Pragmatic strategies in Vietnamese and Japanese complaints and complaint responses: A World Englishes perspective on learner agency

Abstract

This study investigates how Vietnamese and Japanese undergraduate learners of English performed complaints and responses to complaints in a simulated international business exchange project. Drawing on multiple pragmatic research frameworks (three for compliments, three for responses to compliments, and modality markers), the study analyzed 158 emails exchanged by students from universities in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Tokyo, Japan. The Vietnamese students performed these speech acts more clearly and directly, flexibly using various strategies. In contrast, the Japanese students showed a strong preference for indirect and face-saving strategies, resulted in their intentions being obscured due to a lack of negative evaluations in their complaints as well as both linguistic and sociocultural L1 transfer. Finally, the paper reviews the latest ELF research, providing implications for pragmatic instruction in class particularly how teachers can consider L2 learners’ agency from a World Englishes perspective. In conclusion, teachers should encourage L2 learners to become effective ELF users who can make informed pragmatic choices (Ishihara & Cohen, 2022) based on knowledge of English culture norms and how they wish to present themselves in English. By doing so, educators can empower learners to navigate global communication with strategic competence and an authentic voice.