Acquisition of request modifiers in Vietnamese as a second language

Abstract

This study examines the acquisition of request modifiers by learners of L2 Vietnamese, with a view to expanding the range of target languages under inquiry and contributing to the field of L2 pragmatics acquisition. Data were collected from nine Vietnamese native speakers and 18 learners from various language backgrounds, using open role-plays in six scenarios with differing social power and imposition levels. An analysis was made of the learners' use of request modifiers in relation to their proficiency levels in Vietnamese and their lengths of residency in the target language environment. Findings supported claims in the literature that learning pragmatics is particularly challenging for low-proficiency learners, and provided some evidence of pragmatic development in the case of highproficiency learners who had stayed in the target language culture for an extended period.