A01 cohe4573 01 se fm. Qxd

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T H E N U T S A N D B O L T S O F P R A G M A T I C S I N S T R U C T I O N
Sample dialogue
Your response
Fill in this column below as you listen to 
the sample dialogue. Write down what the 
second speaker says in response to Kunie.
Compare your responses to those in the left
column. Self-evaluate the appropriateness of
the choice and use of your refusal strategies.
Response 1
[Learners’ dictation here]
Strategies used:
■
Making a direct/indirect refusal
■
Giving a reason
■
Using an appropriate level of politeness
[Learners’ self-evaluation here]
Kunie:
Souka, murikaa. ‘Oh well, I guess you can’t.”
You – 3: ( You give an alternative or two to help her.)
Kunie:
Souka,
jaa, waruikedo soushite moraeru? Hontoni arigatou. “Oh, then, sorry for
bothering you but would you do that? Thanks so much.”
Self-evaluation
Listen to a sample dialogue and evaluate your responses by filling in the
chart below. Read the instructions in each column and write down an
appropriate response in the box.
Click to Listen
Below is the self-assessment chart (offered bilingually) that follows the
above webpage.
Kunie:
Sokowo nantoka onegai! “I know that, but
please, work something out for me.”
You – 2: (You apologize and refuse again.)

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C U R R I C U L U M W R I T I N G F O R L 2 P R A G M A T I C S
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Sample dialogue
Your response
Response 2
[Learners’ dictation here]
Strategies used:
■
Making a direct/indirect refusal
■
Apologizing
■
Speaking hesitantly
[Learners’ self-evaluation here]
Response 3
[Learners’ dictation here]
Strategies used:
■
Giving an alternative
[Learners’ self-evaluation here]
Some learners may not be quite as reflective as others and may need
more fine-tuned scaffolding to make their self-assessment effective. In that
case, teachers, especially in the classroom setting, can ask further guiding
questions such as:
23
■
Did you use the strategies of refusals given on the left of the table?
■
If you did, what features do your strategies share with those in the
sample dialogue? How are your strategies likely to be interpreted by 
the listener?
■
If you didn’t use any of those strategies, consider your reason why not.
Was it because you weren’t that familiar with the possible strategies or
lacked vocabulary? Was it because you felt resistant to using Japanese
pragmatic norms? If so, why did you feel that way?
■
If you didn’t use the strategies listed above, what other strategies did
you use? How is your use of strategies most likely to be interpreted by
your listener?
In a classroom-based curriculum, teachers can encourage peer assessment
of each other’s role-play performance, using the prompts as in the example
below:
23
From Ishihara and Maeda (2010).

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