(i) Hi, please can you turn the music down m as I cannot concentrate on my studies?
(ii) Please turn the music little bit down as I have exam in the morning.
(iii) Hi please would you like to turn the volume down as I cannot concentrate in my studies.
Table 6f, group C. Pre- CPH L2 Speakers of English responses for category two (Equal to Equal)
Strategy Situation 1 Situation 2 Situation 3 Total
F % F % F % F %
1 Mood
Derivables
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 Performatives 1 10 0 0 0 0 1 3.4
3 Hedge performative
3 30 1 10 3 30 7 23.3
4 Obligation statement
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Want statement
0 0 0 0 1 10 1 3.4
6 Query preparatory
4 40 7 70 6 60 17 56.6
7 Suggestory Formula
2 20 2 20 0 0 4 13.3
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8 Strong Hint 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Mild Hint 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 10 100 10 100 10 100 30 100
Form the above mentioned table 4d, it can be noticed that the British native speakers of English used the most indirect request strategies in all the three situations, for example to ask a friend to walk fast, to ask an unknown person to open the door for you, and to ask the neighbour to turn down the music. Table 5e analyses the results of group B post-CPH. They also used the most direct strategy Mood derivables once while requesting to a neighbour to turn down the music, which is 3.4% of the total strategies used in these situations.
On the other hand by the results of table 6f, we can also analyse that the participants of Group C, remain indirect but they used the direct strategy Performatives only once while requesting to a friend. The use of the Performatives for situation four is 3.4% of all the strategies used in all the three situations. However the Query Prepatory is used more often by all the three groups while requesting to equals. This strategy is used 16 times (53.3%) by BNSE, seventeen times by the Pre CPH group and most commonly by the group B post-CPH which is total nineteen times (63.3%) of all the strategies used in this situation.
The second strategy which is widely used by all the three groups is Hedgr Performatives. It is used nine times by the BNSE (30%), seven times (23.3%) by the pre-CPH group. The Second group Post-CPH used this strategy eight times which is 26.6% of the total strategies used in this situation.
The third strategy which is equally used by both BNSE and Pre-CPH participants is Suggestory Formulas. Both group A and C used it 4 times which is 13.3% of the total number of strategies used in this situation. There is another similarity in group A and C They used Suggestory Formulas in situation 4 (requesting to a friend) and situation 5 (requesting for open the door) while the group B is quite
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different in the use of Suggestory Formulas which is only once while requesting to the neighbour.
Group B (Post-CPH) and C (Pre-CPH) also show similarity when both groups completely avoided the use of Hints either Mild or Strong while requesting to equals. The Group A (BNSE) used strong hints once while requesting to the neighbour.
In the same way graphs also clearly represent similarities and differences in three groups. After analyzing the date presented in tables we can observe that there are more similarities in the groups rather than differences while requesting to equals. It is quite obvious by the results that the three groups rely on conventional indirect strategies such as Query Preparaterioes and Hedge Performatives while requesting to the people who are equal in status.
4.3 Request Strategies In Lower To Higher Relation Group A British Native Speakers of English
Here are some examples of responses given by Group A from lower to higher ranking order.
Situation one states. You are watching a movie with your father, who is holding the remote control. You like a scene and you want to watch it again. How will you say to play it again?
(i) Father I would like to watch that scene again, could you reply it please?
(ii) Dad, I must see that again do let me.
(iii) That was good, could we watch that last bit again please.
Situation two states.You are sitting in your supervisor’s office and you need a pencil, unfortunately you do not have at that moment. How will you say/request to your supervisor to lend a pencil?
(i) I wonder I have missed my pencil, would you like to give me yours’.
(ii) I would really thankful to you for giving me your pen, because I have forgot to bring mine.
(iii) Jasper, it would be possible for you to give me your pencil for a moment as I have to sign it.
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Situation three states.Youwant to request to the Dean of your department to write you a recommendation letter. What would you say to the Dean?
(i) Excuse me Dr Julian, if possible write a recommendation letter for me. It would be a great assist for me?
(ii) Would it be possible for you Doug to write a recommendation letter for me?
(iii) I wonder if you can give me a recommendation letter, please.
Table 7g Group A. Request strategies used by British native Speakers of English for (lower to higher ranking)
Strategy Situation 1
Situation2 Situation3 Total
F % F % F % F %
1 Mood
Derivables
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 Performatives 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Hedge
Performative
2 20 1 10 2 20 5 16.6
4 Obligation Statement
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Want Statement
1 10 2 20 2 20 5 16.6
6 Query p Preparatory
4 40 3 30 3 30 10 33.4
7 Suggestory Formula
1 10 2 20 1 10 4 13.4
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8 Strong Hint 1 10 1 10 1 10 3 10
9
Mild Hint 1 10 1 10 1 10 3 10
Total 10 100 10 100 10 100 30 100
Group B Post- CHP L2 English Speakers
Situation 1. (You are watching a move with your father).
(i) Father could you please rewind it/
(ii) Dad, if you don’tmind, can I see this scene again because I have missed something.
(iii) Please could reverse that scene again I want to watch it again.
Situation 2.(You are sitting in your supervisor’s office and you need a