The Impact of Gender Differences in the Degree of Familiarity on Apology Strategy

The purpose of this study is to see whether gender and degree of familiarity simultaneously play roles in the apology strategies employed by Chinese native speakers and to put implications on English pragmatic education of Chinese people about how to adjust English apology strategy in English context. There are 95 people participating in this study including 39 males and 56 females. The significant differences of gender only show in one situation and one apology strategy. However, the degree of familiarity can pose a profound influence on the choice of apology strategy.