The Structure of Requests by Native and Non-native English Speakers

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate what features are used by native English speakers to make requests and compare them to features used by non-native speakers. In order to answer the research question, a study was conducted with eighty college students: forty native English speakers and forty non-native speakers-twenty Chinese and twenty Mexican. Results indicate that there is a general pattern to making requests. The pattern consists of six components which are arranged in the following order 1) Attention Getting Device, 2) Greeting, 3) Direct Address, 4) Self-IntroductIon, 5) Explanation, and 6) Main Request. The register of the components may vary according to the situation, status of the addressee, sex of the addressee, and level of acquaintance between the requester and the addressee. All the components may not always appear in the general pattern. This study also shows several significant differences in how requests are made depending upon the ethnic background of the individual making the request.

Thesis Author: Christiansen, B. Griselda

Year Completed: 1990

Thesis Chair: William Eggington