Requestive Perspectives and Conventions: Exploring Language Proficiency Influence Among Saudi EFL Learners

This paper investigated the pragma-linguistic competence of Saudi EFL learners in expressing requests and how high achievers (HAs) and low achievers (LAs) differ in this regard. The main goals of the study were to investigate the genres of requests that these groups use and to identify the matter and manner conventions that separate their pragmatic competence. The study applied a quantitative cross-sectional design with a total sample size of 253 Saudi EFL learners. Data were collected using a Discourse Completion Task (DCT) and analysed through statistical measures like Pearson's Chi-Square. The research showed that HAs and LAs had markedly different use of request strategies. HAs mostly used inclusive and hearer-oriented requests (30.0% and 31.17%, respectively), while LAs preferred speaker-oriented requests (50.60%). A considerable discrepancy among the uses of inclusive requests was found, with HAs utilising this strategy much more than LAs, probably showing a higher pragmalinguistic competence among the higher achievers. The study, therefore, shows that the pragmatics of learning English should receive greater attention and more extensive types of request strategies and cultural considerations should be taught. To target the imbalance between HAs and LAs, teachers can incorporate immersive learning and cultural teaching methods.