How Uzbeks use refusal strategies: Comparison between Uzbek L1 speakers and Uzbek learners of English

This study analyzes how native Uzbek speakers and Uzbek EFL learners use refusals in their speech, focusing on how their cultural backgrounds and social statuses influence their responses. Data were collected from 40 participants via a modified version of Beebe et al.’s (1990) Discourse Completion Task (DCT), which elicited refusals to requests, invitations, suggestions, and offers. The results show that both groups primarily relied on indirect strategies, such as giving excuses or explanations, to soften the impact of saying no. However, clear differences appeared in the frequency and content of strategies: native Uzbeks were more sensitive to social hierarchies, often emphasizing fairness, empathy, and collective values in their refusals, and Uzbek EFL learners showed pragmatic transfer in that they tended to carry these cultural norms into their English responses. English learners also used politeness markers more often to the point of sounding overly formal or formulaic. These findings show the persistence of L1 cultural values in learners’ English and English learners’ developing awareness of L2 communication norms.