(The Use of Encouragement in Iraqi Arabic Dialect: A Pragmatic Perspective)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31185/lark.4771Keywords:
Key Words: Pragmatics, Encouragement speech act, Iraqi Arabic dialectAbstract
Abstract
This study investigates encouragement speech act strategies employed by Iraqi Arabs in Iraqi Arabic dialect. It also aims to discover the social and cultural norms that underlie performing and perceiving encouragements. Data were collected by employing Written Discourse Completion Task (WDCT) and Focus group interview (FGI). Data obtained from these two instruments were analysed descriptively and qualitatively. Written Discourse Completion Task involves eight situations in which the participants as interlocutors of higher and equal status were to encourage an individual with close and familiar social distant in various contexts. The model followed to analyse the collected data based on Van's (2011) and Jung's (2010) classification of semantic formulas. The main findings were that Iraqi Arabs employed 30 types of encouragement strategies, 18 more than those used in Van's (2011) and Jung's study. They also preferred directness rather than indirectness in giving their encouragements across the eight situations. However, they varied their preference of the specific strategies according to the social status, social, distance, and the context of situations. They fvoured praying as the dominant strategy in encouraging close lower-status interlocutors, while giving advice were employed dominantly in encouraging familiar lower-status interlocutors. In encouraging close equal-status interlocutors, they preferred reminding H's responsibility as the prominent strategy. Iraqi Arabs varied their tendency of strategies in encouraging familiar-equal interlocutors due to contexts. That is, the most frequent strategy was emphasizing the value of success/achievement in academic field, whereas creating hope were the prominent ones in workplace context. Importantly, some strategies employed by Iraqi Arabs involving creating hope, offering solutions, Quranic verses and Hadith, emphasizing the value of success/achievement, commendation, proverbs and sayings, praying, praising, showing trust in hearer's ability, stating facts, solidarity, being patient, blessing, invoking the name of God, ability to compensate, and swearing were new ones which have not been included in Van's (2011) and Jung's (2010) studies. Moreover, regarding FGI findings, it is appeared that context, social status, social distance, Islamic teachings, social and cultural values such Al-Muru'a ("المروءة") and Al-Nakhwa ("النخوة") are the most important factors which affect Iraqi Arabs' performing and perceiving of encouraging speech act. It is hoped that the precent study will contribute in minimizing or avoiding any potential misunderstanding in cross-cultural interaction, specifically between individuals from other cultures and Iraqi Arabs. It also aims to develop the pragmatic competence of foreign language learners of Arabic to avoid misinterpretation when they offering encouragements in Iraqi Arabic context.
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