A study exploring native English-speakers' and advanced Chinese English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners' beliefs about how a face-threatening speech act, refusal, should be expressed is reported. The two major research questions of the study were: how native speakers of English and Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) differ in their estimations of what is pragmatically appropriate for refusal; and what patterns, characteristics, attitudes, or beliefs are embedded in the differences. Three types of data were gathered: naturally-occurring refusals in daily conversation; data from a discourse completion task; and information from a metapragmatic judgment task. Subjects for the latter two data types were 26 graduate students, native English speakers of English and non-native speakers of varying linguistic backgrounds. Results suggest that, asserting individuality and stressing the linguistic function of the speech act, the native speakers considered truthfulness, directness, clarity, and effectiveness as the most important, whereas valuing social interaction and solidarity, the ESL learners were more concerned about being direct, preserving face, and avoiding embarrassment. Differences are attributed to the high or low pragmatic context of the speech community, positive or negative face addressed, and the level at which communication occurred. Implications for ESL learning are noted. Contains 81 references. (MSE)