Request Forms in the English and Maithili Languages

Abstract

This thesis entitled Request Forms in the English and Maithili Languages is an attempt to list out and compare request forms used by Non-native English speakers and native Maithili speakers. The researcher utilized both primary and secondary sources of data. The sample population of the study consists of 30 speakers in each of the languages in question. The researcher took sample population from Janakpur (in Dhanusha District). The major findings of the study are: In total over sixty nine percent of English and over nineteen percent of Maithili speakers used direct requests. So, Non-native English people were found more polite than Maithili. Non-native English people were found more polite among all the relationships compared to Maithili people. English people were found excessively polite compared to Maithili people on the basis of four forms of requests. NNELSs used short, direct and explicit requests mostly whereas Maithili used lengthy, indirect and sometimes ambiguous requests. Pragmatic intricases mostly involved in the Maithilese responses to express requests. The study has been presented in four chapters: the first chapter consists of general background, review of literature, objectives of the study, definition of terms and significance of the study. The second chapter describes the methodology applied to carry out this research. It consists of primary sources of data, secondary sources of data, tools used for collection and limitations of the study. The third chapter consists of analysis and interpretation of data in terms of the relationship, forms of requests and sex-wise comparision among the information. The fourth chapter presents the findings derived from the analysis and interpretation of data. It also consists of recommendation to the teachers, students and interpretation of data. It also consists of recommendations to the teachers, students and learners of English and Maithili as second languages. In the final section of the study, the references and appendices are included.