Sociopragmatic competence in American and Chinese children’s realization of apology and refusal

• Published in: Journal of pragmatics 2020-07, Vol.164, p.27-39
• Main Authors: Chang, Yuh-Fang, Ren, Wei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Apologies; Children; Children & youth; Competence; Cultural change; Cultural differences; Cultural identity; Elementary school students; Linguistics; Mandarin; Pragmatics; Secondary school students; Social classes; Social status; Sociolinguistics; Sociopragmatic competence; Speech act of apology; Speech act of refusal, cross-cultural difference; Speech acts
• ISSN: 0378-2166; 1879-1387
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pragma.2020.04.013

This study explores the cross-cultural difference in the change of sociopragmatic competence by collecting perception and production data from native English-speaking children and native Mandarin Chinese-speaking children. The study focused on the development of interlocutor sensitivity in the realization of speech acts of apology and refusal. The participants consisted of four groups: American 1st-grade, American 8th-grade, Chinese 1st-grade and Chinese 8th-grade students. The children’s interlocutor sensitivity was examined through the following aspects: (1) their perception of severity of the offense, (2) their perception of the “need to be more polite” when apologizing to or refusing a familiar interlocutor or an interlocutor with higher social status, and (3) the use of apology and refusal strategies. The results showed that cross-cultural differences exist in the change pattern of interlocutor variation. •Children's interlocutor sensitivity emerges at young age.•Cross-cultural differences exist in perception of the politeness concerning the interlocutors.•Cross-cultural differences exist in Chinese and American children's sociopragmatic change.•Social distance is more difficult to evaluate than social status.