POLITENESS POLITENESS

POWER AND SOLIDARITYPOWER AND SOLIDARITY

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POLITENESSPOLITENESS

1. Think about the 1. Think about the ways ways of expressing of expressing

politeness / being linguistically politepoliteness / being linguistically polite in in EnglishEnglish..

2. Suggest 2. Suggest as many ways as you can as many ways as you can for for saying: “saying: “OOpen the door”pen the door”..

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33. . Put the following directives in order according to Put the following directives in order according to how polite how polite they are. they are. No 1 is least politeNo 1 is least polite. . –– a. Could you open the door for me, please?a. Could you open the door for me, please?

–– b. Would you open the door for me, please?b. Would you open the door for me, please?

–– c. Do you mind opening the door for me? c. Do you mind opening the door for me?

–– d. Would you mind opening the door for me, d. Would you mind opening the door for me, please?please?

–– e. The door.e. The door.

–– f. May I ask you to open the door, please?f. May I ask you to open the door, please?

–– g. Will you open the door for me, please?g. Will you open the door for me, please?

–– h. Open the door, will you?h. Open the door, will you?

–– ii. Open the door.. Open the door.33

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44. . Compare the pairs of utterances and Compare the pairs of utterances and decide which is more politedecide which is more polite..

–– 1a: Could you take my bags up?1a: Could you take my bags up?–– 1b: Could you take my bags up, 1b: Could you take my bags up, pleaseplease??

–– 2a: Answer the phone Joe. 2a: Answer the phone Joe. –– 2b: 2b: PleasePlease, answer the phone Joe., answer the phone Joe.

5. Look at the 5. Look at the followingfollowing situations:situations:A. Paul is in his friend’s house with a group of people of his A. Paul is in his friend’s house with a group of people of his

age, and he is saying these things: age, and he is saying these things: ‘Go and get me that plate.’ ‘Shut up.’ ‘Go and get me that plate.’ ‘Shut up.’

B. Paul is in his parents’ house with a group of adults (of B. Paul is in his parents’ house with a group of adults (of parents’ age) and he is saying: parents’ age) and he is saying:

““Could you pass me that plate, if you don’t mind?” Could you pass me that plate, if you don’t mind?”

“I’m sorry I don’t mean to interrupt, but I can’t hear the “I’m sorry I don’t mean to interrupt, but I can’t hear the

speaker in front of the room.” speaker in front of the room.”

Is Is PaulPaul polite in both these situations? What polite in both these situations? What happened if he said ‘Shut up’ in the second? happened if he said ‘Shut up’ in the second?

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POLITENESSPOLITENESS

InIn generalgeneral sensesense: : taking account of taking account of feelings of others, making others feel feelings of others, making others feel comfortable comfortable Linguistically:Linguistically: speaking appropriately to speaking appropriately to the relationship between speaker and the relationship between speaker and hearerhearerLLinguisticinguistic politeness politeness requirerequiress

understanding how understanding how langlanguageuage works works -- in a in a

variety of social contextsvariety of social contexts. . 66

LINGUISTIC POLITENESSLINGUISTIC POLITENESS

NNeedseeds assessing relationship assessing relationship bwbwspeaker and hearer along two speaker and hearer along two social dimensions: social dimensions: social social distance/solidarity, relative distance/solidarity, relative status/powerstatus/power. .

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POWER AND SOLIDARITYPOWER AND SOLIDARITY

POWERPOWER: a relation between two people, it : a relation between two people, it determines the negative rights determines the negative rights they expect they expect of each otherof each other:: A<B (A subordinate), A>B A<B (A subordinate), A>B (A superior), A=B (A equal to B)(A superior), A=B (A equal to B)SOLIDARITYSOLIDARITY: : characteristic of relation characteristic of relation bwbwtwo peopletwo people;; determines the positive rightsdetermines the positive rights, , has two types: has two types: low and highlow and high.. Concerns Concerns social distance social distance bwbw two people in terms of two people in terms of how much experience they sharehow much experience they share

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66. Look at the . Look at the twotwo situationssituations againagain::A. Paul is in his friend’s house with a group of people of his A. Paul is in his friend’s house with a group of people of his

age, and he is saying these things: age, and he is saying these things: ‘‘Go and get me that plate.Go and get me that plate.’’ ‘‘ShShutut up.up.’’

B. Paul is in his parents’ house with a group of adults (of B. Paul is in his parents’ house with a group of adults (of parents’ age) and he is saying: parents’ age) and he is saying:

““Could you pass me that plate, if you don’t mind?” Could you pass me that plate, if you don’t mind?”

“I’m sorry I don’t mean to interrupt, but I can’t hear the “I’m sorry I don’t mean to interrupt, but I can’t hear the

speaker in front of the room.” speaker in front of the room.”

Which dimensionWhich dimension isis Paul’s politeness Paul’s politeness oriented towardsoriented towards inin thethe twotwo situationssituations??

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PPositiveositive and and NNegativeegative PPolitenessoliteness

Positive politenessPositive politeness:: solidarity orientedsolidarity oriented, , emphasises shared attitudes and valuesemphasises shared attitudes and values

Negative politenessNegative politeness: : power, status and power, status and

distance oriented,distance oriented, pays people respect pays people respect and avoids intruding on themand avoids intruding on them ((does not does not equal lack of politeness or rudenessequal lack of politeness or rudeness!!) !!)

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Manifestation of Manifestation of popowerwer and and solidaritysolidarityin linguistic features: in linguistic features: terms of terms of

addressaddress

FNFN JimJim Mari(Mari(kaka))

LNLN WadeWade KovácsKovács

TLNTLN Mr. Mr. WadeWade Kovács Úr /Kovács Úr /--néné Asszony Asszony

00 no no addressaddress termterm

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7. Discuss the following questions: 7. Discuss the following questions:

1.1. What do you call your peers /equals? What do you call your peers /equals? 2.2. What do you call the most senior person where you What do you call the most senior person where you

study? 2a. Is relative status / rank relevant in your study? 2a. Is relative status / rank relevant in your choice of these terms? 2b. Is the formality of the setting choice of these terms? 2b. Is the formality of the setting relevant? relevant? ((graduation ceremony or a meeting of a graduation ceremony or a meeting of a student organisation / unionstudent organisation / union)). .

3.3. What, if any, age difference is considered relevant in What, if any, age difference is considered relevant in determining address usage? determining address usage?

4.4. Do you a call a friend by FN in all contexts even if they Do you a call a friend by FN in all contexts even if they were of higher status than you? were of higher status than you?

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WHAT TERMS OF ADDRESS WHAT TERMS OF ADDRESS SIGNIFYSIGNIFY

FNFN JimJim Mari(Mari(kaka)) pospos. . politenesspoliteness

LNLN WadeWade KovácsKovács lacklack of of polpol. . (??)(??)

TLNTLN Mr. Mr. WadeWade Kovács Úr /Kovács Úr /--néné AsszonyAsszonynegatnegat. . politpolit..

00 no no addressaddress termterm lacklack? ? pospos? ? negneg??

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FACTORS DETERMINFACTORS DETERMININGING CHOICE CHOICE OF LINGUISTIC ITEMS OF LINGUISTIC ITEMS

RRulesules of speech community of speech community govern linguistic govern linguistic politeness, politeness, e.ge.g: : use of address termsuse of address terms..CComplexomplex system, taking account of system, taking account of solidarity and distance, as well as age, solidarity and distance, as well as age, and formality of context.and formality of context.

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In the past: power and status In the past: power and status differences differences determined address terms exclusively, determined address terms exclusively, status was the major consideration. status was the major consideration.

Nowadays, solidarityNowadays, solidarity is gaining ground in is gaining ground in Western societiesWestern societies

In In Asian countries Asian countries ((rigid, status and power rigid, status and power orientatedorientated)), it is , it is still status still status that determines that determines ToAToA

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CONFLICTING SITUATIONSCONFLICTING SITUATIONS

HighHigh status (status (differencedifference) ) withwith highhigh solidaritysolidarity

LowLow status and status and lowlow solidaritysolidarity

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SUMMSUMMARYARY

RELEVANT DIMENSIONS IN ALL RELEVANT DIMENSIONS IN ALL SOCIETIES DETERMINING WAYS OF SOCIETIES DETERMINING WAYS OF LINGUISTIC POLITENESSLINGUISTIC POLITENESS::

SOCIAL STATUSSOCIAL STATUS

SC DISTANCE OR SOLIDARITYSC DISTANCE OR SOLIDARITY

DDEGREE OF FORMALITY OF CONTEXT EGREE OF FORMALITY OF CONTEXT

TYPE OF INTERACTIONTYPE OF INTERACTION

RELATIVE AGE RELATIVE AGE

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OOtherther devices to signal power and devices to signal power and solidaritysolidarity

Ting and Ting and VingVing ((fromfrom FrenchFrench ‘‘tutu’ and ‘’ and ‘vousvous’) ’) –– CComplicatedomplicated rulesrules, , butbut usually the same apply usually the same apply

asas to choosing to choosing bwbw FN and TLN: FN and TLN: tutu to close to close subordinate, subordinate, solidarity orientedsolidarity oriented;; vousvous to to distant superior, distant superior, distance orienteddistance oriented. .

LLexicalexical signals, particularly outside of signals, particularly outside of Europe, Europe, ((Asia, AfricaAsia, Africa)), in Muslim and , in Muslim and Oriental societiesOriental societies

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INTERCULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN INTERCULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN LINGUISTIC POLITENESS LINGUISTIC POLITENESS

You are in New Zealand and invited to a You are in New Zealand and invited to a party, and host tells you: party, and host tells you: Bring a plateBring a plate. Or: . Or: Ladies a plate, gentlemen a crateLadies a plate, gentlemen a crate. . What will you do?What will you do?

You are invited to a meal in IndiaYou are invited to a meal in India / Taiwan, / Taiwan, or an Arabic country. or an Arabic country. When do you accept food? When do you accept food?

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Greeting formulasGreeting formulas

‘‘HowHow areare youyou?’ ?’ (GB) (GB) ‘‘WhereWhere areare youyou goinggoing?’ ?’ ((AsiaAsia))

WhatWhat dodo youyou answeranswer??

GREETING FORMULAS: sGREETING FORMULAS: serveerve an affective an affective functionfunction ofof establishestablishinging nonnon--threatening threatening contact and rapport. Content: clearly culture contact and rapport. Content: clearly culture specific. specific.

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ConversationConversation onon an intercity an intercity busbus

Passenger: Passenger: Turn the light on.Turn the light on.

Driver: Driver: What?What?

Passenger: Passenger: Turn the light on, pleaseTurn the light on, please..Driver: Driver: It disturbs meIt disturbs me. . Passenger: Passenger: I wanted to read. I wanted to read.

WouldWould ththeyey sound polite in Hungary / UK? sound polite in Hungary / UK?

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CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS

Expressing the same speech act /speech Expressing the same speech act /speech function may differ markedly from culture function may differ markedly from culture to cultureto culture.. TheyThey may seem random, but may seem random, but are not. are not. They reflect social values and attitudes of They reflect social values and attitudes of societies.societies.Being polite involves knowing expression Being polite involves knowing expression of a range of speech functions in a of a range of speech functions in a culturally appropriate wayculturally appropriate way..

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CONCLUSIONS (CONCLUSIONS (contcont.).)

Learning another language means / involves Learning another language means / involves more than just learning literal meaning of words, more than just learning literal meaning of words, how to put them together, etc. how to put them together, etc. LearnersLearners aalsolso need to know what they mean in need to know what they mean in the cultural context, so the cultural context, so theythey need to understand need to understand cultural and social norms of their users. cultural and social norms of their users. This makes sociolinguistic competence, This makes sociolinguistic competence, important component of communicative important component of communicative competence.competence.

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