Assessing EFL Learners’ Performance of the Conventional Expressions of Complaining and Apologising

Research conducted in the field of interlanguage pragmatics has suggested that foreign language learners have serious difficulties in reaching an adequate level of pragmatic competence since there are a lot of contextual factors that may influence an appropriate use of the language. This paper investigates learners’ choice of the semantic formula used to express complaints and apologies in situations which varied according to the sociopragmatic factors of social status, social distance and severity of offence. Results show that learners were limited to make themselves clear when expressing an appropriate complaint and apology. These findings are discussed and pedagogical implications suggested.