Unraveling Conversational Implicatures: A Study on Arabic EFL Learners

Abstract

The present research aimed to evaluate the comprehension level of conversational implicature among a group of 30 senior Native Arabic-speaking students enrolled in the BA program of English Language and Literature at a UAE university. The participants’ comprehension of implicatures was assessed by providing them with 20 excerpts from the American sitcom Seinfeld (https://www.seinfeldscripts.com/seinfeld-scripts.html). The participants were asked to select the implied meaning of one underlined utterance as it occurred in context. The findings of the study indicate that Arab English as a Foreign Language learners have a slightly below-average proficiency in comprehending implicatures produced by native English speakers, which can be attributed to their lower level of proficiency, lack of pragmatic competence, and their lack of information about the American culture. The most challenging types of implicatures to grasp were those flouting the maxim of manner (35.34%), while the easiest types to interpret were those flouting the maxim of quantity.

Keywords

• pragmatics
• conversational implicature
• gricean maxims
• comprehension of implicature
• cooperative principle