Gender pragmatic variation in the realization of complaints by Cameroonian french speakers

Abstract: The present study examines gender-based differences in the realization of complaints in Cameroon French. The data used were collected by means of a Free Discourse Completion Task questionnaire which was completed by students at the University of Maroua in Cameroon. The analysis focuses on complaints in a situation involving friends, and it seeks to highlight traces of gender pragmatic variation regarding the types of complaints realized and the types of external modifications performed by the respondents. Overall, the results suggest that gender does impact the choices of the participants. For instance, differences occur on the level of complaint realization types and use of external modifiers (especially preparatory acts). The study calls for more in-depth investigations into gender pragmatic variation in Cameroon French. Keywords: complaints, gender differences, Cameroon French, variational and postcolonial pragmatics