Saying 'No' Politely: The Use of Refusal Strategies by Moroccan EFL University Learners

Abstract

This study investigates the refusal strategies employed by Moroccan EFL university learners across a variety of social situations. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the research draws on data from Discourse Completion Tests (DCTs) and Focus Group Interviews (FGIs) to explore how learners refuse requests, offers, invitations, and suggestions. The analysis reveals that indirect strategies are the most frequently used, significantly outnumbering direct and adjunctive strategies across the collected responses. Statistical tests confirm that this preference is consistent across all scenarios. Interview data further reinforce these results, showing that students tend to issue refusals when a situation is beyond their capacity or conflicts with personal or cultural values. Learners often opt for polite, indirect expressions to reduce the risk of face-threatening acts (FTAs) and maintain social harmony. These findings underscore the influence of sociocultural norms on pragmatic behaviour and provide valuable insights into interlanguage pragmatics. The study highlights the importance of integrating pragmatic instruction into EFL curricula to better equip learners with the communicative skills needed for effective interaction in real-life situations.