Grice's Maxims in Moroccan EFL: A Cultural Approach through Optimality Theory

Abstract

The primary objective of the present study is to examine the structure of Grice's Maxims within the particular cultural setting of Morocco. The aim of this investigation is to scrutinize the impact of societal expectations and linguistic strategies on the production of conversational implicatures in the Moroccan cultural context. The present investigation employs Optimality Theory as a theoretical framework to examine a range of factors, such as power dynamics, social distance, politeness, sarcasm, and specific linguistic characteristics within the social and cultural context of Moroccan Arabic. This study argues that an understanding of the appropriate use of conversational implicatures enhances the cross-cultural competence of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Moroccan Learners. The findings reveal the complexity of various constraints that shape the process of Moroccan conversational decision-making, unveiling noteworthy differences in comparison to the norms common to Western culture. The employment of the participant observation technique enabled a thorough investigation that was authentic and culturally sensitive, thereby enriching the understanding of conversational implicatures in a diverse global setting.