Expressions of Compassion in L1 and L2: A Study of Persian EFL Learners

Abstract

The present study seeks to explore Persian EFL learners’ expressions of compassion in four situations with different levels of emotional gravity and social distance between the interlocutors in their L1 (Persian) and L2 (English). The subjects’ expressions of compassion collected through an open discourse completion task were parsed into strategies in both their L1 and L2. Drawing on comments provided by three native English speakers, the study revealed that the upper-intermediate EFL learners generally fail to express compassion properly in their L2 as a result of a negative transfer and lack of exposure to the required linguistic materials. Finally, it is suggested that EFL curriculum should undergo a revision to better develop learners’ intercultural competence when expressing compassion.