Cover not available

Article published In: Pragmatics
Vol. 22:1 (2012) ► pp.1–39

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF

Length of residence and intensity of interaction

Modification in Greek L2 requests

Open Access logo
Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 license.
Published online: 1 March 2012
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.22.1.01bel
This paper investigates the external and internal modification devices used by native speakers and advanced learners of Greek, when making requests in formal and informal situations. The data are drawn from a discourse completion test completed by native speakers and learners of two different groups: one with extended length of residence in Greece but limited opportunities for interaction with native speakers and one with more frequent opportunities for interaction but limited length of residence in the target community. On the basis of the results, it is argued that learners with more opportunities for interaction approximate more closely to the native norm with respect to external modification and some aspects of internal modification of requests. Yet, it is shown that other aspects of internal modification remain underdeveloped, irrespective of frequency of contact with native speakers. This highlights the need for pedagogical intervention in order for the learners’ pragmatic development to be promoted.
References (89)
Achiba, Machiko (2003) Learning to request in a second language: Child interlanguage pragmatics. Clevendon: Multilingual Matters.  BoP. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Al-Ali, Mohammed, and Rami Alawneh (2010) Linguistic mitigating devices in American and Jordanian students’ requests. Intercultural Pragmatics 71: 311–339.  BoP Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Alcón, Eva (2005) Does instruction work for learning pragmatics in the EFL context? System 331: 417–435. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Antoniou, Maria, Maria Galazoula, Stavroula Dimitrakou, and Anastasia Mangana (2010) Madaivou/ue EXXrjviKâ: Axófia KoXmepa! [We learn Greek: Even Better!]. Athina: Kedros.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Arvanitakis Kleanthis, and Froso Arvanitaki (2002) EniKoivowfjme EXknvma 2 [Communicate in Greek 2]. Athina: Deltos.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Antonopoulou, Eleni (2001) Brief service encounters: Gender and politeness. In A. Bayractaroğlu, and M. Sifianou (eds.), Linguistic Politeness across Boundaries: The case of Greek and Turkish. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp. 241–269. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bardovi-Harlig, Kathleen (1999) Exploring the interlanguage of interlanguage pragmatics: A research agenda for acquisitional pragmatics. Language Learning 491: 677–713. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2001) Empirical evidence of the need for instruction in pragmatics. In K. Rose, and G. Kasper (eds.), Pragmatics in Language Teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 13–32. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bardovi-Harlig Kathleen, and Zoltan Dörnyei (1998) Do language learners recognize pragmatic violations? Pragmatic versus grammatical awareness in instructed L2 learning. TESOL Quarterly 321: 233–262. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bargiela-Chiappini, Francesca (2003) Face and politeness: New (insights) for old (concepts). Journal of Pragmatics 351: 1453–1469.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Barron, Anne (2002) Acquisition in interlanguage pragmatics. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bella, Spyridoula (2009) Invitations and politeness in Greek: The age variable. Journal of Politeness Research 51: 243–271.  BoP Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2011) Mitigation and politeness in Greek invitation refusals: Effects of length of residence in the target community and intensity of interaction on non-native speakers’ performance. Journal of Pragmatics 431: 1718–1740.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(forthcoming) KaOâpioe afiéaœç xnv KouÇiva napaxaldj!: Aixfuiaxa (laenxœv xnç EUnviKiîç œç Çévnç ykoooaç [Clean up the kitchen immediately please!: Requests by learners of Greek as a foreign language]. To be published in the Proceedings of the 20th International Symposium of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics (ISTAL 20), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of English, Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, 1–3 April 2011.
Billmyer, Kristine, and Manka Varghese (2000) Investigating instrument-based pragmatic variability: Effects of enhancing discourse completion tests. Applied Linguistics 211: 517–552.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Blum-Kulka, Shoshana (2005 [1992]) The metapragmatics of politeness in Israeli society. In R. Watts, S. Ide, and R. Ehlich (eds.), Politeness in language: Studies in its history, theory and practice. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter, pp. 255–280.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Blum-Kulka, Shoshana, and Edward A. Levenston (1987) Lexical-grammatical pragmatic indicators. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 91: 155–170.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Blum-Kulka, Shoshana, and Elite Olshtain (1984) Requests and apologies: A cross-cultural study of speech act realization patterns. Applied Linguistics 51: 196–213.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(1986) Too many words: Length of utterance and pragmatic failure. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 81: 165–180. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bouton, Lawrence (1992) Culture, pragmatics and implicature. AFinLa Yearbook 1992, 35–61.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(1994) Conversational implicature in the second language: Learned slowly when not deliberately taught. Journal of Pragmatics 221: 157–167.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Brown, Penelope, and Stephen Levinson (1987) Politeness: Some universals in language usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Charalambopoulou, Niki, and Agathoklis Charalambopoulos (1996) Ta EAArjvwa œç Aemeprj/Eévrj rXœaaa: Enineôo ApXapicov [Greek as a Second/Foreign Language: Beginners’ level]. Athina: Paratiritis.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Christie, Chris (2005) Editorial. Journal of Politeness Research 11: 1–7. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Churchill, Eton, and Margaret DuFon (2006) Evolving threads in study abroad research. In M. DuFon, and E. Churchill (eds.), Language learners in study abroad contexts. Clevendon: Multilingual Matters, pp. 1–27.  BoP. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Codina, Victoria (2008) The immediate vs. delayed effect of instruction on mitigators in relation to the learners’ language proficiency in English. In E. Alcón (ed.), Learning how to request in an instructed language learning context. Bern: Peter Lang, pp. 227–256.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cohen, Andrew, and Rachel Shively (2007) Acquisition of requests and apologies in Spanish and French: Impact of study abroad and strategy-building intervention. The Modern Language Journal 911: 189–212. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Coperias Aguilar, Maria José (2008) Dealing with intercultural communicative competence in the foreign language classroom. In E. Alcón Soler, and M.P. Safont Jordá (eds.), Intercultural language use and language learning. New York/Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 59–78.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Coulmas, Florian (1985) Diskursive Routinen im Fremdsprachenerwerb. Munich, Germany: Goethe Institut.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Economidou-Kogetsidis, Maria (2008) Internal and external mitigation in interlanguage requests production: The case of Greek learners of English. Journal of Politeness Research 41: 111–138.  BoP Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2009) Interlanguage request modification: The use of lexical/phrasal downgraders and mitigating supportive moves. Multilingua 281: 79–112.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Edmondson, Willis, and Juliane House (1991) Do learners talk too much? The waffle phenomenon in interlanguage pragmatics. In R. Phillipson, E. Kellerman, L. Selinker, M. Sharwood Smith and M. Swain, (eds.), Foreign/second language pedagogy research: A commemorative volume for Claus Faerch. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, pp. 273–287.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Eelen, Gino (2001) A critique of politeness theories. Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Faerch, Claus, and Gabriele Kasper (1989) Internal and external modification in interlanguage request realization. In S. Blum-Kulka, J. House, and G. Kasper (eds.), Cross-Cultural Pragmatics: Requests and Apologies. New Jersey: Ablex, pp. 221–247.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Félix-Brasdefer, César (2003) Declining an invitation: A cross-cultural study of pragmatic strategies in American English and Latin American Spanish. Multilingua 221: 225–255. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2004) Interlanguage refusals: Linguistic politeness and length of residence in the target community. Language Learning 541: 587–653. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2007) Pragmatic development in the Spanish as a FL classroom: A cross-sectional study of learner requests. Intercultural Pragmatics 41: 253–286. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2010) Data collection methods in speech act performance: DCTs, role plays and verbal reports. In A. Martínez-Flor, and E. Usó-Juan (eds.), Speech act performance: Theoretical, empirical and methodological issues. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp. 41–56. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Garcés-Conejos, Pilar, Patricia Bou-Franch, and Emilio García-Gómez (1992) Estudio pragmático-contrastivo del diminutive: Una propuesta methodologica. In F. Etxeberria and J. Arzamendi (eds.), Bilingüismo y Adquisición de Lenguas: Actas del IX Congreso Nacional de AESLA. Bilbao: Universidad del País Vasco, pp. 247–257.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gass, Susan, and Noël Houck (1999) Interlanguage refusals: A cross-cultural study of Japanese-English. New York: Mouton de Gruyter.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Goffman, Erving (1955) On face-work: An analysis of ritual elements in social interaction. Psychiatry 181: 213–231.  BoP Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Han, Sangkyung (2005) The interlanguage pragmatic development of the speech act of requests by Korean non-native speakers of English in an ESL setting. (Doctoral dissertation, UPenn). Dissertations available from ProQuest. Paper AAI3165689.
Hassall, Timothy (2001) Modifying requests in a second language. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching (IRAL) 391: 259–283.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2003) Requests by Australian learners of Indonesian. Journal of Pragmatics 351: 1903–1928.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hendriks, Berna (2002) More on Dutch English … please? A study of request performance by Dutch native speakers, English native speakers and Dutch learners of English. Nijmegen: Nijmegen University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hill, Thomas (1997) The development of pragmatic competence in an EFL context. Doctoral dissertation, Temple University, Philadelphia.
Hoffman-Hicks, Sheila (1999) The longitudinal development of French foreign language pragmatic competence: Evidence from study abroad participants. Doctoral dissertation, Indiana University. Dissertation Abstracts International 61, 591.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
House, Juliane (1996) Developing pragmatic fluency in English as a foreign language. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 181: 225–253. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
House, Juliane, and Gabriele Kasper (1987) Interlanguage pragmatics: Requesting in a foreign language. In W. Lörscher and S. Rainer (eds.), Perspectives in Language Performance. Tübingen: Narr, pp. 1250–1288.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Jalifar, Alireza (2009) Request strategies: Cross-sectional study of Iranian EFL learners and Australian native speakers. English Language Teaching 21: 46–61.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kallia, Alexandra (2005) Directness as a source of misunderstanding: The case of requests and suggestions. In R. Lakoff, and S. Ide (eds.), Broadening the horizon of linguistic politeness. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp. 217–234. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kasper, Gabriele (1997) Can pragmatic competence be taught? [URL].
(2000) Data collection in pragmatics research. In H. Spencer-Oatey (ed.), Culturally speaking. London: Continuum, pp. 316–341.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kasper, Gabriele, and Kenneth Rose (2002) Pragmatic development in a second Language. Blackwell: University of Michigan.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Klein, Wolfgang, Rainer Dietrich, and Colette Noyau (1995) Conclusions. In R. Dietrich, W. Klein, and C. Noyau (eds.), The Acquisition of temporality in a second language. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp. 261–280.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kobayashi, Hiroe, and Carol Rinnert (2003) Coping with high imposition requests: High vs. low proficiency EFL students in Japan. In A. Martínez-Flor, E. Usó-Juan, and A. Fernández-Guerra (eds.), Pragmatic competence and foreign language teaching. Castelló: Universitat Jaume 1, pp. 161–184.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Locher, Miriam (2006) Polite behaviour within relational work: The discursive approach to politeness. Multilingua 251: 249–267. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Marti, Leila (2006) Indirectness and politeness in Turkish-German bilingual and Turkish monolingual requests. Journal of Pragmatics 381: 1836–1869. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Martínez-Flor, Alicia, and Esther Usó-Juan (2006) Learners’ use of request modifiers across two University ESP disciplines. Ibérica 121: 23–41.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Matsumura, Shoichi (2001) Learning the rules of offering advice: A quantitative approach to second language socialization. Language Learning 511: 635–679. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Owen, Jeanette (2002) Interlanguage pragmatics in Russian: A study of the effects of study abroad and proficiency levels on request strategies. Doctoral dissertation, Bryn Mawr College.
Pearson, Lynn (2006) Patterns of development in Spanish L2 pragmatics acquisition: An analysis of novice learners’ production of directives. The Modern Language Journal 901: 473–495. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rose, Kenneth (1992) Speech acts and questionnaires: The effect of hearer response. Journal of Pragmatics 171: 49–62.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2005) On the effects of instruction in second language pragmatics. System 331: 385–399. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rose, Kenneth, and Connie Kwai-fun Ng (2001) Inductive and deductive teaching of compliments and compliment responses. In K. Rose and G. Kasper (eds.), Pragmatics in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 145–170. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Safont, Maria Pilar (2003) Instructional effects on the use of request act modification devices by EFL learners. In A. Martínez-Flor, E. Usó-Juan and A. Fernández-Guerra (eds.), Pragmatic competence and foreign language teaching. Castelló: Universitat Jaume 1, pp. 211–232.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Salazar, Patricia (2003) Pragmatic instruction in the EFL context. In A. Martínez-Flor, E. Usó-Juan, and A. Fernández-Guerra (eds.), Pragmatic competence and foreign language teaching. Castelló: Universitat Jaume 1, pp. 233–246.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Scarcella, Robin (1979) On speaking politely in a second language. In C. Yorio, K. Perkins, and J. Schachter (eds.), On TESOL ‘79: The Learner in Focus. Washington, DC: TESOL, pp. 275–287.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Schauer, Gila (2006) Pragmatic awareness in ESL and EFL contexts: Contrast and Development. Language Learning 561: 269–318. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2007) Finding the right words in a study abroad context: The development of German learners’ use of external modifiers in English. Intercultural Pragmatics 41: 193–220. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Scollon, Ron, and Suzanne Scollon (2001) Intercultural communication. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Searle, John (1969) Speech acts: An essay in the philosophy of language. Cambridge: Cambridge University.  BoP Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Shively, Rachel, and Andrew Cohen (2008) Development of Spanish requests and apologies during study abroad. Ikala, Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura 301: 57–118.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Siegal, Meryl (1994) Looking east: Learning Japanese as a second language and the interaction of race, gender, and social context. Doctoral dissertation, Berkeley, University of California.
Sifianou, Maria (1992) Politeness phenomena in England and Greece: A cross-cultural perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2010) Linguistic politeness: Laying the foundations. In M.A. Locher, and S.L. Graham (eds.), Interpersonal Pragmatics. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter, pp. 17–41.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Simopoulos, Giorgos, Irene Pathiadaki, Rita Kanellopoulou, and Aglaia Pavlopoulou (2010) EAArjvwa A ‘ [Greek A’]. Athina: Patakis.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Symeon, Despina (2000) Apologies in Greek and English. Doctoral dissertation, University of Athens.
Takahashi, Satomi (2001) The role of input enhancement in developing pragmatic competence. In K. Rose, and G. Kasper (eds.), Pragmatics in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 171–199. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Thomas, Jenny (1983) Cross-cultural pragmatic failure. Applied Linguistics 41: 91–112. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Trosborg, Anna (1995) Interlanguage Pragmatics: Requests, Complaints and Apologies. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Turner, Ken (1996) The principal principles of pragmatic inference: Politeness. Language Teaching 291: 1–13. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Usó-Juan, Esther (2010) Requests: A sociopragmatic approach. In A. Martínez-Flor, and E. Usó-Juan (eds.), Speech act performance: Theoretical, empirical and methodological issues. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp. 237–256. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Usó-Juan, Esther and Alicia Martínez-Flor (2008) Teaching learners to appropriately mitigate requests. ELT Journal 621: 349–357. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Valsamaki, Fanni, and Dimitra Manavi (2004) Opiate!: EUrjviKâ yia Ap/apiovc [There you go!: Greek for beginners]. Thessaloniki: Institute for Modern Greek Studies [Manolis Triandafyllidis Foundation].Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Watts, Richard (2003) Politeness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wolfson, Nessa (1981) Invitations, compliments and the competence of the native speakers. International Journal of Psycholinguistics 251: 7–22.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Woodfield, Helen (2008) Interlanguage requests in English: A contrastive study. In M. Pütz & J. Neff Van Aertselaer (eds.), Contrastive pragmatics: Interlanguage and cross-cultural perspectives. Berlin//New York: Mouton De Gruyter, pp. 231–264.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Zhang, Yanyin (1995) Indirectness in Chinese requesting. In G. Kasper (ed.), Pragmatics of Chinese as native and target language. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, pp. 69–118.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (9)

Cited by nine other publications

Masoudi, Parvin, Shima Ghahari, Gavin Bui & Mana Mozafari
2025. Third language learning motivation: empirical evidence of association with proficiency levels and chosen L3. Learning: Research and Practice ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Sun, Yuqing
2024. Analysis of external modification devices and framing moves in request emails. Applied Pragmatics 6:1 ► pp. 86 ff. DOI logo
Ninomiya, Takashi, Masaki Ono & Munojot Umarova
2023. Politeness when native Japanese speakers and Uzbek Japanese learners give warnings about prohibited acts: a cross-sectional study. F1000Research 12 ► pp. 1416 ff. DOI logo
Ninomiya, Takashi, Masaki Ono & Munojot Umarova
2023. Politeness when native Japanese speakers and Uzbek Japanese learners give warnings about prohibited acts: a cross-sectional study. F1000Research 12 ► pp. 1416 ff. DOI logo
Ninomiya, Takashi, Masaki Ono & Munojot Umarova
2025. Politeness strategies when native Japanese speakers and Uzbek Japanese learners give warnings about prohibited acts: a cross-sectional study. F1000Research 12 ► pp. 1416 ff. DOI logo
Bar On, Sagit & Natalia Meir
2022. Requests and apologies in two languages among bilingual speakers: A comparison of heritage English speakers and English- and Hebrew-dominant bilinguals. Frontiers in Psychology 13 DOI logo
Bella, Spyridoula
2021. Chapter 8. In search of the missing grade. In Email Pragmatics and Second Language Learners [Pragmatics & Beyond New Series, 328], ► pp. 203 ff. DOI logo
Kim, Du Re
2020. Exploring Searching as Evidence of Development in Interactional Competence. Lanaguage Research 56:1 ► pp. 73 ff. DOI logo
Vassilaki, Evgenia & Stathis Selimis
2020. Children’s Requestive Behavior in L2 Greek: Beyond the Core Request. Corpus Pragmatics 4:3 ► pp. 359 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 30 november 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue