INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale
Objectives of the study
The objectives of the study are:
This article explores bald-on-record, on-record, and off-record politeness strategies within the conversational contexts presented in the "Market Leader, Intermediate" course book It aims to analyze how these strategies are employed in typical interactions, highlighting their significance in effective communication.
- To put forward some suggestions for efficient ways of teaching the course book
Research question
1) What politeness strategies are used in the conversational activities of the course book “Market Leader, Intermediate”?
2) Which politeness strategy is the most commonly used?
Scope of the study
Although there are a lot of important issues in pragmatics, this thesis only focuses on politeness strategies particularly expressed in conversational activities of the course book
“Market Leader, Intermediate” The investigation is based mainly on the theoretical framework suggested by Brown and Levinson [(1978)1987].
Methodology
The author utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methods, grounding all considerations and conclusions in data analysis from the book within Brown and Levinson's theoretical politeness framework Additionally, various other sources contribute to the research findings.
Design of the study
The study is divided into three parts:
This part includes the rationale, objectives, research questions, scope, methodology and design of the study.
DEVELOPMENT
This part covers three chapters:
Chapter I: Literature review which focuses on the theoretical background of speech acts, classification of speech acts, politeness theory
Chapter II: Politeness strategies in conversational activities of the coursebook
This chapter examines four politeness strategies identified in the conversational activities of the "Market Leader, Intermediate" course book These strategies are primarily demonstrated through three key speech acts: disagreement, agreement, and requests.
Chapter III discusses the implications of politeness strategies in teaching English as a foreign language at Hanoi University of Business and Technology, offering valuable advice for educators to enhance the effectiveness of coursebook instruction.
Part III: Conclusion which summarizes the main findings, mentions the limitations of the study and give some suggestions for further study
LITERATURE REVIEW
Speech Acts
1.1.1 Speech Acts and Speech Events
Speech acts, a concept introduced by Oxford philosopher J.L Austin and further developed by American philosopher John Searle, explore the various functions that utterances can serve According to the Oxford Dictionary, a speech act is defined as "an utterance considered as an action, particularly with regard to its intention, purpose, or effect." This means that individuals utilize grammatical and lexical elements not only to share information but also to convey underlying meanings and implications.
A speech act refers to actions like requesting, commanding, questioning, or informing, and can be defined as the action executed by a speaker through their utterance.
If you say, I'll be there at six, you are not just speaking, you seem to be performing the speech act of 'promising.'
A speech act can consist of a single word, like "Sorry!" for an apology, or a longer expression, such as "I’m sorry I forgot your birthday; it just slipped my mind." These acts are integral to real-life interactions and necessitate an understanding of both the language and its culturally appropriate usage For instance, examining specific examples can illustrate the actions conveyed through particular utterances.
This sentence serves as a statement that conveys information about the current atmosphere at the location of the utterance Additionally, the speaker uses this statement to imply an action directed towards the listener, potentially requesting them to open a window or turn on the air conditioner.
5 purpose, this utterance can be considered a request rather than a statement itself Here are some other examples of speech acts we use or hear every day:
Greeting: "Hi, Eric How are things going?"
Request: "Could you pass me the mashed potatoes, please?"
Complaint: "I‟ve already been waiting three weeks for the computer, and I was told it would be delivered within a week."
Invitation : "We‟re having some people over Saturday evening and wanted to know if you‟d like to join us."
Compliment : "Hey, I really like your tie!"
Refusal: "Oh, I‟d love to see that movie with you but this Friday just isn‟t going to work."
Effective communication relies on the hearer's ability to accurately interpret the speaker's intentions through inference Understanding the context surrounding a conversation, known as speech events, is crucial for uncovering hidden meanings As defined by Yule (1996:57), a speech event is an activity where participants engage in language interactions in a conventional manner to achieve specific outcomes.
In the very influential book written in 1962, Austin claimed that speech acts can be analysed on three levels:
* A locutionary act: is the performance of an actual utterance and its ostensible meaning, comprising phonetic and phatic acts
An illocutionary act is integral to understanding a speaker's intentions, encompassing various functions such as stating, questioning, promising, commanding, and threatening These acts form the foundation of speech act theory, as they clarify how an utterance should be interpreted within a conversation Accurately identifying the type of illocutionary act requires the listener to be familiar with the context in which the speech act takes place, highlighting the importance of context in effective communication.
The sentence "The door is here" can be interpreted in multiple ways; it may serve as a literal response to inquiries like "Where is the way out?" or "Where is the door?" Alternatively, it could imply a figurative meaning, adding depth to its context.
Indirect requests can effectively encourage someone to leave, embodying both direct and indirect speech acts These requests carry an inherent "force," known as illocutionary force, which influences how the message is perceived By utilizing subtle language, one can convey the intention for someone to exit without making a straightforward demand.
Perlocutionary acts refer to the psychological impact of speech, where utterances can persuade, convince, scare, enlighten, or inspire individuals, ultimately leading them to take action or gain new insights.
E.g: Would you open the door?
The act is successful if the hearer recognizes that he should open the door As a perlocutionary act it succeeds only if the hearer actually opens the door
As another example, consider the following utterance: "By the way, I have a CD of
The phrase "Westlife; would you like to borrow it?" serves as an offer, aiming to impress the listener and convey a friendly demeanor, while also fostering an interest in a specific genre of music.
In conclusion, there are three acts or dimensions expressed via an utterance: locution, illocution and perlocution, in which illocutionary act is the main focus of speech act theory
According to Searl (1976:10-16) and Yule (1996:53), there are five categories or five types of general functions performed by speech acts: declarations, representatives, expressives, directives and commissives
Declarations are speech acts that effect change in the world through their utterance, as defined by Yule (1996) By simply stating them, speakers create new realities, such as in the cases of baptisms, legal judgments, or marriage pronouncements These acts transform the state of affairs, demonstrating the powerful role of language in shaping our social and legal structures.
Eg: Priest: I now pronounce you husband and wife
Representatives: these speech acts presents a state of affairs The speaker’s intention is to make his words fit the world
Eg: It was a warm sunny day
Expressives: are the speech acts which express certain psychological states or what the speaker feels such as: pleasure, pain, likes, dislikes, etc
Eg: I like fish and chips
Directives: are the speech acts which the speaker uses to get the hearer to carry out a future course of action This class consists of requests, commands and advice, etc
Eg: Could you lend me some money, please?
Commissives: are the speech acts in which the speaker becomes committed to doing some future action, e.g promises, guarantees, oaths, etc
Eg: I‟ll give it back to you tomorrow
Following Searl’s classification of speech acts, Yule (1996:56) summarizes the five general functions of speech acts with their key features in a table:
Speech act type Direction of fit S = speaker
Declarations words change the world S causes X
Representatives make words fit the world S believes X
Expressives make words fit the world S feels X
Directives make the world fit words S wants X
Commissives make the world fit words S intends X
Table 1: The five general functions of speech acts (following Searl 1979)
Another approach to distinguish types of speech acts bases on the structure of an utterance
In English, sentence structures can be categorized into three main types: declarative, interrogative, and imperative Yule (1996:55) explains that a direct speech act occurs when there is a clear relationship between a structure and its function, while an indirect speech act arises when this relationship is less straightforward Consequently, speech acts can be classified into two types: direct and indirect To better understand these concepts, we can examine examples of both direct and indirect speech acts.
(a) Can you open the window?
This sentence, while structured as a question, actually serves as a request for the listener to open the window rather than inquiring about their ability to do so Typically, requests are made using an imperative form rather than an interrogative.
8 make a command or request Obviously, the relationship between the structure and function of this sentence is indirect and thus we have an indirect speech act
The idea presented in (a) maintains the same meaning and function as (b), which is expressed as an imperative This demonstrates a direct relationship between function and structure, categorizing (b) as a direct speech act.
In summary, indirect speech acts convey meanings beyond their literal interpretation, often demonstrating greater politeness compared to direct speech acts This politeness is particularly evident in speech acts such as requesting, commanding, refusing, and disagreeing.
POLITENESS STRATEGIES IN CONVERSATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Methodology
This study has one primary data source which is the course book “Market Leader,
"Market Leader" (New Edition) is a comprehensive business English course designed for both professionals and students Authored by experienced educators David Falvey, Simon Kent, and David Cotton, the course focuses on English for business and is developed in collaboration with the Financial Times.
Times is a premier source of global business information, designed for pre-intermediate to intermediate students This comprehensive book features 14 engaging units centered on essential topics in international business The authors emphasize that it equips students with vital communication skills necessary for success in the business world while enhancing their overall understanding of business concepts.
This study focuses on the third book in the "Market Leader, Intermediate" series, analyzing 76 conversational activities selected from 14 units The discussions are grounded in the politeness theories of Brown & Levinson and Nguyen Quang, providing insights into effective communication strategies.
To collect the data, the author observed all conversational activities in the course book
“Market Leader, Intermediate” to find out utterances which contain politeness strategies
In her minor thesis, she aims to analyze three common speech acts—agreement, disagreement, and request—found in the course book that incorporates politeness strategies These strategies are categorized into four types: bald-on-record, positive politeness, negative politeness, and off-record A total of 76 utterances are identified across 14 units, with the majority appearing in the "Skills" sections.
A total of 76 utterances were analyzed and categorized according to various politeness strategies Each type of utterance was thoroughly examined to identify specific categories of politeness The findings allowed the author to evaluate the samples effectively.
26 and then provides discussions and findings The result of this study will be presented based on the statistics regarding the politeness strategies
Data categorizing: All utterances that are collected from the course book mentioned above are categorized into different groups according to the requirements of the study using graphs and tables
Data describing: With different politeness strategies, describe their typical features as well as identified markers of specific types of politeness strategies
There are five steps for data analysis:
1 Examining the course book carefully The researcher examined the course book many times to pick up utterances in 14 units, especially in the Skills parts
2 Setting up the contexts, take roles of participants into consideration and discussing with colleagues and the supervisor to find out whether these statements are “natural” and
3 Classifying the politeness strategies based on the framework proposed by Brown and Levinson (1987:94-227) and Nguyen Quang (2002)
4 Consulting with supervisor, discussing with colleagues
Data Analysis
2.2.1 Frequency of Occurrence of Politeness Strategies in the Coursebook “Market Leader, Intermediate”
To address the initial research question, the author analyzes utterances from 14 units of the course book, ultimately selecting 76 utterances for examination after consultations with colleagues and a supervisor The results, displayed in the following table, outline the total number and percentage of four types of politeness strategies based on the frameworks established by Brown and Levinson (1978, 1987) and Nguyen Quang (2002).
Bald-on-record Positive politeness Negative politeness Off-record strategy
Table 2: The frequency of occurrence of politeness strategies in conversational activities of the course book “Market Leader, Intermediate”
This statistics is converted into the Pie-chart 1 below
Figure 3: The frequency of occurrence of politeness strategies in conversational activities of the course book “Market Leader, Intermediate”
The pie chart from the course book “Market Leader – Intermediate” illustrates the distribution of politeness strategies in conversations, highlighting that negative politeness strategies (NPS) dominate at 57.7% According to Brown and Levinson, NPS focuses on respecting the hearer's autonomy and maintaining a respectful distance to avoid intruding on personal matters This is particularly relevant in business contexts, where discussions typically center around work rather than personal issues, as fostering personal relationships can hinder workplace efficiency Conversely, the off-record strategy accounts for only 4% of the occurrences, reflecting its minimal use in these conversations.
In a business environment where clear communication is essential, indirectness is typically avoided The bald-on-record strategy, which ranks at only 9%, is less favored compared to positive and negative politeness strategies that prioritize saving face Consequently, business professionals often refrain from using the bald-on-record approach, opting instead for more polite and formal communication methods.
The analysis indicates that the course book emphasizes negative and positive politeness strategies more than other approaches This suggests that, in trading interactions, individuals prioritize demonstrating attention, concern, and deference towards others to uphold social harmony.
This study concentrates on three prevalent speech acts featured in the course book that incorporate politeness strategies: disagreement, agreement, and request Consequently, the findings and discussions presented here are specifically linked to the politeness strategies utilized within these speech acts The following table illustrates the statistics for each strategy corresponding to the functions of these speech acts.
Table 3: The frequency of politeness strategies in terms of functions of utterance
We are going to discuss each category carefully in the next parts
2.2.2 Bald-on-record Strategy in Conversational Activities of “Market Leader, Intermediate”
Among the four politeness strategies, this particular approach is advised against for regular use due to its potential to threaten the other person's face Nonetheless, it may surface in urgent situations, military settings, or intimate interactions This explains why, as shown in Pie Chart 1, this strategy represents a mere 9% compared to the other three strategies.
29 the pie-chart 2 below to examine in what type of speech act bald-on-record strategy is employed with the highest percentage
Figure 4: The frequency of bald-on-request strategy in terms of functions of utterances
Disagreement accounts for a significant 57.1% of bald-on-record strategies, highlighting its prevalence in communication While expressing disagreement can often be perceived as offensive and may jeopardize relationships in casual social interactions, it is essential in professional settings In discussions among colleagues, directness is sometimes crucial for effective communication and collaboration.
Paula: We should never have entered the market – it was a mistake We should sell out as soon as possible
Tom: I don‟t agree with that all
(Market leader, intermediate – Unit 11, track 11.7, p.99)
In a retail group discussion focused on addressing the issues faced by their Paris store, participants emphasize the importance of direct communication Given the professional nature of the topic, members are encouraged to candidly share their thoughts and insights to collaboratively find effective solutions to the problem at hand.
The second highest percentage of speech act using bald-on-record strategy is request with 28.6% In general, requesting means imposition on somebody to make them do something
If one does “request”, it is unavoidable to threaten other face Let’s consider the following examples:
Max: Could I just say something? I don‟t think it works
Carl: Let Stefan finish, please Max
(Market Leader, intermediate – Unit 4, track 4.3, p.35)
Carl produces a request towards Max to interrupt him and of course this utterance threats Max’s self-image However, the requesting seems to be mitigated thanks to the word
“please” In addition, Carl in this situation is the person who is at a higher job position than Max, therefore the imposition of the request seems to be lessened
In another case, we can hear a request on the phone
- Hold on a minute, please I‟ll transfer you to a supervisor
(Market Leader, intermediate – Unit 3, track 3.1, p.23)
In daily communication, we often hear or make that kind of request on the phone
Therefore even though it employs bald-on-record strategy, its imposition is not very strong towards the hearer
The speech act of agreement constitutes only 14.3% of bald-on-record strategies, indicating that even in non-threatening contexts, this approach is rarely favored Notably, there is only a single instance of agreement using the bald-on-record strategy.
Tom: We need more information about where we are going wrong
Susan: I totally agree with you
(Market Leader, intermediate – Unit 12, track 12.4, p.105)
Susan wholeheartedly agrees with Tom on the need to find solutions to the issue at hand Her bald-on-record communication strategy effectively conveys her commitment to contributing ideas without posing any threats to Tom.
In summary, the bald-on-record strategy, while representing a small percentage among the four strategies, is predominantly used in expressing disagreement within the conversations found in the "Market Leader, Intermediate" course book This usage does not imply that speakers intend to create conflict.
31 any strong threats to hearers’ face but considering in business context, imposition of bald- on-record strategy seems to be softened
2.2.3 Positive Politeness Strategies in Conversational Activities of “Market Leader, Intermediate”
The course book features 23 utterances employing positive politeness strategies, representing 29.5% of the total (as illustrated in pie-chart 1 and table 3) Analyzing these strategies by their speech act functions provides insight into the frequency of positive politeness usage across different utterances, as clearly depicted in the accompanying pie-chart.
Figure 5: The frequency of positive politeness strategies in terms of functions of utterances
The chart illustrates that the predominant use of positive politeness strategies occurs in agreement, comprising 91.3% of instances This prevalence is attributed to strategies 5 and 6, which specifically express agreement with the hearer Consequently, disagreement is significantly less common, accounting for only 8.7% of positive politeness usage, and no requests are made using these strategies.
Nguyen Quang (2002) identifies 17 positive politeness strategies, with 15 originally proposed by Brown and Levinson (1978, 1987) This article explores the positive politeness strategies utilized in three specific speech acts, analyzing the frequency of their occurrence as illustrated in the accompanying table.
PPS 1 PPS 2 PPS 3 PPS 4 PPS 5 PPS 6 PPS 7 PPS 8
Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum %
PPS 9 PPS 10 PPS 11 PPS 12 PPS 13 PPS 14 PPS 15 PPS 16 PPS17
Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum %
Table 4: Frequency of occurrence of positive politeness strategies in conversations of
These statistics are converted in the following chart
Figure 6: Frequency of occurrence of positive politeness strategies in conversations of
The figure demonstrates the percentage of positive politeness strategies employed in conversational activities of “Market leader, Intermediate” It can be seen that the most
The fifth positive politeness strategy, seeking agreement, is the most preferred approach, utilized by 65.3% of speakers This strategy involves establishing common ground with the listener by discussing "safe topics" and using repetition or minimal encouragers such as "Yeah," "quite," "definitely," "absolutely," "wow," "can't be better," and "oh, no."
“that‟s surprise”, “I can‟t believe it”, “thanks God”, etc
Let’s take the following as examples:
(Market leader, Intermediate – Unit 4, track 4.3 – page 35)
Philippa Knight: We‟ll have plenty to talk about
Maria Bonetti: That‟s for sure
(Market leader, Intermediate – Unit 2, track 2.6 – page 19)
Marcia: Is she the right person for us?
Alain: Definitely In my opinion, she‟s ideal
(Market leader, Intermediate – Unit 1, track 1.5 – page 11)
Concluding remarks
Through the data analysis of politeness strategies in the coursebook “Market
Leader, Intermediate”, it is found that the frequency of occurrence of politeness strategies in conversational activities of the material are not always the same
Analysis indicates a clear preference for negative politeness strategies (57.7%) over positive politeness (29.5%), bald-on-record (9%), and off-record strategies (4%) Bald-on-record strategies are predominantly used in disagreements, accounting for 57.1%, while positive politeness strategies are minimally employed, with only 2 out of 23 utterances reflecting this approach The majority of positive politeness occurs in agreements (91.3%), particularly strategy 5, which comprises 65.3% Other positive strategies (2, 6, 10, 12, 13) show very low usage, with some having no representation Among negative politeness strategies, strategies 1 (48.9%) and 2 (42.3%) are favored, particularly in requests and disagreements.
In the analyzed coursebook, negative politeness strategies are utilized more frequently than positive politeness, bald-on-record, and off-record strategies, with off-record being the least common at just 4%, observed in only three disagreements Notably, strategies 7 and 10 are rarely present in conversational contexts, and the remaining negative politeness strategies are seldom employed This pattern reflects the tendency in English-speaking cultures to maintain distance and demonstrate formality and politeness in workplace interactions.
IMPLICATIONS FOR POLITENESS STRATEGIES IN TEACHING
Understanding politeness strategies is crucial for effective language teaching, as they facilitate smooth and natural conversations Consequently, it is important to emphasize effective methods for teaching culture, particularly politeness, in foreign language education, especially within business English courses.
“Market Leader, Intermediate (New Edition)” at Hanoi University of Business and Technology (HUBT) Here is some advice for teachers of business English
In the book "Market Leader, Intermediate (New Edition)," teachers are encouraged to enhance students' understanding of cultural values and differences It is essential for students to recognize the acceptability of various politeness strategies—such as positive, negative, bald-on-record, and off-record—in both English and Vietnamese during conversations Additionally, students should be aware that certain linguistic expressions that are appropriate in English may not translate effectively into Vietnamese, highlighting the importance of cultural context in communication.
Teachers should prioritize teaching language functions and speech acts over mere structural knowledge, as students who only understand grammar may produce sentences that are grammatically correct but culturally inappropriate or impolite In real-life communication, politeness and respect often outweigh the literal meaning of words Therefore, it is essential for educators to guide students on what to say and how to express themselves politely in English within various contexts.
When teaching "Market Leader, Intermediate (New Edition)," educators should facilitate social interactions among students, as engaging in social situations is an effective way to learn social English By providing students with various scenarios and encouraging conversation, teachers can help them identify acceptable and polite expressions in English It is essential to recognize that English, rooted in Western cultures, differs significantly from Vietnamese and other Eastern cultures Consequently, teachers must possess a thorough understanding of English-speaking cultures, where negative politeness is often regarded as a formal and courteous mode of communication.
In teaching politeness strategies within the conversational activities of "Market Leader, Intermediate (New Edition)," it is essential for educators to understand the prevalence of positive politeness in interactions, as this knowledge can help prevent miscommunication among students Additionally, incorporating cross-cultural communication and politeness education is crucial for equipping students to navigate potential challenges and culture shock in real-life interactions.
In summary, integrating cultural elements and politeness strategies into English language instruction is essential for effective learning To enhance the acquisition of English among students at HUBT using the "Market Leader, Intermediate (New Edition)" course book, educators should emphasize these politeness strategies in their teaching approach.