Before practicing
refusing an offer, you are asked to observe the language of making
and accepting an offer. This is
because knowing a common structure for making an offer will probably
help you to become strategic in the act of refusing one. In this
dialogue, the first speaker is the host, who is entertaining the
second speaker, the guest, and currently offering him/her some
more food.
While in some cultures the guest may not be so shy about
getting more food, some Japanese speakers may prefer to appear reserved
at first before finally accepting more food, especially on formal
occasions or in distant relationships. Since accepting an offer works
in favor of the guest in Japanese culture, it is a modest (and nice)
gesture to gradually reveal one’s true intentions in negotiation
with the host. However, this “ritual refusal” routine makes it
difficult to make an actual refusal when you really don’t want any
more.
This exercise will focus on refusing offers politely and graciously.
In each of the situations below, write down as many expressions
of refusal
as you can
think of. Listen to some samples when you are done.
Situation 1
You have been living with your host family in Japan for only a few days. At
dinner, when you are about to finish your plate, your host mom offers you
a second helping.
Write what you would say to her in this situation.
Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) • 140 University International Center •
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Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA)
