Avoiding Impressions of Discourtesy in Learner Discourse

Korea TESOL Journal, 2018

The current study set out to assess the sociopragmatic appropriacy of compliment response (CR) knowledge of Iranian learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) through data elicited by means of a written discourse completion task (DCT). The participants were comprised of 29 university students, aged 19–28, who were randomly selected and asked to respond to compliments received from either equal-status (=P) or higher-status (−P) interlocutors. Subsequently, Yu’s (2004) coding scheme of CRs and previous research on politeness were used with the aim of coding and analyzing the participants’ CRs as well as assessing their appropriacy in terms of (im)politeness in the intended sociocultural context. The results demonstrated a strong tendency among the participants to accept, rather than decline or question, compliments. The findings also suggest that the participants were reliant on both negative and positive politeness in unequal-status interactions (i.e., −P) and on positive politeness in equal-status situations (i.e., =P) by utilizing various strategies and linguistic devices to achieve sociopragmatic appropriacy. Furthermore, the participants proved to be relatively aware of the significance of the role of interlocutors’ power and social status in harmonizing interaction. However, the responses also included features that might be interpreted as partly inappropriate, particularly for interacting with higher-status interlocutors. This is interpreted as indicative of a need for instructional intervention in the pragmatics of CRs.

1999

This empirical study examines politeness phenomena in the English of first and second language students at an academic institution. Using the theoretical framework of the CCSARP, a OCT and a qualitative questionnaire were used to analyze the speech act realizations of requests and apologies. The main objective of the study was to establish the extent of differences in the choice of speech act realizations and whether distinct patterns of speech act behaviour obtained. Findings show evidence of a difference in preference for positive and negative politeness strategies. The L2's expressed more of a concern for solidarity, than for social distance and deference, using in-group markers to signal social closeness. The L 1 's use of internal modification, in the form of downgraders, exhibited negative politeness. The frequent use of indirectness, especially hints, reflected a hesitancy to impose. Results from the investigation could have implications for enhancing cross-cultural communication.

Proceedings of SOCIOINT 2022- 9th International Conference on Education & Education of Social Sciences

This paper is dedicated to politeness, the communicative features of politeness and the influence of politeness on people's communicative behaviors in teaching a second language. In order to understand an interlocutor from another culture, it is essential to be aware of (im) politeness in his/her culture and teach politeness to second language learners as well. In the present study, we aimed at analyzing the various approaches proposed in association with teaching politeness to second language learners, highlighting the importance of politeness and its communicative characteristics as well as reviewing the different approaches to teaching politeness to second language learners. One practical shared attribute across all approaches is raising awareness and developing analytical skills among second language learners. Although different approaches to teaching politeness to second language learners have been developed, these approaches have either been extremely theoretical in their politeness conceptualizing or involved patterns that could not properly draw the understanding of politeness among respondents/learners in different cultures. Thus, it is discussed that an approach encompassing learners' understanding of politeness is a more reliable triggering point in order to raise the learners' sociopragmatic awareness of (im) politeness in different languages and cultures. This strongly endorsed approach is a practical intellectual approach, in which raising the learners' pragmalinguistic awareness in connection with the interactional fulfilling of specific meanings and actions through personal interactions is interconnected with raising the learners' sociopragmatic awareness regarding what underlies evaluations of those meanings and actions as (im) polite. In fact, by raising the learners' sociopragmatic awareness through this approach, learners are equipped with appropriate means of analyzing differences that happen between the politeness systems in their first and second language [Huang 2008]. In conclusion, by concentrating on politeness, the communicative specificities of politeness as well as teaching politeness in a second language, the critical element of culture of the target language in understanding the words, sentences and expressions as well as (im) polite features in a target language is highlighted. In other words, in order to master a foreign language, it is not only essential to learn the vocabulary and grammatical structures, but also mastering the cultural characteristics and (im) polite standard characteristics of the target language which play an essential role.

Proceedings of the 2nd Annual Conference on Education and Social Science (ACCESS 2020), 2021

Politeness is an important positive character that students should acquire in learning processes. Having a polite character, the students will be able to respect teachers and fellow students and, in return, obtain respects from them. This mutual respect will in turn create positive learning environments. In Indonesian contexts, the need to bring politeness in learning has been confirmed in policy documents which clearly states that politeness is as one of the characters that teachers should teach in classes. In English language classrooms, it is not only taught directly, but it is also integrated in the teaching and learning processes. The integration can be through teaching language functions (for example, apologizing, greeting, respecting, and thanking) where polite verbal and non-verbal expressions in English are taught. The way to perform politeness, however, could be different between Indonesian and English culture. As students could use local language knowledge to learn English language, they could also be possible to use local culture to learn English culture. This paper explores the way local cultural politeness is incorporated in English language classrooms Keywords-politeness, local culture, english culture. I.

Epigram

This article aimed to describe the language politeness carried out by lecturers at border area of Indonesia at Timor University, especially at English Education Department. This article deals with the forms of observance of the maxims of modesty and the reasons of speech which contains of observance and non-observance maxims of language politeness. Language politeness enables lecturers to communicate better. This article is a qualitative research by using descriptive method. There were three lecturers involved as the participants in this study. The study was conducted at English Education Department of Timor University. The data collected through observation, and note taking method techniques. Data were analyzed in the following steps: (1) transcribing the recorded data into written form, (2) classifying the form of language politeness according to Leech, (3) analyzing the form of language politeness, (4) analyzing the factors of compliance and violations of language politeness, an...

International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE) , 2024

This study described students’ language impoliteness during the Indonesian language learning process taking place at elementary school in the Kediri Regency, East Java Province, Indonesia. This study used a qualitative approach to the type of qualitative descriptive research. The research participant of this study were elementary school educators and students in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia, who have a rough and smooth Javanese language culture when communicating with teachers during the learning process in class. The results of the study showed that all politeness maxims were violated in the learning process. Language politeness must continue to be implemented in elementary schools because it is still being discovered violation of the maxim of wisdom is shown when students give long-winded statements to educators. Violation of the maxim of generosity is shown when students give emotional statements to educators. Violation of the maxim of praise is shown when students express criticism at will, to both educators and friends. Violation of the maxim of politeness is shown when students make statements that demean the speech partner. Violation of the maxim of agreement can be seen when students are giving very harsh statements and ignoring the rules of the speech partners. The violation of the maxim of sympathy is shown when students do not have sympathy for the speech partner who is having difficulty. Language politeness is very important for the world of education as an effort to familiarize students as the nation’s next generation with polite language.

2019

Human beings are defined as an embodiment of social and cultural understanding which can develop by engaging in various social contexts. Cultural intelligence and cultural identity are, thus, accounted noteworthy in learning particular aspects of language which are culture-specific. The present study intended to investigate the interaction effect of cultural intelligence and cultural identity on Iranian EFL learners’ use of politeness strategies. To that end, the participants were divided into two groups of high and low cultural intelligence and cultural identity. Moreover, regardless of their membership in the two groups, the participants were included in the assessment of the relationship between cultural intelligence and politeness strategies. Fifty-two intermediate language learners whose proficiency level was determined through Oxford Quick Proficiency Test were required to fill out the questionnaires of Cultural Intelligence, L1 Cultural identity and Discourse Completion Tasks...

avrasyadergisi.com

For language learners, pragmatic competence is important to communicate appropriately with native speakers. Acquiring pragmatic competence takes longer time for language learners. In that sense, this present study compares Korean ESL learners' apologies to native speakers of English. Data collected through Written Discourse Completion Tests applied to 22 Korean ESL learners and 54 American students. The data was coded based on the speech act sets for apologies. Then the data analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively focusing on age, gender, English language proficiency level and cultural variables. The findings indicate that for Korean language learners time spent in the US and English language learning are significant in terms of using apologies more in line with native behavior. Use of intensifiers changes according to gender-females tend to use more-and cultural background and language proficiency level-Americans tend to use more compared to Koreans. Implications for ELT have been discussed throughout the paper.

Lingua Cultura, 2018

The study investigated intentions and motivating factors of using impoliteness in interlanguage complaints by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Empirical data were elicited by means of oral discourse completion tasks and questionnaires from 42 Indonesian learners of English. Post-structured interviews were conducted to obtain the intentions and reasons of deploying impoliteness in the complaints. The results reveal that impoliteness is triggered by three general motivating factors; speaker-related factors, target person-related factors, and contextual factors. A number of intentions of deploying impoliteness are found, and they suggest that impoliteness is a mean to an end rather than an end itself.

Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2017

This research is aimed at describing the use of personal pronouns of Banjarese and American English.The research uses the Convergent Parallel Design. Data are collected by using two kinds of questionnaires. The first is for 37 students belonging to Banjar Kuala Dialect (BKD), and the second is for 24 students belonging to Banjar Hulu Dialect (BHD). Research result shows that Banjarese and American English’ pronouns are based on singular and plural distinction although Banjarese does not have a gender distinction as in the American English. The personal pronouns are the first, second and third persons. English personal pronouns depend mostly on the grammatical role while Banjarese personal pronouns can indicate the social status or the relation of the speaker and other persons in the discourse. Personal pronouns can reveal the social status, and they can the politeness or impoliteness of the speakers.