VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL SELDIES: FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES, NGUYEN THỦY HOA A STUDY OF POLITENESS STRATEGIES IN THE CONVERSATIONS OF TITE COLRSE ROOK “INSIDE OUT” Nghién cwu các chiến lược lịch sự trong các bài hội thoại của giáo trình *Insido Out? (Pre-intermediatc) M. MINGR TTILESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60 1410 HA NOT - 2010 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL SELDIES: FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES, NGLYEN THUY HOA A STUDY OF POLITENI STRATEGIES IN THE CONVERSATIONS OF TITE COURSE BOOK “INSIDE OUT” (PRE-INTERMEDIATE) Nghién cứu các chiến lược lịch sự trong các bải hội thoại của giáo trình “Insido Oul” (Pre-intermediatc) M. MINOR THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60 1410 SUPERVISOR: Prof. NGUYEN QUANG, Ph.D A NOT - 2030 TABLE GF CONTENTS Page: Part 1.
Aims of the stndy. 1 TIT Scape afthe study 2 TV. Design of the study.1, Culture and Conmunication. Face and Politaness.1 Positive Politeness defined .2 Positive Politeness strategies - 10 13.1 Negative politeness detined.2 Negative politeness strategies Is Chapter II.
Positive and negative politeness strategies found in the conversational activities of the coursebook Inside Out (pre- interrmediatt). Overview of politeness strategies in “Inside Out” (Pre-intermediate) 18 11. Frequency of positive, negative and mixed politeness stralegies used in “Inside Out” (Pie-imermediate). Sampling process 18 Tl.
Balance of positive, negative and mixed politeness strategies 19 11. Analysis of positive politeness strafegies.4, Analysis of negative politeness strategies 23 1I. Positive and negative politenes: trategies and S-H relationships 25 PART L INTRODLCTION Rationale Linguists and anthropologists he e long recognized thal the forins and uses of a given language reflect the cultural values of the society in which the language is spoken, Linguistic competence alone is not enough for learners of'a Janguage to become competent in that language (Krasner, 1999). Language learners nzed to be aware, for example, of the cultirally appropriate ways to address poople, cxpress gratitude, make requests, and agree or disagree with someone.
Language learners should know that behaviors and intonafional patterns that are appropriate to their own speech community may be perceived differently by members of the target speech communily. Learners have to understand that in order for communication to be successful, language use must be associated with other culturally appropriate behavior Henec, lo be af in commumicating in the target language, learners must be aware of their own culture and the culture of the target speech community. Especially, they must understand the hidden and very important parts of the target culture inclnding the politeness strategies used in everyday eemversalions, Inside Out is an English coursebook written by Sue Kay, Vaughan Jones and Philip Kerr, This courscbook is cmployed at the Favully of Information Tschnology (Thai Ngnycn University) where the thesis aulhor works as a tcacher of English. Fully aware of the benefit of understandmg politeness strategies, the author conducts an investigation into the performance of positive and negative politeness strategies in conversational activities of the course book Jiside Out (Pre-Intermediate) with the hope of improving the teaching of communicative English i, Aims of the study ‘The aims of the study are: Part 2s the development that consisls af three chapters Chapter 1 discusses the theoretical background of culture and communication, communicative competence, fics and politeness, positive politeness and negative potiteness strategies.
Chapter 2 analyzes the performance of politeness strategies in the conversational activities of the coursebook (Haak2 - Pre-Intermediate) in terms of the performance and frequency of positive and negalive politeness stralegi s with $-H role relationships in view Chapter 3 offers implications for English language teaching and supplementary activities for cross-cullural awareness. Part 3 is the conclusion in which the author surunurizes the study, raising limitations and offering suggestions for further research, Tơ siudy (he performa ce of pusilive and negative politeness strategies under the pressure of S-H role relationships in the conversational activities of the coursebook Inside Out (Pre-Intermediate). To provide suggeslions for more effective teaching and teaming of positive and negative politeness strategies. ‘To adapt and design some cross-cultural activities to help students avoid inisinlerpretations and tisunderstandings in ores uttural communication.
HE Scope of the study This study focuses on the positive and negative politeness strategies in conversational activities of the courscbook Inside Out (Pre-intermediate) which, for a long time, has b: in use at the author’s university. ‘The study also highlights S-H role relationships, Other components of commumicalion (eg. purpase, selling, lime availability .), important though they obviously are, are beyond the scope of this study. — Methodology: Tha major method cmployed in thịs study is the quantitative molhiod with dus referonce to the qualitative method since this study sets priority on the practical aspects of eross- cultural communication AL considerations and conclusions are largely based on data analysis, For the thoory to bo provided, the dala lo be collected and analyzed, and the findings to be discovered, the following approaches are resortedto - Critical reading of publications.
= Discussion willl supervisor - Discussion with colleagues, - Discussion with students. i Design of the study This study includes the following three parts Part 1 is the introduction which presents the rationale, aims of the study, scops of the study and methodology. To provide suggeslions for more effective teaching and teaming of positive and negative politeness strategies. ‘To adapt and design some cross-cultural activities to help students avoid inisinlerpretations and tisunderstandings in ores uttural communication.
HE Scope of the study This study focuses on the positive and negative politeness strategies in conversational activities of the courscbook Inside Out (Pre-intermediate) which, for a long time, has b: in use at the author’s university. ‘The study also highlights S-H role relationships, Other components of commumicalion (eg. purpase, selling, lime availability .), important though they obviously are, are beyond the scope of this study. — Methodology: Tha major method cmployed in thịs study is the quantitative molhiod with dus referonce to the qualitative method since this study sets priority on the practical aspects of eross- cultural communication AL considerations and conclusions are largely based on data analysis, For the thoory to bo provided, the dala lo be collected and analyzed, and the findings to be discovered, the following approaches are resortedto - Critical reading of publications.
= Discussion willl supervisor - Discussion with colleagues, - Discussion with students. i Design of the study This study includes the following three parts Part 1 is the introduction which presents the rationale, aims of the study, scops of the study and methodology. Part 2s the development that consisls af three chapters Chapter 1 discusses the theoretical background of culture and communication, communicative competence, fics and politeness, positive politeness and negative potiteness strategies. Chapter 2 analyzes the performance of politeness strategies in the conversational activities of the coursebook (Haak2 - Pre-Intermediate) in terms of the performance and frequency of positive and negalive politeness stralegi s with $-H role relationships in view Chapter 3 offers implications for English language teaching and supplementary activities for cross-cullural awareness.
Part 3 is the conclusion in which the author surunurizes the study, raising limitations and offering suggestions for further research, 11. Positive polileness strategies and S-IT relationships 11. Negative politeness stratepies and §-H relationships. 28 Chapter ILL ImpRicatiorts for English Language Teaching 32 TILL.
Implications for teaching politeness strategies 32 IIL2. Limitation 38 IIT, Suggestions for Rifher research. HI Thal is the reason why “When we teach a language like English lo speakers who alrsady know another language, we must be aware that we have to teach more than sounds, words and grammatical structures” (Wardhaugh, cited from Nguyen Thi Tuyet, 2005:5) L3. Face and politeness 1.
Face defined When people are involved in conversations, they individually consider certain variables, whether consciously or sub-consciously, that help thom determine the form that their speech will take, Gofiiman (1955) calls these variables “face”, and defines it as “ the posilive social value a person effectively claims for himselfby the fine others assume he has taken during a particular contact” (Gottman 1955-213) Brown and Levinson (1987), using Gofiman’s definition of face as a starting point, propose a comprehensive and, according to Brown and Levinson, universal theory of politeness. Face is defined as the public sclf-image that all rational adult members have when engaged in spoken interactions, and it must be constantly adhered to, They then divide face into twa separate, bul retated aspects: positive face and negative Face Positive face reférs to “the positive self-image that people have and want to be appreciated and approved of by at least some people” (Brown and Levinson, 1987 :61), In other words, positive face is seen as the desire that others like, admire, value or approve of one's wants (material or non-material), or the necd to be accepted and liked by others, treated as a member of the group, and to know that one’s desires are shared by obhers( Cuttings 2002-45) Brown and Levinson (1987) define negative face as a “basic claim to territories, personal preserves. and right to non-distraction - ie. freedom of action and freedom ftom imposition’ The negative face, therefore, "is reflected in the desire not to be impeded or put upon, to have the freedom to act as one chooses! (‘Thomas 1995: 169), ‘the wants that one's Thal is the reason why “When we teach a language like English lo speakers who alrsady know another language, we must be aware that we have to teach more than sounds, words and grammatical structures” (Wardhaugh, cited from Nguyen Thi Tuyet, 2005:5) L3.
Face and politeness 1. Face defined When people are involved in conversations, they individually consider certain variables, whether consciously or sub-consciously, that help thom determine the form that their speech will take, Gofiiman (1955) calls these variables “face”, and defines it as “ the posilive social value a person effectively claims for himselfby the fine others assume he has taken during a particular contact” (Gottman 1955-213) Brown and Levinson (1987), using Gofiman’s definition of face as a starting point, propose a comprehensive and, according to Brown and Levinson, universal theory of politeness. Face is defined as the public sclf-image that all rational adult members have when engaged in spoken interactions, and it must be constantly adhered to, They then divide face into twa separate, bul retated aspects: positive face and negative Face Positive face reférs to “the positive self-image that people have and want to be appreciated and approved of by at least some people” (Brown and Levinson, 1987 :61), In other words, positive face is seen as the desire that others like, admire, value or approve of one's wants (material or non-material), or the necd to be accepted and liked by others, treated as a member of the group, and to know that one’s desires are shared by obhers( Cuttings 2002-45) Brown and Levinson (1987) define negative face as a “basic claim to territories, personal preserves. and right to non-distraction - ie.
freedom of action and freedom ftom imposition’ The negative face, therefore, "is reflected in the desire not to be impeded or put upon, to have the freedom to act as one chooses! (‘Thomas 1995: 169), ‘the wants that one's 11. Positive polileness strategies and S-IT relationships 11. Negative politeness stratepies and §-H relationships. 28 Chapter ILL ImpRicatiorts for English Language Teaching 32 TILL.
Implications for teaching politeness strategies 32 IIL2. Limitation 38 IIT, Suggestions for Rifher research. HI This is tras wilh any culture, communication shapes culture, and culture shapes conumunication. Llence, learning to communicate in one new language ought to assist with learning anew cullure.
Conununicative Comnetencc (CC) Iiymes's original idea is that speakers of a language have to have more than grammatical competence in order to be able to communicate cfbctivcly in a language; they also need to know how language is used by members of a speech community to a omplish their purposes. CC is the knowledge and skills which enable people to use a language etiectively and their ability to actually use this knowledge for communication (Hymes, 1970).
