Power dynamics in EFL requests and refusals by L1 Hebrew- and Arabic-speaking multilinguals: a linguistic and textual analysis

This study examined the influence of the power relations between speaker and addressee on the use of linguistic and textual features in English requests and refusals produced by two distinct groups: Hebrew-speaking bilinguals who use English as a second language (L2), and Arabic-speaking trilinguals who use Hebrew as a second language and English as a third (L3). Data were collected through a Discourse Completion Task and a background questionnaire. The analysis revealed that bilinguals consistently employed more complex linguistic structures and mitigation strategies than trilinguals, particularly in refusals, whereas trilinguals demonstrated greater sensitivity to power asymmetries. These findings point to the combined effects of language proficiency, sociolinguistic environment, and cultural orientation on pragmatic performance, underscoring the importance of linguistic background and power dynamics in shaping speech acts.