1. AHMAD SUHAIRI BIN MOHAMED SUHAIMI P64321
Investigating Politeness in Spoken Language: Students’ Inquisition Towards Lecturers
AHMAD SUHAIRI BIN MOHAMED SUHAIMI
P64321

2. Background of Study
Some cultures stress on politeness when they communicate with other people
Sometimes, words chose by students do not much reflect their politeness
Impoliteness can lead to communication breakdown

3. Statement of Problem
Bayles (2009), she stated that Brown and Levinson (1987) stressed that politeness is important.
Yule (2008) - awareness
Unable to save face – leads to Face Threatening Acts (FTAs)
Impoliteness – affect teaching and learning process (Bacha, Bahous and Diab, 2012)

4. Purpose of Study
To find out the existence of politeness during inquisition process among students and lecturers
To find out the differences between strategies used
To find out how Brown and Levinson’s theories related to the strategies used by students

5. Research Questions
What are the politeness markers identified when students ask their lecturers?
What are the differences between male and female politeness strategies?
How are Brown and Levinson’s politeness strategies related with students’ politeness during inquisition process?

6. Review of Literature Politeness Markers
All language possess politeness markers (Ardila, 2008)
Negative politeness – hedging – introduces several different categories of politeness markers.
Politeness markers used by male were roughly equal to female (Hobbs, 2003)

7. Gender
Bacha, Bahous and Diab (2012),focusing on gender and politeness in foreign language academic context
As cited in Bacha, Bahous and Diab (2012) - Lakoff (1975) – Women used more indirect request than male

8. Brown and Levinson Politeness Strategies
Bacha, Bahous and Diab (2012), they stated that Mao (1994) criticized the theory
Kitamura (2000) concluded that the Brown and Levinson politeness theory can be a powerful tool to analyze politeness

9. Methodology
Qualitative study

10. Selection of sampling
6-8 participants
Convenience sampling

11. Data Analysis Conversation Analysis Students will be interviewed
Audio recorded will be transcribed – Jefferson Notation Theory

12. References
Ardila, J. A. G Metapragmatic First- Order Politeness In Peninsula Spanish. University of Edinburgh: Britain
Bacha, N. N, Bahous, R. & Diab, R. L Gender and Politeness in a Foreign Language Academic Context.
Bayles, R An Investigation into politeness, small talk and gender. Vol 1: The University of Nothingham.
Hobbs, P The medium is the message: politeness strategies in men’s and women’s voice mail messages. University of California: Los Angeles
Kitamura, N Adapting Brown and Levinson’s ‘politeness’ theory to the analysis of casual conversation. School of European, Asian & Middle Eastern Languages & Studies. University of Sydney: Australia
Svarova, J Politeness Markers in Spoken Languge. Masaryk University Brno