POLITENESS AND INTERACTION

Accomplished for

Pragmatic Subject

Lecturer: Suharsono, Ph.D

Compiled by

ATIK HERAWATI
NIM: 157835439

POSTGRADUATED PROGRAM
LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SURABAYA
2016
 POLITENESS AND INTERACTION

1. Introduction

A linguistic interaction is necessarily a social interaction. While interaction

occurs when speaker and listerner are active. In order to make sense of what is
said in an interaction. We have to look at various factors which relate to social
distance and closeness. There are two factors that relate to the social interactions.
1. External Factor : status, age, power etc
2. Internal Factor: imposition or degree of friendliness

Both factors influence what we say, how we say, how we are interpreted
and how our behaviour is evaluated. E.g : rude, inconsiderate, thoughtful, racist,
etc. Recognizing the impact of such evaluations makes it very clear that more is
being communicated than is said.

2. Politeness

Politeness is the means employed to show awareness of another persons

face.it is possible to treat as a fixed concept , as in the idea of polite social
behaviour or etiquette, within a culture. Some of general principles for being polite
in social interaction within a particular culture might include being tactful, generous,
modest, and shympathetic toward others.
Politeness is different in some culture particularly to each local cultural.
Politeness happen when we are respected to the listener. Some factor determined
the politeness:
- Lexical choice: Use the world could, would, or etc.
- Sentence structure : we can use command sentece by using asking
sentence
- Gesture and Posture : use our part of body to support our speech
- Intonation
 In most English-speaking contexts, the participants in an interaction often
have to determine, as they speak, the relative social distance between them, and
hence their face want.

3. Face Wants
Face is The individual and social sense of the self that everyone has and
expects everyone else to recognize. Within their everyday social interaction,
people generaly behave as if their expectations concerning their public self-image,
or their face wants, will be respected.

3.1. Face Threatening Act (FTA)

When speaker says something that represents a threat to another

individuals expectations regarding self-images it is described as Face Threatening
Act (FTA). Example: when speaker say : Stop that awful noise right now, Open
the window!

3.2. Face Saving Act (FSA)

Alternatively, when Speaker says something to lessen the possible treat or to

maintaining a good self-image, it is decribed as Face Saving Act (FSA). Example:
Could you possibly stop the music as its getting late?,Could you please open the
window?
3.3. Negative and Positive Face
When we attempt to save anothers face, we can pay attention to negative
face wants or their positive face wants. Negative face is when we need to be
independent, not to be distrubed by someone.While Positive Face is need to be
accepted, or ricognized as good image by the member of group.
In conclution, we can say that negative face is the need to be independent
and positive face is the need to be connected.

4. Self and Other: Say Nothing

Without saying utterances, somebody can recognize what we need or want.
It is described as Say nothing.
 Example:
Aan didnt bring notebook while the lecture asked to pull out it. So Aa was
going to be self, and the person next to Aan was goint to be other. Aan
rummaged his bag, without uttering word, hope that someone recognize
what his problem, and gave the solution for it.

5. Say Something: off and on record

These, and other similar types of statement, are not directly addressed to
the other. The other can act as if the statements have not even been heard. They
are technically described as off record.
example : Even you decide to say something, you dont actually ask for anything
or you say indirectly to other. Because you do not bring your notebook so you say
to Audrey Oh I forget my notebook
in contrast to such off record statements, when speaker can directly
address the other as a means of expressing that needs. That technically is
described as On Record. Example:give me your notebook, lend me your
notebook
The most direct approach, using imperative form is known as bald on
record. The other person is directly asked for something.
These bald on record forms may be followed by expressions like please
and would you? which serve to more polite the demand are called Mitigating
Devices.
Emergency situations also occasion the use of direct command, regardless
of who is being addressed, as when danger prompts use of the expressions.
example: - Dont touch it
- get out from here
( it happens because of near with fire)
6. Positive and Negative Politeness
6.1 . Positive Politeness
 Positive politeness is used to make the hearer feel good about himself,
his interests or possessions, and are most usually used in situations where the
audience knows each other fairly well. (Brown & Levinson).
Examples:How about letting me use your notebook?

7.2. Negative Politeness

Negative politeness strategies are oriented towards the hearers negative
face and emphasize avoidance of imposition on the hearer. (Brown & Levinson).
Example: Could you lend me a pen?

Negative politeness is typically expressed via questions, even questions

that seems to ask for permission to ask question.

7. Strategies
8.1. Solidarity strategy
Solidarity strategy is the tendency to use positive politeness forms,
emphasizing closeness between speaker and hearer. Linguistically, it includes
personal information, nicknames, even abusive terms (esp. among males),
shared dialect/slang expressions, and it is marked via inclusive terms (we, lets).
Example :Come on, let's go to the party. Everyone will be there. We'll have fun.
8.2. Deference strategy
A deference strategy is the tendency to use negative politeness forms,
emphasizing the hearers right to freedom.
It is involved in formal politeness which is more impersonal, and include
expressions that refer to neither the speaker nor the hearer, emphasizing the
hearer's and the speaker's independence.
Example:There's going to be a party, if you can make it. It will be fun

8. Pre-sequences
Pre-sequences is one way of avoiding risk by providing an opportunity for the
other to halt the potentially risky act. Before making a request, speakers will often
use a pre-request, like in:
A : Are you busy? (Pre-request)
B : Not really (go ahead)
A : Check this memo (request)
The respond of a pre-request can be a go ahead or stop, as in:
A : Are you busy? (Pre-request)
B : Oh, sorry. (Stop)
A stop response allows the speaker to avoid making a request.
Pre-sequences are also used in making invitation, as in:
A : What are you doing this Friday? (Pre invitation)
B : Hmm, nothing so far. (Go ahead)
A : Come over for dinner. (Invitation)
OR
A : What are you doing this Friday? (Pre invitation)
B : Oh, Im very busy. (Stop)
Children use pre-announcements to check if their parents are willing to pay
attention, as in:
Child : Mom, guess what happened? (Pre-announcement)
Mother : What? (Go ahead)
OR
Child : Mom, guess what happened? (Pre-announcement)
Mother : Not now, Jay. Im busy. (Stop)
Throughout this discussion, we now understand politeness and how people
maintain a good relationship with others.
References
Brown, Penelope, and Stephen C. 1987. Levinson. Politeness: Some Universals
in Language Usage. Vol. 4. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Goffman, Erving.1955.On Face-work: An Analysis of Ritual elements in Social
Interaction. Psychiatry. 18 (B) (Aug): 213-231
Yule, George. Pragmatics. 1996. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
.