PRAGMATICS AND SOCIOCUTURAL NORMS

SOCIOCULTURAL NORMS

Sociocultural norms, such as how to express politeness in a given context, guide pragmatic expression. For example, if someone asked you why we should say "Please" after making a request, what would you say? Your answer would be based on the sociocultural rules you are familiar with in Western societies and cultures.

ROLE PLAY

Person A: You have just invited your friend to a special dinner given by your company and you want to say very gently that he/she must act more formally than normal (not use so much foul language).

Person B: Your dear friend is somewhat of a "stuffed shirt" who always worries about others' opinions. You want to go to this dinner and make him/her relax and adopt a more colorful and casual outlook on life.

FOLLOW-UP TO SITUATION

What problems of communication did you observe in the interaction between the two students?

What kinds of sociocultural norms do you think might have been operating in the role play?

What kinds of things did each person have to keep in mind as they spoke?

What kinds of things guided the way the speakers said things, so they wouldn’t offend each other?

Did anybody say anything that you think would had been considered rude or inappropriate?

SPEECH ACTS

One important area of pragmatics is that of speech acts, which are communicative acts that convey an intended language function. Speech acts include functions such as requests, apologies, suggestions, commands, offers, and appropriate responses to those acts.

Of course, speakers of these acts are not truly successful until the intended meaning they convey are understood by listeners.

Can you identify what kind of speech acts are the following?:

Can you lend me your pencil? Gimme your pencil. Would you like to use this pencil? How about using a red pencil?

Can you identify which of the following speech acts intends to convey: a request, an apology, a suggestion, an offer, a rebuke or an invitation?

Speaker / listener Speech act

Mother to daughter “Your rom is a mess”

Incoming traveler to hotel clerk

“Can I have a room on the top floor?

One student to another “You can use my eraser. Yours is almost gone.”

Student 1 to student 2, just after 1 tells 2 she failed the exam

“Do you want to study together for the next test?”

Student 2 to student 1, just after 1 tells her that she failed the exam

“Do you want to study together for the next test?”

A young woman to her boyfriend

“You know, they have a sale on diamond rings at the mall this weekend.”

Speech acts occur in everyday talk in every society, with various ranges of explicitness. For second language learners, it is important to know which speech acts are different in the first and target language, how they are different, and what is not appropriate to say

WHY SHOULD WE TEACH SPEECH ACTS IN THE FL CLASSROOM?

Learners of all languages tend to have difficulty understanding the intended meaning communicated by a speech act, or producing a speech act using appropriate language and manner in the language being learned. Research has found that classroom instruction on speech acts can help learners to improve their performance of speech acts and thus their interactions with native speakers.

Speaker/listener

Text book Real life

A teenager greeting his friend at the airport

"Hello, Harvey. How was the flight? I see you got a new bag"

"Hey, man — what’s happening? I like your bag. It’s awesome!“

Someone complimenting us

A: What a beautiful dress!B: Thank you. I’m glad you like it.

A: That’s a cute dress you’re wearing.B: Really? This old rag? I got it at the Salvation Army for $2.00!orB: You’re the third person today who’s complimented me on it. I must have done something right!

Examples:

FACE

As a technical term, face means the public self image of a person. It refers to that emotional and social sense of self that everyone has and expects everyone else to recognize.

POLITENESS

In an interaction, it can be defined as the means employed to show awareness of another person’s face. In this sense, politeness can be accomplished in situations of social distance or closeness.

EXAMPLE:

(A student to the teacher)Excuse me, Mr. Bean, but can I talk to you for a minute?

(A friend to the same person)Hey, B, got a minute?

FACE-THREATENING ACTS (FTAS)

People in all cultures have an awareness of self-image, or "face", as they communicate. Protecting face is important for communicating and behaving successfully with others, even though it may not be accomplished consciously by talk participants. A "face-threatening act" (FTA) is one that would make someone possibly lose face, or damage it in some way.

EXAMPLE:

(A student to the teacher)

Mr. Charles, I know you are terribly busy, but could you sign this form for me, please?

NEGATIVE FACE

A person’s negative face is the need to be independent, to have freedom of action, and not to be imposed by others.

Negative ≠ Bad

POSITIVE FACE

A person’s positive face is the need to be accepted, even liked, by others, to be treated as a member of the same group, and to know that his/her wants are shared by others.

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE POLITENESSFTAs, which occur regularly in everyday interaction, are often softened by means of politeness. Politeness can be expressed through positive politeness to try to make the other person like you: e.g. "please"or negative politeness to try to give the other person some space and not impose:e.g. "I know this is a terrible imposition"

Of the following three choices that could occur when a guest came to your home to visit, which would you believe would be most likely to cause a threat to your face or that of your guest?

a. Can I have a glass of water?

b. Could you take your feet off my table?

c. Make yourself at home.

ANSWER: B

B, because it is most likely to offend someone or make them feel uncomfortable or embarrassed (Their face is threatened)

A, poses little threat. A glass of water is not a great imposition, and it is requested, not demanded.

C, poses no threat to the listener; it is an offer of hospitality.

POSITIVE POLITENESS STRATEGY

Emphasizes on closeness between speaker and listener.

Leads the requester to appeal to a common goal, and even friendship. Hey buddy, I’d appreciate if you let me use your pen.

For not to suffer a refusal, the speaker may opt for a “getting to know you talk”: Hi. How is it going? OK if I sit here? You take a lot of note too huh? Do me a favour and let me use one of your pens.

POSITIVE POLITENESS STRATEGY

Linguistically this strategy would include: Personal information Use of nicknames Abusive terms (particularly among

males) Dialect / slang expressions Marked solidarity with terms like: “we”

and “let’s”.

NEGATIVE POLITENESS STRATEGY

In English-speaking contexts this strategy is more commonly used as a face saving act. The most typical form is using a question containing a modal verb such as: Could you lend me a pen? I’m sorry to bother you, but can I ask you for

a pen or something? I know you are busy, but might I ask you if

you –em- if you happen to have an extra pen that I could, you know – eh – maybe borrow?

NEGATIVE POLITENESS STRATEGY

Negative politeness forms emphasizes on “formal politeness”. It is impersonal Can include expressions that refer

neither the speaker not the listener: customers may not smoke here, sir.

Absence of personal claims“There is going to be a party, if you can

make it. It will be fun”

SELF AND OTHERS

How to get a pen from someone

else

Say something

On record

Face saving act

Positive politeness (‘How about

letting me use your pen?’)

Negative Politeness (‘Could you lend me a

pen?’)

Bald on record (‘Give me a pen’)

Off record

(‘I forgot my

pen’)

Say nothing

(But search in the bag)