POLITENESS THEORY IN PRAGMATICS BY TOOBA

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1. POLITENESS THEORY IN PRAGMATICS PRESENTED BY: TOOBA RASHID HS2201 BS7 ENGLISH ASSIGNED BY: SIR SARFARAZ NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LAGUAGES (HYD)

2. WHAT IS POLITENESS: Politeness is about being considerate and respectful in how you speak and behave towards others. It involves using words and actions that show kindness, courtesy, and thoughtfulness, which helps maintain positive relationships and avoids hurting someone's feelings . It involves using words and gestures that show kindness and thoughtfulness. For example, saying "please " and "thank you " when making requests or expressing gratitude is a simple way to be polite. Holding the door open for someone or offering your seat to an elderly person on the bus are also acts of politeness. Basically, politeness is about making others feel valued and respected in our interactions. SAMPLE FOOTER TEXT 2

3. Politeness Theory Politeness theory is an important branch of pragmatics developed by Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson in the 1970s The idea was taken by Erving Goffman’s concept of “Face Theory ”. This theory talks about that we all have universal desire to be treated with politeness. This theory questions how and why we are “POLITE” to others.

4. GOFFMAN’S CONCEPT OF FACE: Goffman (1955) defines face in the concept of face theory as "The positive public image [we] seek to establish in social interactions." It's also helpful to think of face as 'self-image '. Naturally, most of us want to protect our self-image and wish to portray a positive image of ourselves to others .

5. Brown and Levinson's politeness theory : Politeness theory works on the assumption that we have two different types of 'face': Positive face and Negative face . Positive face is an individual's desire to be liked and appreciated by others. Think of this as a person's self-esteem. Negative face is an individual's desire to protect their personal rights, such as their freedom of speech and action.

6. Negative face/ negative politeness: Negative politeness is like being super careful not to step on someone's toes or invade their personal space . It's about showing respect for someone's autonomy and freedom. So, when we use negative politeness, we're basically saying, "I'll give you all the space you need, and I won't impose on you or make you feel uncomfortable." It's all about being considerate and not making others feel like their rights or boundaries are being ignored . EXAMPLE : " I know it's a real pain, and I hope you don't mind, but could you please print these off for me?"

7. Positive face/positive politeness When appealing to someone's positive face, we aim to boost their self-esteem and foster positive feelings about themselves . This can involve giving compliments , expressing admiration for their achievements , and agreeing with their opinions or ideas . By affirming their worth and validating their identity, we enhance their sense of being liked and accepted by others. This approach avoids criticism, insults, or disagreement, prioritizing harmony and maintaining a positive social image . EXAMPLE : you looking good today! This piece of work is really fantastic. Well done !

8. What are face-threatening acts ? Face-threatening acts are actions or behaviors that risk damaging someone's self-image or social standing, like criticism, disagreement, or refusal, potentially leading to embarrassment or loss of face. Face-threatening acts can be verba l (using words or language), paraverbal (conveyed in the characteristics of speech such as tone or inflexion), or non-verbal (facial expressions or body language). According to Brown and Levinson, face-threatening acts may threaten either the speaker's or the listener's face (either positive or negative).

9. Positive face-threatening acts damaging to the listener: Face-threatening acts can also be expressions that show that the speaker does not care about the listener's positive face, for example mentioning taboo or emotional topics, interruptions, and expressions of violent emotions. EXAMPLE: I don't like that outfit at all .“ I'm definitely better at maths than you.

10. Positive face-threatening acts are damaging to the speaker : Acts that threaten the speaker's positive face and self-image include apologies (an acceptance of being wrong), confessions, and a loss of emotional control . .

11. Negative face-threatening acts are damaging to the listener Negative face-threatening acts are actions or behaviors that can make the listener feel like their personal space or freedom is being intruded upon, causing discomfort or unease . Alternatively, face-threatening acts can involve the speaker expressing a strong emotion towards the listener that typically requires some form of positive reaction. For example, paying a compliment and expecting a compliment in return .

12. Negative face-threatening acts damaging to the speaker Acts that threaten the speaker's negative face and impede on their personal freedoms include speech acts they feel obliged to perform, such as apologies, excuses, acceptance of compliments or gratitude. EXAMPLE: " Thanks, I like your outfit too."

13. Politeness Theory, developed by Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson, outlines strategies people use to maintain social harmony and show respect in communication. Here are the four main strategies in simple terms: Bald on Record : This strategy is direct and clear, without any effort to minimize the impact on the listener. It's used when there is no risk of offending the person, such as giving instructions or in emergencies. Example : "Pass me the salt." Positive Politeness : This strategy aims to make the other person feel good about themselves and valued. It's often used among friends and includes compliments or friendly language. Example: "Could you pass me the salt, please? Your cooking always needs that perfect touch!" 4 strategies of Politeness Theory :

14. Negative Politeness : This strategy shows respect for the other person’s need not to be imposed upon. It's more indirect and often includes apologies or hedges. Example : "I'm sorry to bother you, but could you pass me the salt ?“ Off-Record (Indirect): This strategy is very indirect, leaving room for the listener to interpret the meaning. It’s often used to avoid direct confrontation or when the speaker wants to be very polite. Example : "I salt wonder if there’s any around here." These strategies help people navigate social interactions smoothly and respectfully. 4 strategies of Politeness Theory:

15. CONCLUSION: Politeness theory in pragmatics is like a guidebook for how we're nice to each other when we communicate. It's all about the ways we use language to show consideration and respect for others, like saying "please" and "thank you" or being careful with our words to avoid hurting someone's feelings. It helps us understand why we might choose one way of saying something over another, depending on the situation and the people involved. So, basically, it's about being kind and respectful in how we talk to each other .