1. SUMMARY:
Pragmatics Of E-Mail Communication Between Saudi Female Students And Male
Professors
Authors: Dogan Bulut and Ghaleb Rabab’ah
The JALT CALL Journal, 2007, Vol 3
Introduction
This paper examines the pragmatics features found in Saudi female graduate students’
genuine email messages. The messages were all written in English and sent to their male
professors. It also aims to analyse communication topics, strategies, and address terms. The
paper emphasised on the use of emails as a mean of communication between two parties;
students and lecturers respectively replacing face-to-face interactions. From this the
researchers examine the pragmatics elements found in the collected data.
Research Questions
There are several research questions posted by the researchers.
1. What communication topics do Saudi graduate female students use to communicate
with their non-Saudi male professors in English?
2. How do sub-categories of communication topics compare with regard to their
frequencies?
3. What communication strategies do Saudi graduate female students use to
communicate with their non-Saudi male professors in English?
4. What politeness strategies do Saudi graduate female students use in their requests
from their non-Saudi male professors in English?
2. 5. What politeness strategies do Saudi graduate female students use in their address
terms to their non-Saudi male professors in English?
Sample
The samples were collected from 99 e-mail messages sent by 9 female students to their
two male professors. All the students were from the academic year 2005-2006.
Methodology
The messages were analysed according to 3 main points; communication topics,
strategies, and address terms. The data were analysed and categorized according to a coding
scheme, both qualitatively and quantitatively. In communication topics, it includes further
sub-points; facilitative, substantive and relational topics. The researchers adapted the three
communication strategies of requesting, reporting and negotiating. The paper also analysed
address terms used by the students in their email messages. All the messages were analysed
for their topics and strategies. All data were coded by two readers and the conflicts were
resolved with mutual agreement.
Findings
Results indicated that there was no significant difference among the frequencies of
communication topics while the frequencies of communication strategies differed
significantly in favour of requesting. Sub-categories of communication topics and strategies
were also compared separately, and they both yielded significant differences within their sub-
categories. As the most preferred communication strategy, requests were analysed using
Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness strategy in their request from their professor, while
they mostly had negative politeness-oriented address terms when starting their messages.
3. Conclusion
In conclusion, politeness is used depending on the relationships the speakers have. The
closer the relationship the speakers are, the more negative politeness is applied and vice versa.
In addition, the students used more negative politeness strategies in their message while most
of the requests had a positive politeness strategy. It is also important to note that different
sociocultural and linguistic contexts may lead to different levels of e-mail use whether to
request, report and negotiate. Moreover, the frequency of exchanging e-mails will enhance the
quality of e-mail writing as shown in this study. Whether it is one’s native or non-native
language, communication success depends solely on the ability of the speakers in expressing
themselves by using appropriate language forms suitable to the context.
