An Adaptation-based Approach To The Nature Of English Refusals

This paper,utilizing the Adaptation Theory, offers a pragmatic probe into English refusals performed by native speakers in daily communication,in hopes of understanding and explaining the adaptative use of language in refusing situations.Refusing in this project will be understood as a dynamic and adaptative process of making negative contributions to the previous turn (request,invitation,advice,order,promise,offer,etc) in the ongoing conversation,a process which is correlated with many contextual factors.Scholars home and abroad have done fruitful researches into refusals from different perspectives.In conclusion,it seems that the focus of their studies is generally limited to one of these perspectives,the politeness pragmatics,the cross-cultural pragmatics or the second-language acquisition.Verschueren tries to integrate cognitive,social and cultural elements into the study of pragrnatics and has furthered the development of pragmatics.This paper adopts this new and satisfactory theory to analyze English refusals.Besides,Speech Act Theory and Politeness Theory provide us with the basic understanding of English refusals.Through detailed analysis of concrete language materials mainly from the point of variability and adaptability of English refusals,the generative mechanism of English refusals is given:refusers select a proper one from a variety of all the linguistic and strategic possibilities, to adapt to the physical world in which the refuser and the re fusee are situated,the relationship between the two parties and their respective psychological states.And at the same time,the refuser also exploits the contextual factors to satisfy his own communication goals and benefit the human survival in the long run..Though limitations inevitably exist in this study,it bears some theoretical and practical significance. For example, it studies English refusals from a new and combined linguistic perspective. What's more, it helps us to comprehend, apply and acquire how to use this speech act better and achieve successful communication.