DIRECTIVES IN L2: ANALYZING PRAGMATIC COMPETENCE OF PAKISTANI ENGLISH LEARNERS

Abstract

Realization of directives namely ordering, commanding and asking effectively in English language is a problem for EFL speakers as they cannot recognize underlying pragmatic functions of speech acts (Beebe et al 1990 and Alam and Gill, 2016). L2 speakers usually look at the semantic meanings of the words which may cause communication breakdown as well as discourtesy in discourse. The research aims at finding similarities and differences in terms of using directives between Pakistani English learners (here on PELs) and native speakers (here on NSs). To achieve the objectives of the study quantitative method approach research design was utilized. The population for the study was native speakers from England and non-native speakers from Pakistan. The participants of the study were chosen through non-random purposive sampling technique and a total number of 80 samples (20 native British students studying in The Sheffield College, South Yorkshire England and 60 non-native Pakistani students of BS English studying in public-sector colleges of Lahore, Pakistan) were selected for collecting responses through DCTs. Data were analyzed per model of analysis of semantic formulae as proposed by Blum-Kalka and Olshtain (1984). The data were analyzed through SPSS. The results of the study were: (a) Pakistani EFL learners, with Punjabi as L1, were found deficient in terms of accuracy in uttering directives as compared to native speakers, (b) Pakistani EFL learners were found more direct as compared to native speakers, and (c) PELs were using less politeness strategies as compared to native speakers. The implications of the research are for the EFL learners, EFL teachers, curriculum designers, authors, and assessment purposes.