مجلة الآداب و العلوم الإجتماعية
Volume 23, Numéro 1, Pages 189-205
2026-06-10

The Competence-performance Gap In Academic Email Requests: Evidence From Algerian Doctoral Students



Authors : Naceur Amina . Choubane Samra .

Abstract

This study investigates the pragmatic competence of second-year doctoral students at Mohamed Lamine Debaghine University - Sétif 2, Algeria, focusing on the realization of request strategies in academic emails. Using the Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Project (CCSARP) framework, the research compares 43 authentic emails sent to faculty with 30 responses from a Written Discourse Completion Task (WDCT). Quantitative analysis revealed an overwhelming reliance on direct request strategies, which accounted for 95.3% of the 43 authentic requests and 86.7% of the 30 WDCT requests. A significant “directness paradox” emerged: students exhibited higher levels of directness in authentic communication than in controlled tasks. Furthermore, WDCT responses contained significantly more internal and external modification devices than real emails. These findings suggest a noticeable competence–performance gap, where advanced EFL learners possess declarative knowledge of pragmatic norms but struggle to apply them under the cognitive and contextual pressures of real-time communication. The results challenge the validity of relying only on elicited data and underscore the need for pedagogical interventions that prioritize the automatization of pragmatic routines. This research offers critical insights for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instruction, advocating high-volume, time-pressured practice to bridge the disconnect between learners’ pragmatic awareness and their procedural ability in high-stakes academic environments.

Keywords

Academic Email ; CCSARP ; Doctoral students ; Pragmatic Competence ; Request Strategies

Les articles similaires

دور إباضية المغرب الأوسط في تنشيط التجارة الصحراوية خلال العصر الوسيط Thé Rôle Of Ibadis Of Thé Central Maghreb Un Stimulating Thé Désert Trade During Thé Middle Age

بوسالم أحلام .  عابد يوسف . 
ص 117-132.

Muhammad A.r .webb: Thé First Anglo White Concert To Islam Un Thé U.s.a Ans Thé Influence Of Thé Ah Adyya Movemment

Yahia Zeghoudi . 
pages 74-88.

Investigating Students’ Politeness Strategies In Email Requests: Master Two Students Of English At Ziane Achour University Djelfa

Boukhechba Hicham . 
pages 15-24.

Thé Cultural And Linguistic Impact Of Gothic Literature On The Identity Of Algerian Teenagers: A Metamorphosis.

Said Houari Amel . 
pages 257-268.

Adopting Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (calla) To Develop Algerian Doctoral Students’ Academic Writing Achievement

Idri Nadia .  Aliouchouche Fadhila .  Mehdi Rachid . 
pages 298-318.

Formats de citation