TAY NGUYEN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF THE FUNCTIONAND ROLE OF RHETORICAL QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH COMMUNICATION

Abstract

 This paper illustrates the level of awareness of English Language students at the Tay Nguyen University about the expressive function and communicative role of rhetorical questions in English. The research aims to assess students’ cognition through four components: (1) conceptual understanding, (2) emotional expression function, (3) role in attracting listeners, and (4) practical application. The research method was carried out according to a quantitative design, using a survey questionnaire with a 5-level Likert scale to collect data from 87 third-year students. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistical indicators (mean and standard deviation) and intrinsic reliability testing via the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient (acceptance threshold ≥ 0.70). The results show that, although students have a relatively complete understanding of the concept and expressive role of rhetorical questions, they still have many difficulties in flexibly applying these pragmatic strategies to practical communication. From there, the article proposes to more clearly integrate pragmatic-related content in the English training program to narrow the gap between theory and practice, contributing to improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning communication.