Production and Judgements of Complaints in Instant Messaging: A Cross-cultural and Interlingual Approach

Abstract

This thesis explores the production and judgements of appropriacy of complaints in the Saudi and British cultures in instant messaging (IM) from a cross-cultural and interlingual perspectives. The investigation focuses on direct complaints in text-based IM, and aims to reveal cultural similarities and differences between native speakers of Saudi Arabic and native speakers of British English, and examine areas of pragmatic difficulties and weaknesses for Saudi learners of English as a foreign language. The main study in the thesis uses an online survey that consists of an open-ended discourse completion task (DCT) and a close-ended DCT to elicit qualitative and quantitative data from 30 NSs of Saudi Arabic, 30 NSs of British English, and 30 Saudi EFL learners. Qualitative analysis was carried on based on pre-defined sets of complaint strategies, initiators, internal, and external modification, and quantitative analyses were performed using SPSS to find statistical differences amongst the groups. Four main findings were reached. Firstly, the NS groups have shown pragmatic similarities and differences in complaint-making. They preferred direct strategies that do not offend the behaviour or person of their addresses, avoided extremely indirect strategies to achieve efficiency, and softened the complaints made towards acquaintances. In contrast, the NS groups differed in their degrees of efficiency, where the complaints made by the NSs of British English were richer in type and quantity. Also, the NSs of Saudi Arabic made culture-specific strategies that include greetings, religious prayers, and modified blames. By comparison to the NS groups, the EFL group also avoided extremely offensive strategies and extremely indirect strategies, and contributed a small number of strategies likely due to limited language proficiency. Secondly, the performance of complaints was affected by the platform of communication. The complainers avoided extremely indirect strategies in instant messaging in order to deliver their messages with efficiency. Also, the groups practised an economisation of efforts by producing more complaint strategies, but less supporting moves, like internal and external modifiers. Thirdly, there was a clear discrepancy between the groups’ production of complaint in IM and their judgements of appropriateness. Fourthly, the EFL group encountered pragmatic difficulties in production and judgements of appropriacy of complaints due to negative transfer from L1, limited linguistic capacity, lack of pragmatic competence, and deviation from L1 and L2 norms.