Resumen

GUTIERREZ-RIVAS, Carolina. Dual Speech Acts: A Reflection on the Pragmatics of Spanish regarding Current Theories and Methods of Analysis. Núcleo [online]. 2008, vol.20, n.25, pp.149-172. ISSN 0798-9784.

Numerous analysis about the English language related to the speech act of requests prove that in situations where the speaker has less power than the hearer, or the social distance is greater between the interlocutors, speakers tend to save face with negative or indirect politeness strategies (cf. Brown and Levinson, 1978). This study analyzed the speech act of request in first generation Cuban speakers, residents of Miami, Florida, with the purpose to determine 1) Cuban speakers´ politeness strategies when performing a request, and 2) if the current theories and methods of analysis apply to the Spanish language. The data revealed that these speakers integrate negative head acts with positive politeness strategies, and vice versa. A main conclusion of the study is that such methods need to be applied in a comprehensive manner if speech acts in Spanish are to be interpreted correctly.

Palabras clave : politeness; speech acts; pragmatics; Spanish; Cubans.