Direct Speech Act in Communication between Saudi Arabian Family Members

Abstract

This research article aims to explore the direct speech act as used in Arabic language and in particular in the Saudi Arabian family context where Najdi dialect is used. The article analyses spoken conversations as data gained, and then transcribed, from Saudi family interactions in a series uploaded on YouTube. The analysis focuses on three areas: direct request speech act, the cultural impact of used forms and strategies, and the notion of face threatening in everyday Saudi family interactions. The study sheds light on one exemplary speech act, 'request'. The analysis focuses on three areas: direct request speech act, the cultural influence and the notion of face threatening. Results show tendency of Saudi family members to the use some Islamic forms in request (making and response/ decline or acceptance). Results also show that the use of religious forms such as Masha Allah and Insha’Allah could increase the pragmatic rejection of request by interactant(s) or have some mitigating role. Article is structures as follows: an introduction followed by theoretical literature related to the topic of study, and then a methodology precedes the analysis, findings and discussion. The article ends with a conclusion.