Summary and Critique of 'My grade's too low: The speech act set of complaining'

This essay provides a summary and critique of the article 'My grade's too low: The speech act set of complaining' by Beth Murphy and Joyce Neu. The article explores the differences in the method of addressing complaints between native and non-native English speakers. The authors conducted a quantitative research study using a survey method, with a sample size of 28 students. The results suggest that non-native English speakers tend to address complaints in a more aggressive and inappropriate manner compared to native English speakers. The strengths of the article include its novel approach, demonstration of the cultural aspects of language, and emphasis on the importance of politeness in communication. However, the article has weaknesses such as a small sample size and the exclusion of female students. Overall, the article provides valuable insights into the differences in complaint behavior among English speakers of different origins.

Running head: SUMMARY AND CRITIQUE
SUMMARY AND CRITIQUE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SUMMARY AND CRITIQUE
This particular essay shall be providing a summary and a critique providing the strengths
and weaknesses of the article titled ‘My grade's too low: The speech act set of complaining’ by
Beth Murphy and Joyce Neu.
Summary
The chosen article for analysis titled ‘My grade's too low: The speech act set of
complaining’ by Beth Murphy and Joyce Neu. In the article, the authors have tried to show the
difference in the method of addressing a complaint employed by native and non native English
speakers. On the basis of studying the linguistic nuances employed by the native and the non
native speakers in addressing their complaints in English, the authors have tried to assess and
determine the level of communicative competence (Gass & Neu, 2009).
This particular research article has been a quantitative approach and the inferences which
have been derived, have been done on the basis of following the survey method. The total
strength of the chosen samples for this essay have been twenty eight in number, all of whom
were students. Out of the total strength of the samples, fourteen were English speakers of Korean
origin and the rest fourteen were English speakers of American origin. As the title suggests, the
criteria of judgement have been chosen as the linguistic style used by the American and the
Korean students in addressing their queries and problems to their respective professors as they
had received grades which were much below than what they had expected. The authors have as
hypothesis chosen to demonstrate the appropriateness of the statement that the non native
English speakers might as well commit the mistake of addressing complaints which are not
appropriate, and that is something which native English speakers shall not be committing. The
authors also tend to assume that the inappropriateness of the method and the choice of language

2SUMMARY AND CRITIQUE
used by non native English speakers shall alienate the interlocutor. This was the issue which the
authors were trying to solve through the process of the research (Murphy & Neu, 1996).
The results of the research tend to hint that the complaint addressed by the English
speakers of Korean origin was addressed in a way which made it seem more like a criticism and
less of a complaint. The same was not for the case of the Americans. The results tend to show
that the English speakers of American origin had expressed their misgivings but the approach
taken by them have been different and they did not tend to be audacious by criticizing the
professor directly on his or her face. On the basis of this behavioual specificity of the Americans
and the Koreans the authors have concluded that the difference in the method of addressing the
complaint have been a demonstration of sociolinguistic behavior on part of the Koreans which
was not appropriate (Murphy & Neu, 1996).
It has been observed by the authors on the basis of the research that the behavior
demonstrated by the Americans was that of cooperative as the tonality of the language used by
them showed that they accepted a part of the responsibility of the poor grade. Not only did they
accept the responsibility, but also were ready to negotiate and do the needful in order to rectify
the faults. That behavior was very much evident in the politeness and the approach of de-
personalization which the American students had undertaken. The Korean students had on the
other hand were quite argumentative and they were reluctant to accept the fact that they could be
at fault. The Korean students had tended to put the onus of blame on the professor for their
underperformance. They had tended to impersonalize the issue which was not appropriate in an
educational institution having a bureaucratic set up (Murphy & Neu, 1996).
Thus on the basis of the observations and the inferences gathered the result that was
arrived at by the authors was that the Korean students were more aggressive and their approach

3SUMMARY AND CRITIQUE
in addressing the complaint was inappropriate. This tends to prove the hypothesis that the
authors have chosen that non native English speakers are likely to commit the mistake of making
their complaint seem inappropriate, while native English speakers are not likely to commit this
mistake (Murphy & Neu, 1996).
Critique
With regard to the strengths of the article, it can be said that the attempt to explain the
difference in the delivery of sentiments in second language might be mistaken by native speakers
have been a novel one as opined by Peltokorpi and Vaara (2017). Secondly, the fact that
language is way more than a means of communication has been shown very effectively by the
authors, as argued by Yaman and Özcan (2015). Language is a reflection of the cultural
sentiments and practices have been demonstrated by the authors quite successfully. Thirdly, the
authors have also shown that fluency in second language is possible but the proficiency to
express emotions and sentiments in the language of someone else is something which is difficult
to achieve as opined by Bishop et al., (2017). Fourthly, the authors have shown that even while
addressing a complaint or misgivings, one is supposed to be courteous and be polite instead of
putting the onus of blame on the other party. This particular behaviour as per the author can work
wonders in terms of bringing about a solution which agitation might not fetch. These account for
the strengths of the article which tend to provide a broader idea about language which is used in
common parlance (Bishop et al., 2017).
With regard to the weaknesses of the article as pointed out by Ladegaard and Jenks
(2015), it can be attributed to the small size of the sample primarily. Due to the small size of the
sample and the choosing of only one non native English speaking ethnicity to conduct the study,

4SUMMARY AND CRITIQUE
the factor of generalisability of the inferences can be contested. Another flaw in the article is that
only male students have been chosen and not the female ones which is also reflective of a serious
flaw in the article as males and females tend to react differently. However, on an overall basis
the novelty and the uniqueness of the approach taken by the authors must be given due
credibility (Ladegaard & Jenks, 2015).

5SUMMARY AND CRITIQUE
References
Bishop, D. V., Snowling, M. J., Thompson, P. A., Greenhalgh, T., Catalise‐2 Consortium,
Adams, C., ... & Boyle, C. (2017). Phase 2 of CATALISE: A multinational and
multidisciplinary Delphi consensus study of problems with language development:
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a second language (Vol. 11). Walter de Gruyter.
Ladegaard, H. J., & Jenks, C. J. (2015). Language and intercultural communication in the
workplace: Critical approaches to theory and practice. Language and Intercultural
Communication, 15(1), 1-12.
Murphy, B., & Neu, J. (1996). My grade’s too low: The speech act set of complaining. Speech
acts across cultures: Challenges to communication in a second language, 191-216.
Peltokorpi, V., & Vaara, E. (2017). Language policies and practices in wholly owned foreign
subsidiaries: A recontextualization perspective. In Language in International Business
(pp. 93-138). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Yaman, Ş., & Özcan, M. (2015). Oral communication strategies used by Turkish students
learning English as a foreign language. In Issues in teaching, learning and testing
speaking in a second language (pp. 143-158). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.