Filipinos and Thais Saying “No” in English

This study investigated the use of refusal strategies conducted in English between Filipinos and Thais. The purpose of the study was to examine if the frequency of refusal strategies varied according to the situations and social status of the interlocutors. Data were collected through a discourse completion task (DCT). Findings indicated that both groups preferred to use indirect strategies to the direct ones. In general, Filipinos were more direct than Thais when dealing with refusals. Thais were less direct than Filipinos when declining the interlocutor of higher status. As language and culture are intimately related, English refusal strategies used by Filipinos and Thais reflected tendencies in their social norms.