Indirectness in Arabic-speaking Efl learners' writing : a cultural perspective

الملخص EN

The use of indirectness in discourse varies according to culture.

In writing, this disparity often leads to misinterpretation of discourse, especially when readers and writers have different perceptions of what constitutes an appropriate degree of directness.

The present paper investigates the use of five types of syntactic and rhetorical indirectness markers and strategies in 60 English argumentative essays written by Arabic-speaking learners.

The linguistic exponents of each device are quantitatively described.

This is followed by a qualitative analysis of excerpts from the texts to show how writers exploit the selected devices and the possible cultural interpretations of their use.

The implication of this study is to reveal the way improper management of indirectness in English writing by non-native speakers may affect their academic texts' comprehension from an English reader's perspective.

The ultimate goal is to derive insights related to teaching the appropriate degrees of indirectness in English academic writing.