Using audiovisual material to teach refusals from a discursive perspective: a research-based proposal

Refusals are complex face-threatening speech acts whose appropriate performance requires not only lengthy sequences of negotiation and cooperative achievements, but also face-saving strategies to accommodate the disruptive nature act (Gass & Houck 1999). Also, since they have a face threatening nature, subject cultural variations. Consequently, care must be taken in choice refusal strategies. On that account, this paper first describes reviews findings empirical interventional studies on act, with particular interest understanding their methodological choices. Then, it presents benefits using audiovisual material for teaching pragmatics foreign or second language instructional context. Finally, relying excerpts from TV series, an method refusals at discourse level is presented. All designed activities built upon research-based recommendations hopes provide teachers resources ideas including into courses.