Face Threatening Acts and Discourse

Question 1

What’s an Illocutionary Act

Answer 1

Illocutionary acts are linguistic acts in which one can be said to do something - like stating, denying or asking.

Question 2

The concept of politeness is important in interpreting why people choose to say things in a particular way in spoken or written discourse and why they choose to:

Answer 2

1) Flout a maxim.
2) Expresses an illocutionary act indirectly, rather than directly.

Question 3

What’s Negative Face?

Answer 3

Negative face: The person’s desire to be:
1. Autonomous (self-governing)
2. Free
3. Not imposed on by others
4. Respected by others in terms of time, privacy, and possession.

Question 4

What’s Positive Face?

Answer 4

Positive face: The person’s desire to be:
1. Accepted and liked by others.
2. Treated as a member of their group.

Question 5

Why are Politeness Strategies Used?

Answer 5

Politeness strategies are developed in order to save/maintain the hearer’s face. This is done by maintaining a balance in protecting the positive and the negative faces of each other and acting appropriately in social interactions.

Question 6

Face Threatening Acts:

Answer 6

Acts that infringe on the hearer’s need to maintain their face.

Question 7

Who proposed the 5 super strategies that I will now go on to discuss?

Answer 7

Brown and Levinson

Question 8

What are the 5 super strategies?

Answer 8

1. Off-record (Least direct- Most polite)
2. Negative politeness
3. Positive politeness
4. On record baldly (Most direct- Least polite)
5. Do nothing (technically always doable and was mentioned by Brown and Levinson same as the others)

Question 9

How does the extent of option-giving influence the degree of politeness?

Answer 9

The greater option you give to your hearer to say ‘no’, the more polite your utterance is.

Question 10

Appropriate contexts for each politeness strategy: Off-Record

Answer 10

1. The speaker is not that familiar with hearer.
   a. So the speaker gives the hearer the option of not taking the hint, and pretending she/he did not understand.
   b. By hinting the need, the speaker is being very respectful of your hearer’s autonomy, i.e. negative face.
2. There is social distance between speaker and hearer.
   a. Including differences in age, status, role, [gender]…etc.
3. Imposition is large.

Question 11

Appropriate contexts for each politeness strategy: Negative politeness

Answer 11

1. The speaker still wants to maintain distance from the hearer.
2. The speaker may be more familiar with the hearer but still NOT that close.

Question 12

Appropriate contexts for each politeness strategy: Positive politeness

Answer 12

1. The speaker and the hearer are close friends.
2. Imposition is small.

Question 13

Appropriate contexts for each politeness strategy: On-Record Baldly

Answer 13

1. The speaker has authority over the hearer either by being higher in status or has a more dominant role.
2. The speaker is in a hurry.
3. It is an emergency situation.
4. Imposition is small.

Question 14

At the time of writing this, what would I have said was the defining feature of the “off the record” strategy?

Answer 14

Never actually explicitly states what they are saying.

Question 15

At the time of writing this, what would I have said was the defining feature of the “negative politeness” strategy?

Answer 15

Technique is more oriented to negative rather than positive politeness.

Question 16

At the time of writing this, what would I have said was the defining feature of the “positive politeness” strategy?

Answer 16

Respects positive face more than negative face

Question 17

At the time of writing this, what would I have said was the defining feature of the “On record baldly” strategy?

Answer 17

The act is mentioned explicitly and bluntly, with no given option of refusal.

Question 18

You need to borrow a vacuum cleaner, what technique is this:
“Susu dear, I need the vacuum cleaner right away!”

Answer 18

Positive politeness

Question 19

You need to borrow a vacuum cleaner, what technique is this:
“Our vacuum cleaner broke down, the floors are very dusty!”

Answer 19

Off-Record

Question 20

You need to borrow a vacuum cleaner, what technique is this:
“Could I, please, borrow your vacuum cleaner for just an hour?”

Answer 20

Negative politeness.

Question 21

You need to borrow a vacuum cleaner, what technique is this:
“Bring me the vacuum cleaner”

Answer 21

On record Baldly