EFL LEARNERS’ POLITENESS STRATEGIES IN EXPRESSION OF DISAGREEMENT

Abstract

The present study aims to examine strategies of politeness employed by Pakistani EFL learners in an expression of the speech acts of disagreement.Itis a face-threatening act and causes communication breakdown if it is not produced properly. Threat to face can be minimized by the use of politeness strategies. This study investigates EFL learners’ strategies of politenessin using face-threatening acts of disagreement and compares their choices with those of British speakers of English to find out similarities and differences between them. Data have been collected from two hundred speakers, i.e.one hundred Pakistani EFL learners and one hundred British English speakers by using discourse completion test. Data have been analyzed by using the model of politeness presented byBrown and Levinson (1987). The findings reveal that EFL learners and native speakers apply the same types of politeness devices but with varying frequency. EFL learners are more direct in the expression of disagreement as compared to British speakers. Native speakers use more mitigating devices to soften the impact of disagreement. Contextual factors have also been found to exert influence on the choice of politeness strategies by both groups.