International Journal of Language and Linguistics

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The Use of Indirect Strategies Among University Students in Ghana: A Case Study of University of Cape Coast

Received: 06 March 2015    Accepted: 19 March 2015    Published: 30 March 2015
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Abstract

This study aimed at finding out why and how students employ the use of sarcasm. The students of University of Cape Coast served as a case study. It also discussed how the social variables - gender and age influence the employment of sarcasm. The sampled size was eighty undergraduate students representing forty males and forty females with ten males and ten females in level hundred, two hundred, three hundred and four hundred respectively. The study used questionnaires. The study revealed that the aim of using sarcastic comments is to correct and tease. The study also revealed that gender has an influence on the issuing of such indirect strategies. In terms of age, it was revealed that students barely pass sarcastic comments towards people older than them. This shows their respect for the elderly as the culture demands in Ghana.

DOI 10.11648/j.ijll.20150302.17
Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 3, Issue 2, March 2015)
Page(s) 90-101
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Indirect Strategies, Sarcasm, Face, Discourse

References
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[14] McDonald, R. (1999) Exploring the Process of Inference Generation in Sarcasm: A Review of Normal and Clinical Studies
[15] Mounts, J. (2012). A History of Sarcasm: Effects of Balanced Use of Sarcasm in a Relationship. Undergraduate Research and Creative Practice. Retrieved from http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1161&context=honorsprojects Saturday, ‎February ‎01, ‎2014, ‏‎8:10:01 PM
[16] Mutunda, S. (2006). A Sociolinguistics Study of Politeness Strategies in the Lunda Culture. Journal of Language, Society and Culture.17-2006
[17] Noble, C. (1977) “Weak Speak”: An Investigation of Sarcastic Slang. The Nottingham Linguistic Circular.
[18] Obeng, G. S. (1994) Verbal Indirection in Akan Informal Discourse. Journal of Pragmatics
[19] Schottman, W. (1993) Proverbial dog names of the Baatombu: A strategic alternative to silence. Language in society, - Cambridge Univ Press 22: 539-554
[20] Searle, J. L. (1969). Speech Acts. Cambridge: Cambrigde University Press.
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[22] Searle, J. (1975) Indirect Speech Acts “In Syntax and Semantics. New York Academics Press
[23] Strom M. A. (2010). Cancer May Cause Sarcasm: The Use of Sarcasm During Oncology Interviews. Retrieved from http://sdsudspace.calstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10211.10/610/Strom_Alyssa.pdf?sequence=Tuesday, ‎March ‎11, ‎2014, ‏‎7:22:34 PM.
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[25] Tannen, D. (1992). That’s Not What I Meant. Great Britain Clays Ltd, St plc.
[26] Tepperman, J Traum,D and Narayanan, S. (2006). “Yeah Right”: Sarcasm Recognition For Spoken Dialogue Systems.Interspeech 2006 – ICSLP. Retrieved from http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~julia/papers/teppermanetal06.pdf Tuesday, ‎March ‎11, ‎2014, ‏‎7:08:50 PM
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Author Information
  • Dept of Ghanaian Languages & Linguistics, College of Humanities & Legal Studies, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast

  • Dept of Ghanaian Languages & Linguistics, College of Humanities & Legal Studies, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast

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    Lawrencia Nyamekye Adjei, Lawrence Bosiwah. (2015). The Use of Indirect Strategies Among University Students in Ghana: A Case Study of University of Cape Coast. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 3(2), 90-101. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20150302.17

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    Lawrencia Nyamekye Adjei; Lawrence Bosiwah. The Use of Indirect Strategies Among University Students in Ghana: A Case Study of University of Cape Coast. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2015, 3(2), 90-101. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20150302.17

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    AMA Style

    Lawrencia Nyamekye Adjei, Lawrence Bosiwah. The Use of Indirect Strategies Among University Students in Ghana: A Case Study of University of Cape Coast. Int J Lang Linguist. 2015;3(2):90-101. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20150302.17

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijll.20150302.17,
      author = {Lawrencia Nyamekye Adjei and Lawrence Bosiwah},
      title = {The Use of Indirect Strategies Among University Students in Ghana: A Case Study of University of Cape Coast},
      journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
      volume = {3},
      number = {2},
      pages = {90-101},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20150302.17},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20150302.17},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20150302.17},
      abstract = {This study aimed at finding out why and how students employ the use of sarcasm. The students of University of Cape Coast served as a case study. It also discussed how the social variables - gender and age influence the employment of sarcasm. The sampled size was eighty undergraduate students representing forty males and forty females with ten males and ten females in level hundred, two hundred, three hundred and four hundred respectively. The study used questionnaires. The study revealed that the aim of using sarcastic comments is to correct and tease. The study also revealed that gender has an influence on the issuing of such indirect strategies. In terms of age, it was revealed that students barely pass sarcastic comments towards people older than them. This shows their respect for the elderly as the culture demands in Ghana.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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    AB  - This study aimed at finding out why and how students employ the use of sarcasm. The students of University of Cape Coast served as a case study. It also discussed how the social variables - gender and age influence the employment of sarcasm. The sampled size was eighty undergraduate students representing forty males and forty females with ten males and ten females in level hundred, two hundred, three hundred and four hundred respectively. The study used questionnaires. The study revealed that the aim of using sarcastic comments is to correct and tease. The study also revealed that gender has an influence on the issuing of such indirect strategies. In terms of age, it was revealed that students barely pass sarcastic comments towards people older than them. This shows their respect for the elderly as the culture demands in Ghana.
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