Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Publication Date

Spring 5-14-2023

Abstract

Language is a tool for communication. People use it when they converse with each other. One way to comprehend what is being said is based on understating the intended meanings of the conversation, or what is called the underlined meanings (pragmatics). Pragmatic studies how different meanings are conveyed, depending on the utterances provided. A case study to investigate the phenomenon of pragmatics is selected as the methodology to specifically examine English as a foreign language (EFL) instructors’ perceptions of EFL students’ e-mails sent to their instructors. Qualitative methods are used to examine data for a period of almost three months (October, November, and December of 2022). Academic Saudi EFL staff at Jazan University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are selected as participants in this single case study. Interviews, observations while the participants are interviewed, and review contexts (i.e., formality, directness, and politeness of EFL students’ e-mails) are used to collect data during that period. Suggestions for instructions, limitations, and future research are presented.

Keywords

language, communication, pragmatics, EFL, forming requests in e-mails

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Educational Linguistics

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies

First Committee Member (Chair)

Emma Trentman

Second Committee Member

Mary Rice

Third Committee Member

Pisarn Chamcharatsri

Fourth Committee Member

Arif Al-Ahdal

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