Background of the Study

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Expressing gratitude is a universal language function; but, specific rules — on when, how, and to whom it should be appropriately expressed —are entirely culture-specific. 1 Therefore, lack of awareness on cultural relativity which exists in the specific rules of expressing gratitude potentially brings language learners transferring their L1-based cultural notions when they express gratitude in L2 contexts since believing that their L1 norms are universal. Dogancay-Aktuna and Kamisli stated that having an assumption which pretends that speech behavior is universal may cause learners apply their L1-based norms into L2 contexts 2 The phenomenon of learners‘ applying their L1-based pragmatic knowledge into their performance in L2 is discussed scientifically within the field of pragmatic transfer. According to Kasper, pragmatic transfer refers to an influence which is resulted from learners‘ applying their pragmatic knowledge on how to realize speech acts in L1 or any language and culture which have been acquired other than L2 when they comprehend, produce or learn L2 pragmatic information. 3 Pragmatic transfer potentially occurs in the expressions of gratitude 1 Stephanie Weijung Cheng . ―An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study of Interlanguage Pragmatic Development of Expressions of Gratitude by Chinese Learners of English .‖ PhD diss., University of Iowa: Iowa Research online http:ir.uiowa.eduetd104 , 2005, p. 16. 2 Seran Dogancay-Aktuna and Sibel Kamisli, ―Pragmatic Transfer in Interlanguage Development: A Case Study of Advanced EFL learners .‖ Document Resume., United States of America: Educational Resources Information center, 1997, p. 13. 3 Gabriele Kasper, ―Pragmatic Transfer,‖ Second Language Research, vol. 8, no. 3 1992, p. 207. which are made by language learners. It happens since, according to Hinkel, one‘s ability to express L2 thanking words completely does not ensure that heshe is able to know when and how gratitude should be appropriately expressed based on the rules of politeness in the L2 contexts. 4 Eisenstein and Bodman revealed that advanced Japanese ESL learners who had lived in the US for years still negatively transferred their L1 norms when conversing in American English as their L2. When asked to say gratitude over their new boss‘ offer of salary increase, Americans mostly take reticence as, according to them, appropriate way to show modesty in preventing over grateful in front of someone who is not familiar to them. 5 But, in similar situation, Japanese learners of English prefer to say length expression of gratitude. One Japanese participant expresses: ―Im sorry. I will try harder in the future‖. 6 In Japanese culture, expressing sumimasen which equals to I am sorry is eventually an appropriate response to express gratitude over unexpected favor. 7 This phenomenon proves that Japanese learner of English inappropriately transfers their L1-based perception on how to express gratitude appropriately to someone who has low-familiarity when expressing gratitude in L2 context. The explanation above shows that pragmatic transfer potentially occurs in language 4 Eli Hinkel, ―Pragmatics of Interaction: Expressing Thanks in a Second Language,‖ Applied Language Learning, vol. 5, no.1. Document Resume., United States of America: Educational Resources Information center, 1992, p. 2. 5 Miriam Eisenstein and Jean W. Bodman, ―I Very Appreciate‖: Expressions of Gratitude by Native and Non-Native Speakers of American English, Applied Linguistics, vol. 7, no. 2 Oxford University Press, 1986, pp 171-172. 6 Miriam Eisenstein and Jean Bodman. ―Expressing Gratitude in American English,‖ in Gabriele Kasper and Shosana Blum-Kulka., editors, Interlanguage Pragmatics. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993, p. 74. 7 Shawn M. Clankie, ―The Use of Expressions of Gratitude in English by Japanese and American University Student s.‖ Document Resume., United States of America: Educational Resources Information center, 1993, p.44. learners‘ expressions of gratitude in L2 contexts. But, unfortunately, expressing gratitude is one of the most infrequently studied speech acts in interlanguage pragmatics, in particularly within the field of pragmatic transfer. 8 Noticing this fact, through the present study, the evidences of pragmatic transfer in the expressions of gratitude which are made by advanced Indonesian learners of English who has lived in the US for at least one year is investigated. As the baseline data, the expressions of gratitude which are made by native speakers of American English and Indonesian is first compared by pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic approaches in order to discover similaritys and differences which may potentially lead Indonesian learners of English to do pragmatic transfer, at pragmalinguistic or sociopragmatic level, when they express gratitude in the context of American English as L2.

B. Focus of the Study