Gender Variation in Cameroon French Apologies

Abstract

 This study examines the influence of gender on apology realization by Cameroon French speakers. It is based on data provided by 40 University students (20 males and 20 females) in an apology-provoking situation involving friends. The examples were analyzed according to the types of direct and indirect apology strategies as well as types of external modifiers found. The results reveal differences across both groups regarding choices and realizations of direct and indirect apologies as well as types of external modifiers used. The paper is a call for more studies on gender pragmatic variation in Cameroon French.