Pragmatic Transfer in the Speech Act of Complaints by Thai JFL Learners

Abstract

This research paper aims to 1) investigate the frequencies of use of complaints strategies in various situations and 2) examine if there is Pragmatic Transfer occurs among Thai JFL Learners. For comparison, 52 Japanese native speakers (JNS), 34 advanced Thai JFL Learners, 57 beginner Thai JFL

Learners, and 61 Thai native speakers (TNS), total 204 participants, were asked to fill out a questionnaire and a discourse completion test (Discourse Completion Test: DCT) containing nine complaint-provoking scenarios. The study found that 1) All four groups use Str5(requesting for the improvement and compensation), Str12(no explicit reproach), Str8(statement of explanation

for complaining), Str11(asking for a reason), Str4(using rhetorical interrogatives) and Str2(Using negative word) most frequently. 2) All four groups likely use single and double semantic formula. The data also revealed that there are so many mixed types among four groups. 3) The pragmatic transfer was

detected among the two groups of Thai Learner of Japanese(TLJ). It is interesting that the beginner Thai learners of Japanese (TLJ-B) use similar strategies to native Japanese speakers (JNS) despite lexical and grammatical errors. In contrast, the advanced Thai learner of Japanese (TLJ-A) can make

a variety of sentences which turn to be different from native speakers. The results of this study are the basis for the development of teaching and learning Japanese that should focus on raising both beginner and advanced learners' awareness of pragmatic.