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This study evaluates how power relations affect the use of linguistic features in requests and refusals among multilingual speakers.

June 15, 2026

Power dynamics in EFL requests and refusals by L1 Hebrew- and Arabic-speaking multilinguals: a linguistic and textual analysis

Key Points

This study evaluates how power relations affect the use of linguistic features in requests and refusals among multilingual speakers.
Data collected through a Discourse Completion Task and background questionnaire.
Analysis focused on Hebrew-speaking bilinguals and Arabic-speaking trilinguals' use of English.
Comparison of linguistic structures and mitigation strategies in refusals based on language proficiency.
Bilinguals used more complex linguistic structures in refusals than trilinguals.
Trilinguals showed greater sensitivity to power asymmetries in their speech.
Findings indicate that linguistic background and cultural orientation significantly influence pragmatic performance.

Abstract

This study examined the influence of the power relations between speaker and addressee on the use of linguistic and textual features in English requests and refusals produced by two distinct groups: Hebrew-speaking bilinguals who use English as a second language (L2), and Arabic-speaking trilinguals who use Hebrew as a second language and English as a third (L3). Data were collected through a Discourse Completion Task and a background questionnaire. The analysis revealed that bilinguals consistently employed more complex linguistic structures and mitigation strategies than trilinguals, particularly in refusals, whereas trilinguals demonstrated greater sensitivity to power asymmetries. These findings point to the combined effects of language proficiency, sociolinguistic environment, and cultural orientation on pragmatic performance, underscoring the importance of linguistic background and power dynamics in shaping speech acts.

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