Exploring Apology Strategies in Intercultural Communication: Focusing on Pashto-Speaking Undergraduate Students

Abstract

This study delves into Pashto-speaking EFL undergraduate students’ the use of apologies among students, utilizing a 10-item questionnaire inspired by Sugimoto's (1997) framework. Intriguingly, both male and female participants employed a shared repertoire of primary apology strategies, including statement of remorse, accounts, compensation, promise not to repeat offense, and reparation. Furthermore, the findings revealed a tendency of using non-apology strategies such as blaming victim and brushing off the incident as unimportant to exonerate themselves from blame. Given the effect of gender, both the genders of the study differed in the order of the primary strategies that they employed. Additionally, the use of non-apology strategies revealed distinct gender patterns; female respondents opted for non-apology strategies that veered towards avoiding the discussion of offense while male respondents used those which veered towards blaming the victim. This research underscores the intricate tapestry of apologies woven by language, culture, and gender, and emphasizes the need for further exploration of these dynamics in EFL pedagogy to foster cross-cultural understanding and effective communication.