El efecto del género en el discurso bilingüe. Un estudio sobre peticiones

Abstract

This study describes the variation on the speech act of requests in the Spanish of three generations of Cubans and Cuban-Americans from Miami; Florida. Certain conclusions can be drawn about the effect of gender on the discourse structures of such speakers. Using role play data; this research reveals that contact with American English; whose pragmatic norms have been categorized within the negative politeness frame (Brown & Levinson; 1978); starts a process of pragmatic calquing observed in bilingual women. In this sense; it becomes evident that there is distance between third and first generation norms; whose tendency is towards positive politeness. Also; the notion of Denial of agency is discussed in relationship to this change.