ACADEMIC RESOURCES ON REFUSALS IN ITALIAN

Resources in this section curated by: Illena Trebont

Verzella, & Tommaso, L. (2020). The Pragmatics Of Refusing A Request In Italian And American English: A Comparative Study. Discourse and Interaction, 13(1), 92–112. https://doi.org/10.5817/DI2020-1-92 

This study examines and compares the strategies used by speakers of Italian and American English to refuse requests. The participants in this study were two groups of college students from Southern Italy and North Dakota, and the data was collected during conversations that were meant to elicit refusals in response to a request to participate in a language circle with international students. Researchers found that Italian speakers are more likely to provide long explanations and apologies when refusing a request, while English speakers tend to provide more positive opinions and encouragement by saying things such as “I can’t, but I wish I could do it!”.