Refusals: Research Notes
http://www.carla.umn.edu/speechacts/refusals/research.html
Refusals can be used in response to requests/invitations/offers/suggestions (Beebe, Takahashi, & Uliss-Weltz, 1990)
American Refusals
Classification of American Graduate students’ rejection of academic advisors’ suggestions (Bardovi-Harlig & Hartford, 1991)
Direct
Hm. Not actually, I’m avoiding it.
Well, I’ve decided not to take...
Indirect
Excuse, reason, explanation
That’s the one that conflicts with what I have to take.
Yeah but...
Statement of alternative
But anyway, I could look into the possibility of having that requirement waived...
What would I take in the summer if I didn’t do that? (question form asking for an alternative)
Acceptance that functions as a refusal
Unspecific or indefinite replay: Lack of enthusiasm
That might be a solution.
Avoidance: Hedging
I don’t know.
Avoidance: Postonement
Can I think about it? (question form)
Students’ rejections of their advisers’ suggestions in academic advising sessions is an out-of-status act which requires the use of status preserving strategies. It is important for students to take their own status into consideration and employ appropriate status congruent strategies (Bardovi-Harlig & Hartford, 1991). Native English speaking graduate students generally employ status preserving strategies and reject an advisor’s suggestion while maintaining the status balance.
Status preserving strategies include linguistic strategies (1 and 2 below) and nonlinguistic strategies (3 to 6).
Appear congruent with interlocutors’ status
Use downgraders
Use appropriate timing
Use appropriate frequency
Be brief
Use appropriate content
Giving an explanation is probably the most common strategy for rejection used by native- speaking American graduate students. The content should be appropriate and relatively brief. Here are some of the most common explanations the native speakers used.
Repetition of courses at the same institution (I’ve taken that.)
Schedule conflicts (That’s the one that conflicts with what I have to take.)
Lack of availability (Yeah but in Spain they don’t offer courses in the structure of language outside the European family.)
Ability (Yeah, but, the books are probably in German, and my German isn’t too good.)
British Refusals
Kitao, S. K. (1996)
Over half of British refusals include an expression of regret and an excuse/reason. The most common combination of refusal strategies is found to be an expression of regret followed by an excuse or reason (30%). Other variations of reason and regret occur one fifth of the time (20%). The breakdown of the variations is:
excuse/reason + expression of regret (19%)
expression of regret + excuse/reason + promise or suggestions of future agreement (17%)
expression of regret + excuse/reason + statement of negative willingness (8%)
Giving a reason is probably central to refusals in British English as in American English. A concrete and specific reason tends to be necessary. For instance, in response to a request for a ride home, specific reasons can include that the speaker was not going home directly and/or why s/he was not doing so. Some examples are:
I’m not going home straight away. I’ve got to go meet someone first.
I’m not going straight home tonight. I was going to do some late night shopping.
I’ve got to pick some friends up from out of town straight after work.
I’m meeting my sister at the apartment.
In response to a small request, an expression of regret is likely to be offered (over 50%) to equals in particular (64%), rather than people of higher status (36%) or lower status (53%). For a larger request, apologies are sometimes offered.
Chinese Refusals
Chen, Ye, & Zhang (1995)
Substantive Refusals
http://www.carla.umn.edu/speechacts/refusals/research.html
Refusals can be used in response to requests/invitations/offers/suggestions (Beebe, Takahashi, & Uliss-Weltz, 1990)
American Refusals
Classification of American Graduate students’ rejection of academic advisors’ suggestions (Bardovi-Harlig & Hartford, 1991)
Direct
Hm. Not actually, I’m avoiding it.
Well, I’ve decided not to take...
Indirect
Excuse, reason, explanation
That’s the one that conflicts with what I have to take.
Yeah but...
Statement of alternative
But anyway, I could look into the possibility of having that requirement waived...
What would I take in the summer if I didn’t do that? (question form asking for an alternative)
Acceptance that functions as a refusal
Unspecific or indefinite replay: Lack of enthusiasm
That might be a solution.
Avoidance: Hedging
I don’t know.
Avoidance: Postonement
Can I think about it? (question form)
Students’ rejections of their advisers’ suggestions in academic advising sessions is an out-of-status act which requires the use of status preserving strategies. It is important for students to take their own status into consideration and employ appropriate status congruent strategies (Bardovi-Harlig & Hartford, 1991). Native English speaking graduate students generally employ status preserving strategies and reject an advisor’s suggestion while maintaining the status balance.
Status preserving strategies include linguistic strategies (1 and 2 below) and nonlinguistic strategies (3 to 6).
Appear congruent with interlocutors’ status
Use downgraders
Use appropriate timing
Use appropriate frequency
Be brief
Use appropriate content
Giving an explanation is probably the most common strategy for rejection used by native- speaking American graduate students. The content should be appropriate and relatively brief. Here are some of the most common explanations the native speakers used.
Repetition of courses at the same institution (I’ve taken that.)
Schedule conflicts (That’s the one that conflicts with what I have to take.)
Lack of availability (Yeah but in Spain they don’t offer courses in the structure of language outside the European family.)
Ability (Yeah, but, the books are probably in German, and my German isn’t too good.)
British Refusals
Kitao, S. K. (1996)
Over half of British refusals include an expression of regret and an excuse/reason. The most common combination of refusal strategies is found to be an expression of regret followed by an excuse or reason (30%). Other variations of reason and regret occur one fifth of the time (20%). The breakdown of the variations is:
excuse/reason + expression of regret (19%)
expression of regret + excuse/reason + promise or suggestions of future agreement (17%)
expression of regret + excuse/reason + statement of negative willingness (8%)
Giving a reason is probably central to refusals in British English as in American English. A concrete and specific reason tends to be necessary. For instance, in response to a request for a ride home, specific reasons can include that the speaker was not going home directly and/or why s/he was not doing so. Some examples are:
I’m not going home straight away. I’ve got to go meet someone first.
I’m not going straight home tonight. I was going to do some late night shopping.
I’ve got to pick some friends up from out of town straight after work.
I’m meeting my sister at the apartment.
In response to a small request, an expression of regret is likely to be offered (over 50%) to equals in particular (64%), rather than people of higher status (36%) or lower status (53%). For a larger request, apologies are sometimes offered.
Chinese Refusals
Chen, Ye, & Zhang (1995)
Substantive Refusals
