Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika –
Зарубежная лингвистика и
лингводидактика – Foreign
Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Journal home page:
https://inscience.uz/index.php/foreign-linguistics
The influence of cultural norms and values on the
formulation and interpretation of requests and offers in
English and Uzbek contexts
Sayyora AZIMOVA
1
, Nilufarkhon UBAYDULLAYEVA
2
Fergana State University
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Article history:
Received September 2024
Received in revised form
10 October 2024
Accepted 25 October 2024
Available online
15 November 2024
This article explores the influences of cultural norms and
values on the issue of request and offers formulating and
understanding within English and Uzbek contexts. Requests and
offers represent some major constituents in human interaction
that linguistically usually exhibit a strong attachment to their
respective cultural frameworks. The present research attempts
to analyze existing differences and similarities in their
expression and perception, with a focus on the cultural
dimensions defining the politeness strategies, level of formality,
and indirectness.
2181-3701/© 2024 in Science LLC.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47689/2181-3701-vol2-iss6-pp165-169
This is an open-access article under the Attribution 4.0 International
(CC BY 4.0) license (
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.ru
Keywords:
cultural norms,
politeness strategies,
requests,
offers,
English language,
Uzbek language,
individualism,
collectivism,
linguistic behavior,
cross-cultural
communication,
indirectness,
formal language,
honorifics,
kinship terms.
1
Senior Lecturer, PhD, Fergana State University. E-mail: macmillan1926@mail.ru
2
Master's degree student, Fergana State University. E-mail: Nilufar1217@icloud.com
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Issue – 2 № 6 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
166
Ingliz va o‘zbek kontekstlarida iltimos va takliflarning
shakllantirilishi va talqin qilinishiga madaniy me’yorlar va
qadriyatlarning ta’siri
ANNOTATSIYA
Kalit so‘zlar:
madaniy me’yorlar,
xushmuomalalik
strategiyalari,
iltimoslar,
takliflar,
ingliz tili,
o‘zbek tili,
individualizm,
kollektivizm,
lingvistik xulq-atvor,
madaniyatlararo muloqot,
bilvosita ifoda,
rasmiy til,
hurmat ifodalari,
qarindoshlik atamalari.
Ushbu maqolada madaniy me’yorlar va qadriyatlarning ingliz
va o‘zbek tillari kontekstida so‘rov va taklifni shakllantirish va
tushunish masalasiga ta’siri o‘rganilgan. So‘rov va takliflar
insonlarning o‘zaro ta’siridagi ba’zi asosiy tarkibiy qismlarni
ifodalaydi, ular odatda lingvistik jihatdan o‘zlarining tegishli
madaniy ramkalariga kuchli bog‘lanishni ko‘rsatadi. Ushbu
tadqiqotda ularning ifodalanishi va idrok etilishidagi mavjud
farqlar va o‘xshashliklarni tahlil qilishga harakat qilingan, bunda
hurmat strategiyalarini belgilaydigan madaniy o‘lchamlarga,
rasmiylik va bilvositalik darajasiga e’tibor qaratilgan.
Влияние
культурных
норм
и
ценностей
на
формулирование
и
интерпретацию
просьб
и
предложений в английском и узбекском контекстах
АННОТАЦИЯ
Ключевые слова:
культурные нормы,
стратегии вежливости,
просьбы,
предложения,
английский язык,
узбекский язык,
индивидуализм,
коллективизм,
языковое поведение,
межкультурная
коммуникация,
косвенность,
формальный язык,
уважительные обращения,
термины родства.
Данная статья исследует влияние культурных норм и
ценностей на формулирование и понимание просьб и
предложений в английском и узбекском контекстах.
Просьбы
и
предложения
являются
важными
составляющими человеческого взаимодействия, которые
лингвистически
обычно
тесно
связаны
с
их
соответствующими культурными рамками. Настоящее
исследование направлено на анализ существующих
различий и сходств в их выражении и восприятии с
акцентом на культурные измерения, определяющие
стратегии
вежливости,
уровень
формальности
и
косвенности.
INTRODUCTION
Language serves not only as a means of communication but also embodies cultural
norms and values. The way people communicate, particularly when making requests or
proposals, discloses a great deal about the social norms, customs, and relational
interactions of their culture. Requests and offers play a crucial role in interpersonal
communication, enabling collaboration and fostering relationships. Nonetheless, the
approaches employed to carry out these speech acts differ markedly between languages
and cultures, shaped by the fundamental norms and values of the societies in which they
occur.
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Issue – 2 № 6 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
167
In cultures where English is spoken, communication typically features individualism
and low-context interaction, prioritizing directness, clarity, and efficiency. Requests and
offers are often presented using courteous expressions and modal verbs, showing
consideration for the recipient's independence while ensuring clarity. In comparison,
Uzbek culture, based on collectivism and high-context communication, emphasizes
indirectness, respect for social hierarchies, and the use of honorifics or kinship terms to
convey politeness.
Although these cultural differences significantly influence cross-cultural
communication, there has been minimal research comparing the linguistic practices of
English and Uzbek in this regard. This research intends to address this gap by examining
how cultural norms influence the creation and understanding of requests and offers in
English and Uzbek. It examines the relationship between politeness strategies,
indirectness, and formality, offering valuable insights for language instruction and cross-
cultural communication.
LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODOLOGY
The study of requests and offers as linguistic phenomena has been explored
extensively within the frameworks of pragmatics and sociolinguistics. Brown and
Levinson’s [1] politeness theory has been foundational in understanding how individuals
manage face-threatening acts (FTAs) like requests, where speakers must balance their
own needs against the listener's autonomy. In individualistic cultures like those of English-
speaking societies, directness is often mitigated by polite expressions to avoid offending
the listeners “negative face”, which refers to the desire for freedom from imposition.
Hall’s [2] concept of high-context and low-context communication has also been
influential in explaining cultural differences in communication styles. Low-context
cultures, such as English-speaking ones, rely heavily on explicit verbal communication.
High-context cultures, such as Uzbek culture, embed meaning in non-verbal cues, shared
knowledge, and contextual understanding. In such environments, indirectness and
honorifics become central to maintaining social harmony and demonstrating respect,
particularly in hierarchical relationships.
Although studies have examined cultural influences on requests and offers in
various languages, research comparing English and Uzbek remains limited. For example,
studies on English speakers [4] have emphasized the use of modal verbs and hedging
strategies, while research on Uzbek speakers [5] has highlighted the importance of kinship
terms and culturally specific politeness markers. However, few studies directly compare
these two linguistic and cultural frameworks, leaving a gap in understanding how these
practices differ and what these reveals about underlying cultural values.
This study employs a comparative qualitative research design to analyze the
linguistic strategies used in formulating and interpreting requests and offers in English
and Uzbek. The research focuses on identifying patterns of directness, politeness, and
formality, as well as the cultural norms that shape these patterns.
The data was collected through a combination of methods: naturalistic
conversations were recorded from native English and Uzbek speakers to observe authentic
use of requests and offers in daily communication; semi-structured interviews were
conducted with 15 native speakers of each language to understand their perceptions of
politeness and cultural norms in making requests and offers; formal and informal written
examples, such as emails and letters, were analyzed to complement spoken data.
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Issue – 2 № 6 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
168
Participants included 30 native speakers: 15 English speakers from the United States and
English-speaking countries, and 15 Uzbek speakers from various regions of Uzbekistan.
Participants were selected to ensure diversity in age, gender, and social background.
The data was transcribed and coded thematically to identify recurring linguistic
patterns. Comparative analysis was conducted to highlight similarities and differences in
requests and offers across the two languages. Additionally, qualitative responses from
interviews were analyzed to provide context and insight into the cultural norms
influencing these speech acts.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
English Patterns
Analysis of the data revealed that requests and offers in English are typically direct,
emphasizing clarity and individual autonomy. Among the 100 examples of requests and
offers collected from native English speakers: modal verbs such as “could”, “would”, and
“can” were used in 75% of requests (e.g., “Could you help me with this?”); the polite marker
“please” appeared in 65% of requests and 40% of offers, often at the end of the sentence
(e.g., “Pass me the salt, please.”); hedging strategies (e.g., “I was wondering if you could…”)
were used in 45% of formal settings to soften the tone. The data also highlights English
speakers' preference for equality and efficiency. Directness in requests reflects the
individualistic cultural norm of prioritizing autonomy and minimizing ambiguity.
Politeness markers like “please” mitigate imposition, while modal verbs soften commands
without compromising clarity.
Uzbek Patterns
In contrast, Uzbek requests and offers emphasized indirectness and the use of
culturally specific politeness markers. From the 100 examples collected: honorifics and
kinship terms appeared in 80% of requests and offers, such as “Aka” (brother) or “Opa”
(sister), to establish respect and solidarity; indirect phrasing, such as stating the need
instead of directly requesting (e.g., “I'm thirsty” instead of “Can you bring me water?”), was
observed in 70% of requests; religious expressions like “InshaAllah / Xudo” (God willing)
were found in 30% of offers to convey humility and respect. Uzbek communication
patterns reflect a collectivist culture that values hierarchy, respect, and group harmony.
The frequent use of honorifics and kinship terms underscores the importance of social
roles and relationships. Indirectness helps avoid confrontation, preserving interpersonal
harmony, especially in hierarchical settings.
Discussion
The findings align with established cultural norms. English-speaking cultures,
shaped by individualism, prioritize clarity and equality in communication [3]. Direct
requests, softened by polite expressions, reflect the importance of maintaining autonomy
while respecting others. Uzbek communication, influenced by collectivism and high-
context traditions, prioritizes interpersonal harmony [3]. Indirectness and honorifics
demonstrate respect, especially toward elders and superiors, reflecting a deeply ingrained
hierarchical value system.
CONCLUSION
This study highlights significant differences in how requests and offers are
formulated and understood in English and Uzbek contexts, reflecting the distinct cultural
norms underlying these linguistic practices. In English, directness, clarity, and the use of
polite markers such as modal verbs and “please” dominate, underscoring values of
individualism and equality. Conversely, Uzbek speakers frequently use indirect phrasing,
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Issue – 2 № 6 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
169
honorifics, and kinship terms, emphasizing collectivism, respect, and social hierarchy.
These differences illustrate how cultural values profoundly shape linguistic behavior,
influencing not only the structure of speech acts but also the broader dynamics of
interpersonal communication.
The findings underscore the importance of cultural awareness in language learning
and cross-cultural interaction. Understanding the role of politeness, directness, and
formality in communication can help bridge cultural gaps, reduce misunderstandings, and
foster more effective exchanges.
Future research could expand on this work by examining
other speech acts, such as apologies or compliments, to provide a more comprehensive
understanding of English and Uzbek linguistic practices. Additionally, comparative studies
involving other languages with similar or contrasting cultural norms could further
illuminate the interplay between language and culture, enriching both theoretical and
practical perspectives on cross-cultural communication.
REFERENCES:
1.
Brown, P., & Levinson, S. C. (1987). Politeness: Some universals in language usage.
Cambridge University Press.
2.
Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. Anchor Books.
3.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors,
institutions, and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.
4.
Holmes, J. (1995). Women, men, and politeness. Longman.
5.
Yusupova, D. (2019). Politeness strategies in Uzbek: An analysis of requests and
offers. Uzbek Journal of Linguistics, 12(1), 23–38.
