L1 Sociocultural Transfer In Algerian EFL Learners’ Refusals To Requests And Offers: Evidence, Characteristics, And Motivating Factors
Abstract
The present study examines sociocultural transfer in Algerian EFL learners’ refusals to requests and offers. The written Discourse Completion Test (DCT) and retrospective interviews were used to gather data from three groups: 32 Algerian native speakers of Arabic (NASs), 42 Algerian EFL learners, and 18 American native speakers of English (NESs). The performance of these groups was compared to detect the differences in refusals realized by Algerians and Americans as well as the characteristics of sociocultural transfer in EFL learners’ refusals. The findings suggest that L1 sociocultural norms were sometimes transferred to L2. This transfer was observed at the level of semantic formulas’ choice and content. It was found that opting for directness to guarantee clarity, avoiding positive opinions and postponements to avoid misunderstandings of later compliance, giving detailed explanations to save face, using gratitude expressions abundantly due to the value of thankfulness in the Algerian culture are the characteristics and motives of this sociocultural transfer.
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