Abstract:
This study aimed at investigating the similarities and differences between
Sudanese (colloquial Arabic) and British (English) speech acts of
congratulation from two perspectives: First the occasions which need
congratulation. Second the strategies used in these congratulations and the
influence of the age in choice of the strategies. The received samples for
this study are (38) Sudanese and (19) British respondents of different ages
and different areas. As the study follows the descriptive method the main
tool used for collecting the data is the discourse completion test (DCT).
The finding of the study can be summed up as follows: Firstly, Sudanese
occasions which need congratulation are more than those of Britain.
Secondly, Sudanese use more strategies than British do. Thirdly, age is one
of the most influential factors that affect the choice of speech acts of
congratulation. The result showed the nature of the Sudanese linguistic
norms which expand the speech to make their congratulation warmer. On
the other hand, British use brief and straight congratulation. The
information gained from this study can be useful for the Sudanese learners
of English as foreign language especially in cultural awareness and
communicative competence. Therefore, learners must be given
opportunities to learn speech acts in varieties of English contexts and to
know the culture and the community of the target language. Also, they have
to be aware of their own language not to be distorted by other languages
by using foreign words in the Arabic sentences.
