Abstract
This study explored the English request strategies and modifiers used by Malaysian and Saudi undergraduates. It also investigated the influence of social power and social distance on their choice of those strategies. Fifty Malaysian ESL and fifty Saudi EFL undergraduates participated in it. A discourse completion task was used to collect the data. Blum-Kulka et al.'s (1989) taxonomy was used to analyse request strategies and Martinez-Flor and Uso-Juan’s (2006) taxonomy was used to analyse request modifiers. Data was collected and analyzed quantitatively. The findings revealed that pragmatic competence varied according to context. Malaysian students in an English as a second language environment used more Conventionally Indirect request strategies than Saudi students did in an English as a foreign language environment. Non-Conventionally Indirect strategies were not used by Malaysians and were employed least often by Saudis. Social status and social distance had no significant influence on their use of request strategies. The study concluded by providing implications for English teachers to foster pragmatic competence among undergraduate students.
