| This study adds to the growing body of literature on the pragmatic competence of second language (L2) learners of Spanish by examining how a number of learner and situational variables affect learners' linguistic production. Specifically, this study examines how adult (English-speaking) learners of Spanish make requests and complaints in their L2 and what evaluations they form about their speech acts.; This work expands our knowledge of the dynamic relationship among variables that influence learners' linguistic choices by examining them simultaneously using statistical techniques suitable for nested data. Prior studies have examined subsets of these variables, but a more comprehensive approach that examines them conjointly in a single study with a large sample size is needed. Furthermore, the instruments more closely approximate the freedom of response that speakers have in daily interactions than previous methods have, and they capture a large number of learner and situational variables. Additionally, the study expands our understanding of the influence of language-learning background by including a variable that has received little attention in L2 pragmatics studies---personality.; Two broad, understudied questions are addressed. First, what factors predict the occurrence of specific speech acts? Given that in a certain situations some request and others complain, do learner variables (e.g., study abroad, L2 proficiency, or personality) or situational variables (e.g., interlocutor's sex or social status) play more important roles in predicting the choice of speech act? Second, do learner evaluations influence their production? That is, do their ratings of the level of imposition and difficulty influence their production?; Data were collected from 292 advanced learners of Spanish via surveys that measure personality, language learning experience, grammar knowledge, and responses to a Discourse Completion Task. The findings of the multilevel models reveal that both learner and situational variables exhibit significant effects, but their relative importance differs according to the type of dependent variable examined. Proficiency and personality are associated with significant outcomes for all production variables, situational variables influence speech-act choice and the directness of the request strategy more than other production outcomes, and perceptions of the situation's imposition level do not substantially influence production. |
