Contrasting the Request Act Used by EFL\ ESL Native-Arabic Speakers in Arabic and English Situations

Abstract

The current study sought to identify the request strategies used by EFL native-Arabic speakers in Arabic natural situations and also to identify the request strategies used by EFL native-Arabic speakers in English natural situations. And in more depth vein, it tried to shed light on role the environment of learning English, socio-cultural differences, human mentality and requesting transferring in requesting. 30 EFL Arabic lecturers and 30 ESL Arabic lecturers at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University completed Discourse Completion Test (DST) consists of 12 written context situations (appendices I and II). The finding revealed that both EFL and ESL use conventional indirect request strategies more than direct request strategies which in turns are used more than non-conventional requests strategies either in Arabic or in English situations. Moreover, it appears to assume that human mentality and socio-cultural differences affect more the strategies of requesting.