SPEECH ACT REALIZATION DIFFERENCES IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK: REQUESTS, APOLOGIES, AND COMPLIMENTS

Abstract

This study investigates the differences in speech act realization between English and Uzbek, focusing on requests, apologies, and compliments. Grounded in a linguapragmatic framework, the research examines how cultural norms, social hierarchy, and politeness strategies influence the production and interpretation of these speech acts in both languages. Using a combination of discourse analysis and elicitation tasks, data were collected from native speakers of English and Uzbek to identify patterns of directness, mitigation, and formulaicity. The findings reveal that English speakers tend to employ more explicit and direct strategies in requests and compliments, whereas Uzbek speakers prioritize indirectness and context-sensitive expressions to preserve social harmony. Apology strategies also differ, with Uzbek speakers relying heavily on relational and honorific markers, while English speakers frequently utilize explicit acknowledgment of responsibility. These results highlight the significant role of sociocultural norms in shaping pragmatic behavior and underscore the potential challenges in cross-cultural communication. Implications for language teaching, translation, and intercultural competence development are discussed.