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What do polite people do with words? The Rose and Its Name http://simona- petrescu.name

Be polite? OK, but how?

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Presents politeness as a communication strategy, not just as using certain words. Politeness is in this view (Brown and Levinson, 1987) a strategy of keeping, and saving, the face or the needs of the actors involved in the communication. We will be polite in a different way, namely by using different strategies, depending on how close we are with our interlocutor, whether we want to get something from them or, on the contrary, we want to do something for them. Whatever the case, this theory of politeness clearly relies on the idea that communicating means doing things with words so as to get things done the way we want.

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  • 1. The Rose and Its Name http://simona-petrescu.name
  • 2. Saying hello, goodbye, thank you etc? Mary, or Ms. Smith? Not telling the truth when it hurts? Doing things, e.g. helping with a bag, holding the door open etc?
  • 3. Politeness: Some Universals in Using Language, by Penelope Brown, Steven what we say is Levinson, 1987 Language is action / what we do to people and ourselves Speakers use language with a purpose Rationality Face
  • 4. Mutual vulnerability of face We all have needs Positive face needs: solidarity Negative face needs: freedom, territory Some verbal acts are intrinsically facethreatening
  • 5. Negative: Positive: approach By showing solidarity avoid By reassuring your wants are my wants I will not trespass your territory Compliments, invitati ons, offers, greetings, praise Indirect questions or requests, I was hoping, I was wondering etc
  • 6. Direct Positive Negati ve Allusive Dont say it Help me with the bag! Sorry to put you out, but please help me with the bag! I was wondering if you could help me with the bag! This bag is killing me! .
  • 7. Questions Offers of help; advertising Compliments Dont hesitate to contact us
  • 8. Office worker inviting customer to sit down: Im afraid itll take rather long. I was wondering if youd like to sit down. Do sit down, please!
  • 9. Man to woman, first encounter, party, compliment: You do have the most ravishing blue eyes! Could I tell you that your eyes are quite nice? Did I see your picture in a magazine, by any chance?
  • 10. Conference organizer to potential guest who announces he cant participate: Its all right, dont worry, well find a replacement. Were terribly sorry you cannot keep your promise. Were so sorry you wont be able to attend.
  • 11. Old friend, request: Look, Id really need your CD player for Saturday. Is it all right if I borrow it? Theres something I have to tell you. I know it might not be the right moment, maybe youll be mad at me, but you see, Ive got this party on Saturday and my CD players broken down. I was hoping maybe only if you can do without it would it be possible to lend me your own CD player, at least for 2 hours?
  • 12. some people prefer to take the blame on themselves rather than complain; some people humbly reject compliments; some people sometimes formulate statements in the form of questions (Why dont we?, Could you tell me? etc); sometimes a mistake was made is more appropriate than you made a mistake; some people offend even if they use perfectly courteous language?
  • 13. The Rose and Its Name http://simona-petrescu.name