Evaluating Refusal to requests, suggestions, and invitations across different Situations

Pragmatic competence appears to be an important aspect of language learning, especially in a foreign language learning context. Among the various aspects of pragmatic competence, this study aimed to investigate if there is any significant difference between the direct and indirect refusal strategies of MBA and law students in real life situations and academic contexts. The participants (N=100) with equal number of MBA and Law students answered a unique pragmaticquestionnaire. The pragmatic questionnaire was developed on the basis of direct and indirect refusal of requests, suggestions and invitations in real life and in academic contexts. The results of this study showed (1) no significant difference in law and MBA students’ using of all directstatements in real life situations, but there is a significant difference in using real life direct request between law and MBA students; (2)no significant difference in using direct statements in academic contexts between law and MBA students; (3)no significant difference between law andMBA students’ using of all probability statements in real life situation; (4) no significant difference between the use of excuse statements by law and MBA students; (5) no significant difference between law and MBA students’ using of all excuse statements in academic contexts; (6) a significant difference in using conditional statements in real life and academic contexts; (7) a significant difference in using conditional statement in academic context between law and MBA students; (8) no significant difference in law and MBA students’ use of conditional statements in real life situation.

کلیدواژه ها:

Pragmatic knowledge ، Refusal to requests ، suggestions ، and invitations. Refusals in academic and real life contexts