Factors Comprising the Difficulty of Refusing a Request and the Degree of Consideration Toward the Hearer by Russian JFL Learners

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  • ロシア人日本語学習者における依頼の断り難さと配慮を構成する諸要因
  • ロシア人日本語学習者における依頼の断り難さと配慮を構成する諸要因 : ポライトネス理論の観点から
  • ロシア ジンジツホンゴ ガクシュウシャ ニ オケル イライ ノ コトワリ カタサ ト ハイリョ オ コウセイ スル ショ ヨウイン : ポライトネス リロン ノ カンテン カラ
  • : From the Perspective of the Politeness Theory
  • ポライトネス理論の観点から

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Within the framework of Brown and Levinson’s (1978, 1987) politeness theory, this study examined how the learning of Japanese can influence the perception of politeness factors in a request refusal situation of native speakers of Russian. We focused particularly on the degree of difficulty as well as the degree of consideration a speaker gives towards the hearer’s face in the refusal situation. According to Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory, the weightiness of a face threatening act (Wx) is calculated as Wx = D (S, H) + P (S, H) + Rx, where D is the social distance between interlocutors, P is the power relations between interlocutors, Rx is the cultural and situational context, S is a speaker, and H is a hearer. In this study we assumed Rx from two perspectives: the intrinsic content of the situation (Ri) and differences in language/ linguaculture (Rl). We used a regression tree analysis to reveal the hierarchical relations of these four factors (D, P, Ri, and Rl) when predicting the difficulty to refuse a request and the level of consideration one gives towards their hearer’s face. The following factors were observed in our study: the influence of L2 (Japanese) onto L1 (Russian), the maintenance of Russian national identity, and the accommodation to the target language culture.

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