Gender reality and offline pragmatic knowledge: EFL learners' perception of request modifiers

Abstract

Taking as a point of departure both the shortcomings regarding the study of gender in relation to interlanguage pragmatic studies, as well as the signs showing the convenience and feasibility of exploring this field of research, our doctoral dissertation's goal was to test the potential effect of gender on the offline or non-interactive pragmatic knowledge in the case of EFL learners' perception of request modifiers. After a theoretical background in which the concept of gender is regarded from an interdisciplinary view, including gender and developmental psicology, gender and SLA, and gender and interactional sociolinguistics, the study design comprised three stages including the implementation of UCLES Quick Placement Test to distribute students according to their proficiency level, the implementation of a WDCTs and, finally, the processing of data by means of the SPSS version 15.0.1., ellicited from the participation of a sample of 100 undergraduate students at UJI. The request modifiers were classified according to three main types: those of internal, external and multifunctional request modifiers, resulting from the adaptation of Alcón et al.'s 2005 typology of these targeted items. The findings of the study revealed the positive effect of gender in favour of females on the production of both external and multifunctional modifiers, whereas internal request devices behavioured according to the participants proficiency level. Among the pedagogical implications suggested, the convenience of designing instructional treatments of the kind of awareness-raising was highlighted.