Refusal Strategies Used by Males and Females in Najdi Arabic

Abstract

This paper investigated the refusal strategies used by males and females in Najdi Arabic. It took into consideration the difference between males and females when performing the speech act of refusal. Understanding the usage of refusal strategies in a specific speech community helps in developing effective communication and avoiding misunderstanding. The data-collection tool was a discourse completion test (DCT). It contained four situations: two requests, an invitation, and an offer. The analysis revealed fourteen refusal strategies. There were two direct refusal strategies of the non-performative category: explicit „No‟ and expressing inability or unwillingness. As for the indirect strategies, eight strategies appeared in the data, such as giving an excuse or an explanation, giving an apology, and giving indefinite answers. Besides, there were three adjunct strategies: gratitude, emphasis, and statements of positive opinions. The analysis showed that the two genders had used direct refusal equally; nevertheless, female participants used adjunct strategies more than males in general.