Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika –
Зарубежная лингвистика и
лингводидактика – Foreign
Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Journal home page:
https://inscience.uz/index.php/foreign-linguistics
Linguopragmatic features of speech acts of gratitude in the
Spanish text of communication
Shakhlo MUKHAMEDOVA
1
Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Article history:
Received September 2024
Received in revised form
10 October 2024
Accepted 25 October 2024
Available online
25 November 2024
This article examines the linguopragmatic features of speech
acts of gratitude in Spanish communication. Focusing on both
linguistic and pragmatic dimensions, it investigates how cultural
and contextual factors shape the expression of gratitude. The
study emphasizes the importance of syntactic structures, lexical
choices, and communicative strategies in effectively conveying
gratitude. Drawing on authentic examples from various
communicative contexts, the research identifies recurrent
patterns of gratitude expression that reflect the norms and
values of Spanish-speaking communities. The findings
underscore the relationship between language, culture, and
pragmatics, offering insights into effective cross-cultural
communication and the nuanced ways in which gratitude is
linguistically encoded in Spanish.
2181-3701/© 2024 in Science LLC.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47689/2181-3701-vol2-iss5
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:
speech acts of gratitude,
linguopragmatics,
Spanish communication,
cross-cultural
communication,
pragmatics,
cultural linguistics,
Spanish-speaking
communities,
gratitude expression.
Ispancha muloqa matnida minnatdorchilik nutqining
lingvistik va pragmatik xususiyatlari
ANNOTATSIYA
Kalit so‘zlar:
minnatdorchilik nutqlari,
lingvopragmatika,
ispan aloqasi,
madaniyatlararo aloqa,
pragmatika,
lingvokulturologiya,
ispan jamoalari,
minnatdorchilik bildirish.
Ushbu maqola ispan aloqasidagi minnatdorchilik nutqining
lingvistik va pragmatik xususiyatlarini o‘rganadi. Unda
minnatdorchilik ifodasini shakllantiradigan lingvistik va
pragmatik jihatlar ko‘rib chiqiladi, undan foydalanishga ta’sir
qiluvchi madaniy va kontekstual omillarga e’tibor qaratiladi.
Tadqiqot minnatdorchilikni samarali ifoda etishda sintaktik
tuzilmalar, leksik tanlovlar va aloqa strategiyalarining rolini
ta’kidlaydi. Turli kommunikativ kontekstlardan haqiqiy
misollarni o‘rganish orqali tadqiqotchilar ispan tilida
1
Teacher, Department of Spanish and Italian Languages. Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages.
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue – 5 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
399
so‘zlashuvchi jamoalarning me’yorlari va qadriyatlarini aks
ettiruvchi minnatdorchilik ifoda modellarini aniqlaydilar.
Olingan natijalar til, madaniyat va pragmatikaning o‘zaro ta’sirini
tushunishga yordam beradi, samarali madaniyatlararo aloqa va
ispan tilida minnatdorchilikni lingvistik kodlashning nyuanslari
haqida tushuncha beradi.
Лингвопрагматические особенности речевых актов
благодарности в испанском тексте общения
АННОТАЦИЯ
Ключевые слова:
речевые акты
благодарности,
лингвопрагматика,
испанская коммуникация,
межкультурная
коммуникация,
прагматика,
лингвокультурология,
испаноязычные
сообщества,
выражение
благодарности.
В данной статье анализируются лингвопрагматические
особенности выражения благодарности в испанской
коммуникации. Рассматриваются лингвистические и
прагматические аспекты, определяющие формирование
этого речевого акта, с особым вниманием к культурным и
контекстуальным
факторам,
влияющим
на
его
использование. Исследование акцентирует внимание на
роли синтаксических конструкций, лексического выбора и
коммуникативных стратегий в успешной передаче
благодарности. На основе анализа аутентичных примеров
из различных коммуникативных ситуаций авторы
выделяют типичные модели выражения благодарности,
отражающие нормы и ценности испаноязычных сообществ.
Результаты
исследования
проливают
свет
на
взаимодействие
языка,
культуры
и
прагматики,
способствуют более глубокому пониманию межкультурной
коммуникации и раскрывают тонкости языкового
выражения благодарности в испанском языке.
INTRODUCTION
Language serves as a primary tool for expressing emotions, intentions, and
interpersonal relationships. Among its myriad functions, the act of expressing gratitude
holds a significant place in fostering social harmony and maintaining positive interactions.
In Spanish communication, speech acts of gratitude represent a culturally rich and
linguistically diverse area, reflecting societal norms, values, and interpersonal dynamics.
This study aims to explore the linguopragmatic features of gratitude in Spanish, focusing
on how it is structured, interpreted, and employed in various communicative contexts.
Numerous scholars have contributed to understanding the pragmatics of gratitude
across languages. Searle (1969) emphasized the role of speech acts in human
communication, categorizing gratitude as an expressive speech act that reveals the
speaker’s psychological state. More specifically, Trosborg (1995) analyzed gratitude
within a cross-cultural framework, highlighting its variations across languages and
cultures. In the Spanish context, Hickey (2005) explored politeness strategies and the
expression of gratitude, noting the intricate interplay between linguistic forms and
sociocultural norms. Similarly, Márquez-Reiter and Placencia (2004) examined speech
acts in Spanish-speaking communities, shedding light on the pragmatic underpinnings of
gratitude expressions.
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue – 5 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
400
Building upon this foundation, the present research investigates the unique features
of gratitude expressions in Spanish texts of communication. It aims to analyze the
syntactic, lexical, and pragmatic strategies employed to convey gratitude, while also
considering the influence of context, register, and cultural expectations. This study seeks
to contribute to the broader field of linguopragmatics by offering insights into the Spanish
language’s specific patterns and conventions in expressing gratitude.
By examining authentic examples from various communicative scenarios, this
article will provide a comprehensive analysis of the linguistic and pragmatic dimensions
of gratitude in Spanish. The findings will be valuable for linguists, language educators, and
cross-cultural communicators, enhancing their understanding of this fundamental speech
act within the Spanish-speaking world.
METHODS
This study employs a qualitative and descriptive approach to analyze the
linguopragmatic features of speech acts of gratitude in Spanish texts of communication.
The data were collected from various authentic sources, including spoken interactions
such as conversations from television programs, interviews, and everyday dialogues, as
well as written texts like social media posts, personal letters, emails, and excerpts from
literary works. Additionally, multimodal communication was analyzed through dialogues
from Spanish films and television series, allowing for an exploration of both verbal and
non-verbal elements of gratitude expression.
The analytical framework for this study integrates syntactic, lexical, and pragmatic
analyses. The syntactic analysis focuses on identifying the sentence structures used in
expressing gratitude, such as declarative, exclamative, and interrogative forms. Lexical
analysis examines the vocabulary specific to gratitude expressions, including key phrases
like
gracias, muchas gracias,
and
te agradezco,
as well as modifiers and intensifiers like
infinitamente
and
enormemente.
Pragmatic analysis investigates the illocutionary force of
gratitude expressions, the politeness strategies employed, and the contextual factors
influencing their use, such as social distance, power relations, and situational
appropriateness.
The study also considers the sociocultural norms and values of Spanish-speaking
communities, which play a crucial role in shaping the pragmatic realization of gratitude.
These cultural influences, including interpersonal warmth and collectivist tendencies,
provide a deeper understanding of how gratitude is expressed in different contexts. To
enrich the analysis, a comparative dimension is included by drawing parallels between
gratitude expressions in Spanish and those in other languages, highlighting unique and
shared linguopragmatic features.
To ensure the reliability and validity of the findings, the collected data were
reviewed by independent linguists with expertise in pragmatics and Spanish linguistics.
Native Spanish speakers were also consulted to verify the authenticity and naturalness of
the examples. Ethical considerations were observed throughout the study, ensuring the
anonymity and confidentiality of all data sources. This methodology enables a
comprehensive exploration of the linguistic and pragmatic dimensions of gratitude in
Spanish communication.
RESULTS
The analysis revealed that speech acts of gratitude in Spanish exhibit unique
linguopragmatic features shaped by syntactic structures, lexical choices, pragmatic
strategies, and cultural norms. Gratitude is commonly expressed through declarative
sentences, such as
Gracias por tu ayuda
(Thank you for your help) or
Te agradezco
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue – 5 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
401
muchísimo todo lo que has hecho
(I deeply appreciate everything you’ve done). These forms
provide direct acknowledgment of appreciation. Intensification is a frequent
characteristic, achieved through exclamative structures like
¡Mil gracias por venir!
(A thousand thanks for coming!) or
¡Infinitas gracias por tu apoyo!
(Infinite thanks for your
support), which amplify the emotional weight of the gratitude. Interrogative sentences,
though less common, are sometimes used rhetorically to emphasize the speaker's sense of
indebtedness, such as
¿Cómo puedo agradecerte lo suficiente?
(How can I thank you
enough?).
Lexically, the most frequent gratitude marker is
gracias
, often accompanied by
modifiers and intensifiers like
muchas gracias, mil gracias,
or
infinitas gracias
. Emotional
depth is often conveyed through expressions such as
Te doy las gracias de corazón
(I thank you from the bottom of my heart) or metaphorical phrases like
Te debo la vida
(I owe you my life) and
No tengo palabras para agradecerte
(I have no words to thank you).
The use of diminutives like
graciasitas
(little thanks) adds an affectionate tone, particularly
in informal contexts.
Pragmatically, Spanish gratitude functions as a politeness strategy to maintain social
harmony and reflect cultural norms of collectivism. In formal contexts, expressions of
gratitude are more elaborate and respectful, such as
Le estoy profundamente agradecido
por su tiempo
(I am deeply grateful for your time). Social hierarchies influence the
formality of gratitude expressions, with more formal and deferential tones used when
addressing superiors or elders. Informal contexts, by contrast, allow for simpler and more
relaxed expressions. Cultural values of interconnectedness are evident in extending
gratitude to broader social groups, as in
Gracias a ti y a tu familia por todo su apoyo
(Thanks
to you and your family for all your support). The inclusion of reciprocal offers, such as
Estoy
en
deuda
contigo.
Cualquier
cosa
que
necesites,
cuenta
conmigo
(I’m indebted to you. Whatever you need, count on me), underscores the relational and
cooperative nature of gratitude in Spanish-speaking cultures.
Compared to English, gratitude expressions in Spanish tend to be more elaborate,
emotionally rich, and context-sensitive, reflecting the collectivist and relational priorities
of Spanish-speaking communities. These findings highlight the intricate relationship
between linguistic forms, pragmatic strategies, and cultural norms in shaping how
gratitude is expressed and understood in Spanish communication.
DISCUSSION
The findings of this study demonstrate the distinct linguopragmatic characteristics
of speech acts of gratitude in Spanish communication, highlighting the interplay between
language, culture, and context. Gratitude expressions in Spanish are rich in emotional
intensity and linguistic variation, reflecting the cultural emphasis on interpersonal
relationships and the values of collectivism prevalent in Spanish-speaking societies.
The preference for declarative structures in expressing gratitude, such as
Gracias
por tu ayuda
or
Te agradezco mucho
, aligns with Searle’s (1969) classification of gratitude
as an expressive speech act designed to convey the speaker’s emotional state. The frequent
use of exclamative sentences (
¡Mil gracias!
) and rhetorical questions (
¿Cómo puedo
agradecerte lo suficiente?
) further illustrates how Spanish speakers amplify the emotional
force of gratitude, reinforcing its sincerity and depth. These syntactic choices underscore
the importance of gratitude as a means of fostering social bonds.
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue – 5 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
402
Lexically, the dominance of expressions such as
gracias, muchas gracias,
and
mil
gracias
indicates a strong reliance on conventional markers, while modifiers like
de
corazón
and metaphorical expressions like
Te debo la vida
enhance the emotional weight
and personal significance of gratitude. This aligns with Hickey’s (2005) findings on
politeness strategies in Spanish, where language often serves to affirm relational warmth
and solidarity.
Pragmatic strategies observed in the data reflect a deep cultural embedding of
gratitude. The use of diminutives (
graciasitas
) and reciprocal offers (
Cualquier cosa que
necesites, cuenta conmigo
) points to the relational and cooperative nature of Spanish-
speaking cultures, as noted by Márquez-Reiter and Placencia (2004). Furthermore, the
distinction between formal and informal gratitude expressions highlights the sensitivity of
Spanish speakers to social hierarchies and contextual appropriateness. Formal
expressions like
Le estoy profundamente agradecido
reveal a heightened awareness of
respect and decorum in professional or hierarchical interactions, whereas casual gratitude
among peers tends to be concise and spontaneous.
Cultural values play a significant role in shaping gratitude expressions.
The collectivist ethos of Spanish-speaking societies is evident in the tendency to extend
gratitude beyond the immediate recipient, acknowledging collective contributions and
shared efforts. This is consistent with cross-cultural studies (e.g., Trosborg, 1995), which
suggest that collectivist cultures often exhibit more elaborate and inclusive gratitude
expressions than individualist ones.
In comparison with English, the findings reveal that Spanish gratitude expressions
are generally more elaborate and emotionally charged, reflecting a stronger cultural
emphasis on relational dynamics. While English speakers may often use concise phrases
like "Thanks" or "I appreciate it," Spanish speakers tend to employ intensifiers, metaphors,
and elaborations that add emotional depth and sociocultural nuance to their expressions
of gratitude.
These results contribute to the broader understanding of the pragmatics of
gratitude, offering insights into the linguistic and cultural dimensions that shape its
expression in Spanish-speaking communities. The study’s findings have practical
implications for language educators and intercultural communicators, emphasizing the
need to understand not only the linguistic structures of gratitude but also the cultural
values and social contexts that underpin them. Future research could expand on these
findings by exploring gratitude expressions across different Spanish-speaking regions or
by examining how bilingual speakers navigate gratitude in multilingual settings.
CONCLUSION
This study has explored the linguopragmatic features of speech acts of gratitude in
Spanish communication, highlighting the intricate relationship between linguistic forms,
pragmatic strategies, and cultural values. The findings demonstrate that Spanish speakers
employ a diverse range of syntactic structures, lexical choices, and pragmatic strategies to
express gratitude, with significant variations influenced by context, social relationships,
and cultural norms.
The frequent use of declarative and exclamative structures, along with intensifiers
and metaphorical expressions, underscores the emotional depth and sincerity embedded
in Spanish gratitude expressions. Pragmatically, gratitude serves as a key politeness
strategy that reflects the collectivist ethos and relational priorities of Spanish-speaking
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue – 5 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
403
societies. Formal and informal gratitude expressions reveal a strong sensitivity to social
hierarchies and situational appropriateness, further emphasizing the cultural specificity of
this speech act.
Compared to gratitude expressions in other languages, such as English, Spanish
gratitude tends to be more elaborate and emotionally rich, reflecting a cultural emphasis
on interpersonal warmth and solidarity. These findings contribute to a deeper
understanding of the pragmatic and cultural dimensions of gratitude in Spanish and
provide valuable insights for linguists, language educators, and cross-cultural
communicators.
Future research could build on these insights by examining regional variations in
Spanish gratitude expressions or exploring how multilingual speakers adapt their
gratitude strategies in different linguistic and cultural contexts. Understanding these
nuances not only enriches the study of linguistics and pragmatics but also enhances cross-
cultural communication and fosters mutual understanding in a globalized world.
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