Korean ESL Refusals in Face to Face Interaction
The present study explores Korean ESL speakers' face to face refusal negotiations over a high imposition request at two proficiency levels. The findings indicate that increasing L2 proficiency and length of residence in the L2 community obviously enhances Korean ESL speakers' pragmatic competence, as is demonstrated by marked differences in refusal performance between the two groups, low proficient and high proficient. The data collected by face to face negotiations exhibit dynamic interactional features, which allow proficiency effect to emerge in the low proficient group's refusal performance. Meanwhile, the high proficient group does not replicate native like refusal formulas, although they can access refusal strategies native speakers use. Instead, they select and arrange the formulas in a different distribution, following their favored track. Regarding how L2 proficiency or length of residence in the L2 community influences pragmatic transfer, the present study displays a complex picture. In terms of native like immediacy in response to the request, negative pragmatic transfer diminishes with increasing length of residence in the L2 community, although this tendency involves individual differences. On the other hand, negative pragmatic transfer of L1 socio cultural norms and sentiments prevails in the high proficient group's refusal performance, thereby contributing to divergence from native like refusal strategies.