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Linguistic Politeness: Editor as diplomat

TECM 5195Dr. Chris Lam

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Poll!

• Text ChrisLam138 to 22333

OR

• Go to pollev.com/chrislam138

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Linguistic Politeness Theory• Brown and Levinson (1987)

• Founded in pragmatics and based on speech act theory (Austin, 1962)

• All utterances perform a locutionary act and an illocutionary act

• Locutionary act is the act of saying something

• Illocutionary act is the underlying or intended meaning• Does this need salt?

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Face and Face-threatening acts

• Face is positive self-image and is considered universal by many (Goffman, 1967)

• Negative face- need for autonomy/individualism

• Positive face- need for social approval

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Relationships between writers and editors

• Relationships between writers and editors are often contentious

• Writers don’t want editors to “demand a single solution”

• Editors can be seen as “controlling” or taking “control of a paper”

• Important for editors to be language experts AND diplomats

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Editing as an FTA

• Editing is inherently an FTA

• Telling a writer to make a change impedes negative face

• Criticizing a writer’s specific choices (explicitly or implicitly) impedes positive face

• So where does politeness come into play?• Linguistic politeness refers to using language to tend to both

positive and negative face needs

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So, what’s the dilemma?

• Relationships between writers and editors is already contentious

• Editing is inherently an FTA

• SO, editors must balance clarity and politeness

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Continuum of Politeness

Most Clear / Least Polite Least Clear / Most Polite

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Two main ways to alter politeness

1. Syntactically

2. Semantically

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Poll!

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Syntactic or Levels of directness

1. Direct- Unambiguous • Include a table here

2. Conventionally indirect- Creates pragmatic ambiguity (2 possible meanings)• Can you include a table?

3. Nonconventionally indirect (hints)- Creates pragmatic vagueness (many meanings)• Graphic aids create interest

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Semantic Politeness Markers

1. Downgraders

2. Supportive Moves

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Downgraders• Can be added to both direct or indirect utterances

• Fine tune the level of indirectness of an utterance

• Can be stacked

• Lexical or phrasal (word-level)• I think (Subjectivizer)• Maybe/Perhaps (Hedge)• Possibly (Downtoner)• OK? (Appealer)• You know, (Cajoler)• Just (Understater)

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Supportive Moves

• Can be added to direct and indirect strategies

• Mitigate FTAs

• Add semantic content (move beyond word or phrase-level)• This will help the reader find your work

experience more easily (payoff statement)• This is a good start, but (compliment)

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Poll!

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Direct Options

1. Bald-on-record

2. Locution-derivable

3. Opinion statement

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Bald-on-record• Example: Insert work experience here

• Most face-threatening, but also most clear

• Some non-native speakers actually prefer bald-on-record

• Suggestions for bald-on-record

• Mitigate with downgraders (Insert work experience here, OK?)

• Mitigate with compliments (I like what you’ve listed, but insert work experience here)

• Mitigate with payoff statement (Insert work experience here. The reader will be able to access it more easily)

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Locution-derivable• Example: You should include your work experience here.

• The locution (force or obligation) can be derived by the hearer

• Insert a high-value modal verb • Should, will, or ought

• Suggestions for locution-derivable• Avoid passive voice locution-derivable (The table ought to be inserted

here.)• Mitigate active voice locution-derivable with downgraders (You know,

you should include a table here)• Mitigate active voice locution-derivable with compliments (The

content is good for this section, but you should include a table here.)• Mitigate active voice locution-derivable with payoff statements (You

should include a table here; it will make it easier for the audience)

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Opinion statement strategy

• Changes the point-of-view, while remaining direct and unambiguous

• “I would include a table here”

• Suggestions• Use them! (I would put my work experience

before education)

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Conventionally indirect strategies

• Preparatory

• Interrogative

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Preparatory

• Example: You could insert your work experience here.

• Refers to some condition that must be true for the hearer to be prepared to perform the directive

• More polite than most direct strategies, but introduces ambiguity

• Use low-value modal verbs• Can and Could

Suggestions• Avoid preparatory strategies when intent is to convey obligations• Reserve for possibility or options (You could remove your

references)

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Interrogative strategy

• Example: Can you include work experience here?

• Less direct than all previous

• States directive as a question

Suggestions• Avoid when obligation is intended. • Reserve for actual inquiries (Can you include more

information for each work entry?)

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Non-Conventionally Indirect Strategies

• Example: Work experience is typically included here.

• Strong hints (This section has a lot of information)

• Mild hints (Tables can help when you have a lot of information)

Suggestions• AVOID!

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Conveying possibility and not obligation

• Use illocutionary-force indicating device (explicitly state purpose)

• Use with preparatory strategies

• You might include more information about your work experience. This is just a suggestion, however.