO - Language and Communication
JF - Language and Communication
ER -