Conversational Norms in Speech Acts: A Study of the Effect of Deficits on Communication

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate secondary school students' lack of mastering the conversational norms of speech acts, and the ability to express themselves in a foreign language. The case study was in Gezira State-Al-Manaqil Locality- El-Kremiet Secondary schools. The research used a descriptive-analytical method; the tool for collecting data was a questionnaire consisting of 12 distinct items administered to 60 teaching members, encompassing both male and female participants. Results showed that participants overwhelmingly agreed on the significance of the lack of conversational norms both inside and outside the classroom, with an average agreement rate of 73.42%. Moreover, a substantial majority, totaling 91.77% of participants, strongly agreed on the influential role of disability among EFL learners in executing situational speech acts. Additionally, a significant consensus was reached, with 84.6% of participants strongly agreeing that weaknesses in pronunciation contribute to the non-productivity of EFL learners in the classroom. The findings of the study emphasized the necessity for EFL Learners to acquire the basis core of conversation to perform the various speech acts in different situations.