Blurb:

Chapter Seven is the second half of the present overall analysis of repair work. Following Chapter Six’s focus on apologies, Chapter Seven explores students’ excuse e-mails, particularly in regard to absence excuses. Cross-cultural considerations are noted in the context of absence excuses. Overlap between apologies and absence excuses are identified but several characteristics unique to absence excuses are highlighted in this analysis. Previous research, specifically Hong (2008), is used to categorize students’ e-mail absence accounts as related to personal, professional, and medical reasons. This chapter concludes with specific pedagogical implications and areas of future research related to excuses.