Alle Publikationen
2018
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(2018): “Cunt”. On the perception and handling of verbal dynamite by L1 and LX users of English. In: Multilingua 37 (1), S. 53-81. DOI: 10.1515/multi-2017-0013
Abstract: "Cunt" is currently one of the most offensive words in the English language and is usually censored in the English press and media. The present study looks firstly at differences between 1159 first (L1) and 1165 foreign (LX) users of English in their perceived understanding of the word, its perceived offensiveness and their self-reported frequency of use. Secondly, it considers the relationships between the dependent variables and a number of psychological, sociobiographical and linguistic profile variables. The findings suggest that LX users are less sure about the exact meaning of the word, underestimate its offensiveness and use it less frequently than L1 users. Links between understanding of the word and its perceived offensiveness vary for L1 and LX users. High levels of Extraversion, Neuroticism and Psychoticism were linked to more frequent use of the word, as were lower levels of education, a younger age, being a male and working in a swearing-rich environment for both L1 and LX users. Variation in the group of LX users was linked to age of onset of acquisition of English, context of acquisition, self-reported oral proficiency, frequency of use of English and having lived in an English-speaking environment.
Keywords: time -
(2018): It's no problem to be polite. Apparent-time change in responses to thanks. In: Journal of Sociolinguistics 22 (2), S. 190-215. DOI: 10.1111/josl.12278
Abstract: This paper reports a rapid and anonymous study of apparent-time change in Toronto among the use of expressions such as you're welcome and no problem as responses to thanks, thank you, and thank you very much. We observe change in progress toward no problem and no worries at the expense of you're welcome. Meanwhile, a change in stylistic stratification is also taking place: for older speakers, no problem is a less formal response, suitable principally for responding to more perfunctory thanks, rather than more formal thank you; among younger speakers, no problem appears at equal rates in response to all levels of thanking expressions. This combination of changes may explain the intensity of the negative attention no problem attracts from prescriptivists and in popular media, in that older people perceive younger speakers as using what to them is an informal variant disproportionately frequently when a formal variant is called for. Cet article rapporte les resultats d'un sondage rapide et anonyme ciblant un changement en temps apparent en anglais torontois concernant les expressions telles que you're welcome et no problem en reponse a thanks, thank you et thank you very much. Nous constatons un changement en cours vers no problem et no worries au detriment de you're welcome. Ce changement est accompagne d'un nivellement stylistique : chez les locuteurs aines, no problem constitue une replique moins polie, convenable en reponse a thanks, variante familiere, plutot qu'a thank you, variante plus soignee; en revanche, chez les jeunes no problem affiche des taux de frequence contextuels qui ne tiennent pas compte de la nature de l'expression de remerciement utilisee. L'emploi de no problem fait couler beaucoup d'encre, ce qui s'expliquerait potentiellement par la complexite de cet ensemble de changements : les aines constateraient dans le discours soutenu des jeunes l'utilisation accrue d'une variante jugee deplacee, alors que les jeunes n'associent aucune marque de formalite a cette variante croissante.
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(2018): Hearing taboo words can result in early talker effects in word recognition for female listeners. In: Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006) 71 (2), S. 435-448. DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2016.1253757
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27784198 Abstract: Previous spoken word recognition research using the long-term repetition-priming paradigm found performance costs for stimuli mismatching in talker identity. That is, when words were repeated across the two blocks, and the identity of the talker changed reaction times (RTs) were slower than when the repeated words were spoken by the same talker. Such performance costs, or talker effects, followed a time course, occurring only when processing was relatively slow. More recent research suggests that increased explicit and implicit attention towards the talkers can result in talker effects even during relatively fast processing. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether word meaning would influence the pattern of talker effects in an easy lexical decision task and, if so, whether results would differ depending on whether the presentation of neutral and taboo words was mixed or blocked. Regardless of presentation, participants responded to taboo words faster than neutral words. Furthermore, talker effects for the female talker emerged when participants heard both taboo and neutral words (consistent with an attention-based hypothesis), but not for participants that heard only taboo or only neutral words (consistent with the time-course hypothesis). These findings have important implications for theoretical models of spoken word recognition.
Keywords: time 2017
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(2017): Mapping Hansard Impression Management Strategies through Time and Space. In: Studia Neophilologica 89 (sup1), S. 5-20. DOI: 10.1080/00393274.2017.1370981
Abstract: Impolite behaviour is thought to be easier to investigate than polite or politic behaviour in diachronic contexts, because of attracting more evaluative comment. But an approach based on such metapragmatic commentary can miss a lot of facework strategies in contexts such as the UK parliament (modern and historical). In this paper, I draw on Historic Hansard datasets (1812-2003) to demonstrate how a (semi)automatic method involving contiguous searches of two-to-four features can better reveal the nuances of these MPs' facework strategies than a focus on metapragmatic terms has afforded hitherto. The (semi)automatic method uses the recently created Historic Thesaurus Semantic Tagger (HTST) to search for meaning constellations (Archer and Malory 2017). Meaning constellations relating to facework are made up of sequences of semantic fields and/or parts-of-speech which, when organised in certain ways, achieve im/politeness, politic behaviour, strategic ambiguity, a combination of face enhancement and face threat, etc. This paper discusses a number of these meaning constellations, with a particular focus on those which engage in both face enhancement and face aggravation simultaneously (whilst nonetheless avoiding the label, unparliamentary language).
Keywords: time -
(2017): Tracing facework over time using semi-automated methods. In: International Journal of Corpus Linguistics 22 (1), S. 27-56. DOI: 10.1075/ijcl.22.1.02arc
Abstract: Impolite behaviour tends to attract more evaluative comment than other facework, making it easier to investigate synchronically and diachronically. A reliance on metapragmatic commentary is not optimum for UK parliamentary studies, however, as MPs cannot use "insulting or rude language" that breaks the chamber's "rules of politeness" (www.parliament.uk). The work reported here thus offers three innovative methods of tracing MPs' facework as they negotiated the "unparliamentary language" prohibition, and the results gleaned when the methods were applied to Hansard records (1812-2004). Method 1 prioritises portmanteau tags made up of USAS semtags. Method 2 prioritises themes derived from the HTOED. Method 3 draws on 'meaning constellations' (i.e. simultaneous searches of multiple tags). The UK parliamentary website highlights the "considerable ingenuity" displayed by MPs in order to circumvent their unparliamentary language prohibition. All methods have found examples of such ingenuity, many of which are characterized by multiple facework intentions (Archer 2015).
Keywords: time -
(2017): Swearing at work. The mixed outcomes of profanity. In: Journal of Managerial Psychology 32 (2), S. 149-162. DOI: 10.1108/JMP-04-2016-0102
Abstract: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the use and misuse of swearing in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach - Using a qualitative methodology, the authors interviewed 52 lawyers, medical doctors and business executives in the UK, France and the USA. Findings - In contrast to much of the incivility and social norms literatures, the authors find that male and female business executives, lawyers and doctors of all ages admit to swearing. Further, swearing can lead to positive outcomes at the individual, interpersonal and group levels, including stress-relief, communicationenrichment and socialization- enhancement. Research limitations/implications - An implication for future scholarship is that "thinking out of the box" when exploring emotion-related issues can lead to new insights. Practical implications - Practical implications include reconsidering and tolerating incivility under certain conditions. Originality/value - The authors identified a case in which a negative phenomenon reveals counter-intuitive yet insightful results.
Keywords: time -
(2017): English-language swearing as humor in Swedish comic strips. In: Journal of Pragmatics 121, S. 175-187. DOI: 10.1016/j.pragma.2017.10.014
Abstract: In this paper, I investigate the Swedish, non-native use of English swear words in Swedish-language comic strips. I first consider the established relationships between both swearing and humor, and comics and humor. I propose that swear word usage and the comic strip framework contribute to a mutual feedback loop, whereby the comic strip derives its humor from the use of English swear words, while at the same time the comic strip context, by invoking a play frame, primes the swear word usage for humorous interpretation. Modeling Siegel (1995), I then consider how a code-switch to English serves as a framing device or contextualization cue for humor in Swedish language contexts. The analysis of a selection of Swedish comic strips draws from the Encryption Theory of Humor (Flamson and Barrett, 2008), and suggests that humor created via the Swedish practice of swearing in English is a function of shared background knowledge that capitalizes on the fundamental incongruity of two discourse systems operating under different norms of appropriateness.
Keywords: time -
(2017): Children’s early awareness of the effect of interpersonal status on politeness. In: Journal of Politeness Research 13 (1). DOI: 10.1515/pr-2014-0016
Abstract: This study discusses two Mandarin-speaking children's linguistic politeness through longitudinally observing their uses of request forms with regard to different interactional situations where their interpersonal status may vary accordingly. It seems that the children demonstrate a systematic correspondence between request forms and directness to adhere to politeness at an early age. Although they apparently prefer to utilize comparatively more direct request forms most of the time, a closer investigation reveals a division of labor: they appear to use simple imperatives when their interpersonal status is either superior or equal to their parents and use declaratives with the lexeme WANT when their interpersonal status is inferior. It is therefore suggested that politeness may be mutually negotiated between interlocutors and that children should get socialized with politeness through interaction with adults or other children within various social or interpersonal relationships.
Keywords: Direkte oder indirekte Art der Fragestellung/Formulierung etc., Familie/Eltern-Kinder, Grammatische Elemente (Lexeme u.a.), Kommunikations-/Interaktionsprinzipien, Situationsbedingter Kontext, Social Rank, Soziale Hierarchie, Sprachgebrauch, Sprachverstehen, time, Verhalten von Höherstehenden gegenüber Niedrigstehenden, Verhalten von Niedrigstehenden gegenüber Höherstehenden, want -
(2017): Effects of context and individual differences on the processing of taboo words. In: Acta psychologica 178, S. 73-86. DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2017.05.012
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28618300 Abstract: Previous studies suggest that taboo words are special in regards to language processing. Findings from the studies have led to the formation of two theories, global resource theory and binding theory, of taboo word processing. The current study investigates how readers process taboo words embedded in sentences during silent reading. In two experiments, measures collected include eye movement data, accuracy and reaction time measures for recalling probe words within the sentences, and individual differences in likelihood of being offended by taboo words. Although certain aspects of the results support both theories, as the likelihood of a person being offended by a taboo word influenced some measures, neither theory sufficiently predicts or describes the effects observed. The results are interpreted as evidence that processing effects ascribed to taboo words are largely, but not completely, attributable to the context in which they are used and the individual attitudes of the people who hear/read them. The results also demonstrate the importance of investigating taboo words in naturalistic language processing paradigms. A revised theory of taboo word processing is proposed that incorporates both global resource theory and binding theory along with the sociolinguistic factors and individual differences that largely drive the effects observed here.
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(2017): Frankly, We Do Give a Damn. The Relationship Between Profanity and Honesty. In: Social Psychological and Personality Science 8 (7), S. 816-826. DOI: 10.1177/1948550616681055
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29187959 Abstract: There are two conflicting perspectives regarding the relationship between profanity and dishonesty. These two forms of norm-violating behavior share common causes and are often considered to be positively related. On the other hand, however, profanity is often used to express one's genuine feelings and could therefore be negatively related to dishonesty. In three studies, we explored the relationship between profanity and honesty. We examined profanity and honesty first with profanity behavior and lying on a scale in the lab (Study 1; N = 276), then with a linguistic analysis of real-life social interactions on Facebook (Study 2; N = 73,789), and finally with profanity and integrity indexes for the aggregate level of U.S. states (Study 3; N = 50 states). We found a consistent positive relationship between profanity and honesty; profanity was associated with less lying and deception at the individual level and with higher integrity at the society level.
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(2017): Learning to Eat Politely at the Chinese Homestay Dinner Table. Two Contrasting Case Studies. In: Foreign Language Annals 50 (1), S. 135-158. DOI: 10.1111/flan.12244
Abstract: While study abroad homestays are often credited with providing opportunities for language and cultural learning, at times they can be characterized by communicative, cross-cultural, or interpersonal discord. In documenting these conflicts and their consequences, research to date has relied largely on students' self-reports, often focusing on their negative effect on students' orientations to learning. Grounded in Vygotskian sociocultural theory, this study adopts a longitudinal approach to the multimodal, multisensory process of learning table etiquette in Chinese homestays, including the perspectives of both hosts and students. Analysis of communicative interactions, photographs, diaries, and interviews reveals that the hosts directed students' attention to their inadequate etiquette at mealtimes through contextualized directives and accusations. These face-threatening acts stipulated dos and don'ts while also ultimately cultivating some habits of virtuous eating. Over time, face-threatening acts became repertoires of communicative resources invoked by students to control their social and mental activity. The findings suggest that students and hosts can collaboratively resolve homestay problems, transforming them into opportunities for learning.
Keywords: time -
(2017): Identity theft with parodic purposes in the social network Twitter: verbal expressions of impoliteness?. La usurpación de la identidad con fines paródicos en la red social Twitter ¿manifestaciones de descortesía verbal?. In: Rilce. Revista de Filología Hispánica 33 (2), S. 537-565. DOI: 10.15581/008.33.2.537-65
Abstract: In this exploratory study we focus on fake profiles created on Twitter, whose purpose seems to be threatening the face of public figures and celebrities. Following a sociocultural pragmatic approach, we investigate the main face work strategies adopted by the administrators of these profiles and verify whether the messages they publish have negative effects on the mocked public figure, the administrator or the listeners' faces, being an expression of impoliteness. The qualitative analysis of a corpus of 5030 tweets leads to the conclusion that parody in this context has a negative effect on the public figure's face, but, at the same time, it strengthens the social ties with followers.
Keywords: time -
(2017): "You Need to Be a Good Listener". Recruiters' Use of Relational Communication Behaviors to Enhance Clinical Trial and Research Study Accrual. In: Journal of health communication 22 (2), S. 95-101. DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2016.1256356
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28085636 Abstract: Medical and research professionals who discuss clinical trials and research studies with potential participants face an often daunting challenge, particularly when recruiting from minority and underserved populations. This study reports on findings from a focus group study of 63 research coordinators, study nurses, professional recruiters, and other professionals in Indianapolis, IN and Miami, FL who work to recruit from minority and underserved populations. These professionals discussed the importance of creating a sense of connection with potential participants as part of the recruitment and retention process. Building a relationship, however fleeting, involved a number of concrete behaviors, including listening to personal information, expressing empathy, and then providing reciprocal self-disclosures; having repeated contact, usually by working in the same environment over an extended period of time; demonstrating respect through politeness and the use of honorifics; going the extra mile for participants; offering flexibility in scheduling follow-up appointments; and creating a sense of personal and community trust by being truthful. The implications of these findings for clinical trial and research study accrual are discussed.
Keywords: Adult, Aufrichtigkeit/Truthfulness, Benutzen von Respektanrede/Honorifics, Bereitschaft zu Termin-Flexibilität, Bereitschaft, für den Interaktionspartner mehr Aufwand auf sich zu nehmen, als erwartet wird, Clinical Trials as Topic, Communication, Demonstration von Respekt gegenüber dem Interaktionspartner, Empathie, Female, Florida, Focus Groups, Häufigkeit des Kontakts mit dem Interaktionspartner, Humans, Indiana, Kommunikations-/Interaktionsprinzipien, Listening to personal information, Male, Middle Aged, Minority Groups, Patient Selection, Research Personnel/psychology/statistics & numerical data, Researcher-Subject Relations, Self-disclosure, time, Übermitteln von Gefühlen/Emotionen, Vulnerable Populations, Young Adult -
(2017): An experimental investigation into perceptions of disrespect during interpersonal conflict. In: Social science research 62, S. 134-149. DOI: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2016.08.001
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28126094 Abstract: Perceptions of disrespect are central to everyday life. Despite the importance of disrespect across various social arenas, prior research has failed to empirically examine the factors influencing these perceptions. This problem is magnified when considering that perceptions or disrespect may vary across individuals and social situations alike. Drawing from theories of social geometry and symbolic interaction, this study examines the individual and situational characteristics that inform perceptions of disrespect. Using factorial vignettes, and a large sample of students, respondents were asked to assess actors in various conflicts. Results from a series of hierarchical linear models show that perceptions of disrespect vary across individuals. The content of situations appears to drive perceptions of disrespect more than individual characteristics. Implications for future research on disrespect are discussed.
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(2017): News Values, Cognitive Biases, and Partisan Incivility in Comment Sections. In: Journal of Communication 67 (4), S. 586-609. DOI: 10.1111/jcom.12312
Abstract: Partisan incivility is prevalent in news comments, but we have limited insight into how journalists and news users engage with it. Gatekeeping, cognitive bias, and social identity theories suggest that journalists may tolerate incivility while users actively promote partisan incivility. Using 9.6 million comments from The New York Times, we analyze whether the presence of uncivil and partisan terms affects how journalists and news users engage with comments. Results show that partisanship and incivility increase recommendations and the likelihood of receiving an abuse flag. Swearing increases the likelihood of a comment being rejected and reduces the chances of being highlighted as a NYT Pick. These findings suggest that journalists and news users interact with partisan incivility differently, and that some forms of incivility may be promoted or tacitly accepted in comments.
Keywords: time -
(2017): Linguistic Deception of Chinese Cyber Fraudsters. In: 3L The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies 23 (3), S. 108-122. DOI: 10.17576/3L-2017-2303-08
Abstract: Cybercrimes are on the increase in China and 'QQ', an instant messenger platform, is frequently exploited for these crimes. Fraudsters manipulate language to deceive users into revealing their bank accounts or depositing sums in the cheats' accounts. Employing the theoretical framework that includes Speech Act Theory and Politeness Theory, the researchers attempted to identify the strategies used by such fraudsters. The subjects of this study included 50 interlocutors who had already chatted with different online cheats and had a record of their conversations. The data were collected and analysed on the basis of the type of discourse themes displayed. Findings indicated that the chats displayed various themes like Business Invitation, Money Transfer, Account Hacking and Online Shopping. In addition, the three levels of speech acts of locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary were discernible and most fraudsters did not bother to address face threatening acts. In comparison to hoax email writers, the fraudsters in instant communication regularly came across as more aggressive and imperative, but then softened their diction if victims were not interested to chat with them in real time. The implications of this study lie in the possibility of developing a model for fraudster or cheat discourse structure, thus alerting QQ users in particular of such crimes. Other online instant messenger users will also benefit from this study. Better informed of how cheats manipulate language to present untruth as truth and be alerted of the modus operandi involved in online deception, victims can be saved and the crime curbed. The issue of the victim's vulnerability and the reasons behind it certainly deserve further linguistic and metalinguistic scrutiny.
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(2017): The Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television. Increases in the Use of Swear Words in American Books, 1950-2008. In: SAGE Open 7 (3). DOI: 10.1177/2158244017723689
Abstract: Evidence is accumulating that American culture has become more individualistic since the 1950s. In the present research, we focused on one plausible manifestation of individualism, the use of swear words in cultural products. We examined trends in the use of the seven words identified by George Carlin in 1972 as the seven words you can never say on television in the Google Books corpus of American English books from 1950 to 2008. We find a steady linear increase in the use of swear words, with books published in 2005-2008 twenty-eight times more likely to include swear words than books published in the early 1950s. Increases for individual swear words ranged from 4 to 678 times (ds = 6.58-45.42). These results suggest that American culture has become increasingly accepting of the expression of taboo words, consistent with higher cultural individualism.
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(2017): Impoliteness in EFL. Foreign Language Learners’ Complaining Behaviors Across Social Distance and Status Levels. In: SAGE Open 7 (3). DOI: 10.1177/2158244017732816
Abstract: A growing body of literature has investigated impoliteness in many domains. Nevertheless, little research has examined impoliteness done by foreign language learners. Impoliteness used in interlanguage complaints by English as a foreign language learners was observed. The effects of interlocutors' different status levels and social distance on the use of impoliteness were analyzed. Empirical data were elicited by means of oral discourse completion tasks from 50 Indonesian English as a foreign language learners in Central Java, Indonesia. The overall direction of the findings showed trends that status levels and social distance between interlocutors prompted different frequencies and strategies of impoliteness. The frequent use of impolite complaints was instigated by a number of factors such as the learners' understanding about the speech act in question, their perceptions on the social distance and status levels of interlocutors, and the nature of the research instrument.
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(2017): To the problem of the ethics of using irony in pedagogical speech. In: PHILOLOGICAL CLASS 49 (3), S. 59-63
Abstract: The ethical aspect of using irony in pedagogical speech is explored. A definition of irony is given based on the analysis of modern scientific and methodological literature. It is defined as a form of aggression and a negative speech phenomenon since it expresses hidden mockery. The purpose of such irony is suppression and humiliation of the interlocutor. At the same time, the article gives examples of school and university teachers' speech, in which irony is not only a negative but also a positive speech phenomenon. This method can be put into practice within the framework of etiquette genres of apology, compliment, request, polite refusal, warning, expression of doubt and dispute. At the same time, irony performs educational, regulatory and informational functions: setting an emotional contact, developing proper speech behavior, and solving learning problems. The conclusion is drawn that the effectiveness of irony as a pedagogical method depends on the personality of the addressee and the nature of the relationship between the interlocutors. In addition, it is quite promising to study this problem from the point of view of an addressee, considering such factors as a sense of humor, the ability to understand indirect types of statements and to correctly assess the context, and susceptibility to criticism.
Keywords: time 2016
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(2016): Noise and Sound Reconciled. How London Clubs Shaped Conversation into a Social Art. In: Études Épistémè (29). DOI: 10.4000/episteme.1208
Abstract: This essay aims to show how London clubs played a decisive role in the shaping of conversation into a social art. It first examines the evolution of conversation in England both as a cultural concept and as a social practice in the context of the emergence and success of club sociability over the course of the eighteenth century. Conversation was at the heart of urban sociability practices and especially flourished in the London coffee-houses of the end of the seventeenth century. At the same time, conversation was theorized, conceptualized, modeled and discussed in a prolific and varied normative literature. Was the conversation that animated the first coffee-houses of the same nature as the conversation which prevailed in the exclusive circles of the second half of the eighteenth century? This study then points at obvious dissonances between the theory and the practice of conversation within the world of London clubs. While club conversation was a rite of worldly sociability, whose refined principles clubmen were supposed to master, it often sounded far from the smooth and polite prescriptive model it was expected to conform to. To what extent was Samuel Johnson, the founder of The Club and one of the greatest conversationalists of his time, a significant agent in the transformation of conversation into a social art in itself? Finally, this analysis claims that gentlemen's clubs contributed to shape a new model of conversation in England, in which noise and sound could co-exist and the paradoxes inherent in club conversation could be reconciled.
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(2016): Laughter, Smiling and Their Pragmatic/Interpersonal Functions. An Interactional Linguistic Account. In: CONCENTRIC-STUDIES IN LINGUISTICS 42 (2), S. 135-168
Abstract: Based on 495 minutes of audio-and video-recorded data from television variety shows, this paper intends to illustrate and discuss the pragmatic/interpersonal functions of laughter and smiling from an interactional linguistic perspective. Laughter and smiling are not only expressions of emotion or subconscious responses to stimuli (Van Hooff 1972, Kendon 1975, Ekman & Friesen 1982, Glenn 2003, Holt 2011, Bavelas, Gerwing & Healing 2014, Warner-Garcia 2014). While laughter can show appreciation of another one's humor/teasing, it can also be used as a prompt, indicating that the utterance is laughable, thereby inviting others to join in. Laughter can also be faked, produced by imitating the sound of natural laughter that displays pleasure and happiness. This type of laughter is often used for showing disagreement. Smiling, on the other hand, can be used to politely reject another one's humor/teasing. It can also be used to mark non-verbal sarcasm. Its sarcastic nature results from the listener's attempt at suppressing the desire to mock the current speaker while at the same time showing it in a passive-aggressive manner. Finally, smiling can also be used to show contempt. This type of smiling is produced by slightly raising one corner of the mouth and is characterized by looking somebody up and down, accompanied by different forms of verbal aggression and hand gestures.
Keywords: time -
(2016): Chairing Meetings. Turn and Topic Control in Development Communication in Rural Zanzibar. In: Discourse & Society 9 (1), S. 33-56. DOI: 10.1177/0957926598009001002
Abstract: This paper presents a linguistic analysis of the roles and verbal contributions of chairwomen in two agricultural co-operatives in rural Zanzibar. Discourse analysis with a focus on realizations of politeness and powerless speech style is used to study two communicative events. In the first co-operative, the chairwoman controls the meeting through the allocation of turns and topics. as well as the use of her position and its privileges to persuade others of her opinion. In this context, the use of passive voice, subjunctive forms, hedges, the choice of pronouns and address forms is of specific interest to us. In the second co-operative, an Agricultural Extension Officer present in the meeting interferes. practically taking over the task of chairing the meeting. While the chairwoman is forced to defend her position, her irritation and uncertainty are ex pressed in contributions that contain several characteristics of a powerless speech style. At the same time, the chairwoman's reply to the intrusion shows commitment and emphasis on a point that is crucial to her. In Meeting Two presequences, false starts, changes in the word order, hedges. direct speech. choice of tense and address forms are particularly relevant.
Keywords: Anrede, Dialog/Konversation/Rede, Direktheit/direkte Rede, Fehlstarts/false starts, Heckenausdrücke/Hedges, Intervention/Unterbrechung etc., Konjunktiv/Subjunktiv, Macht, Passive Stimme, Powerless speech style, Presequences, Pronomen, Reihenfolge von Wörtern im Satz, Tempus/Zeitform/tense, time -
(2016): Being Politically Impolite. Extending Politeness Theory to Adversarial Political Discourse. In: Discourse & Society 12 (4), S. 451-472. DOI: 10.1177/0957926501012004003
Abstract: This article attempts to extend politeness theory beyond informal situations to adversarial political discourse, using Prime Minister's Question Time in the British Parliament as data. Viewing the House of Commons as a 'community of practice' (Lave and Wenger, 1991) provides a way of exploring concepts of politeness and impoliteness against a set of member expectations. The article argues three main propositions: (1) that much of the discourse of Prime Minister's Question Time is composed of intentional and explicitly face-threatening (or face-enhancing) acts and that these can be analysed in terms of both propositional and interactional levels: (2) that negative politeness features co-exist with the performance of intentional threats to the hearer's positive face and that these can only be understood and interpreted in relationship to Parliament as an Institution and the wider political context; and (3) that systematic impoliteness is not only sanctioned but rewarded in accordance with the expectations of Members of the House by an adversarial and confrontational political process.
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(2016): Manifestation of Malay Politeness in Asking and Giving Advice. Manifestasi Kesantunan Melayu dalam Ujaran Memberi dan Meminta Nasihat. In: GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies 16 (2), S. 73-94. DOI: 10.17576/gema-2016-1602-05
Abstract: The acts of asking and giving advice are linguistically complex and require observations of politeness norms that exist across cultures. Lack of understanding on this aspect of communication often leads to conflicts or resistance to the advice given. This can be especially so in motivational radio phone-in shows where the politeness strategies of the callers can be numerous. Hence, an analysis was done to identify the patterns of politeness employed in a talk show entitled "Celik Mata Reset Minda Orang Yang Tenang" aired on Radio IKIMfm. Brown and Levinson's (1987) Politeness Model, and Grice's (1975) Maxims of Cooperative Principles were combined to form a model called "Model Pola Kombinasi Strategi dan Maksim" (MPKSM) to analyse the 33 dialogues in the body structure of a conversational context. MPKSM forms four patterns of combined strategies which are Patterns A, B, C and D with the main patterns of P2 and P3. P2 consists of both positive and negative politeness strategies while P3 consists of off-record strategies. Both P2 and P3 are related to the maxims of Cooperative Principles. The speech acts of asking and giving advice from those who took part in the body structure of the radio talk show were analysed using five methods which are downloading of texts, text analysis, transcription, labelling and coding as well as through quantitative approach. The findings indicate that the participants in the talk show have applied the MPKSM in their utterances by minimizing Face Threatening Acts (FTA) while planning the acts to avoid conflicts, with pattern B being dominantly used. The study also shows that time constraint and the presence of overhearer audience were significant factors in influencing the selection of politeness strategies among participants.
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(2016): Swears in Context. The Difference Between Casual and Abusive Swearing. In: Journal of psycholinguistic research 45 (2), S. 259-274. DOI: 10.1007/s10936-014-9345-z
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25480107 Abstract: Although swearing is taboo language, it frequently appears in daily conversations. To explain this paradox, two studies examined contextualized swearing in Indian and non-Indian participants. In Study 1, participants assessed the appropriateness of mild, moderate, and severe swears in casual and abusive contexts; in Study 2, participants completed contextual dialogues with mild, moderate, or severe swearwords. Results indicated that mild and moderate swears were more appropriate in casual settings than in abusive scenarios; severe swears were the most inappropriate, regardless of context. Mild and moderate swears were likely to be used to complete casual and abusive dialogues respectively, even though it was expected that severe swears would be compatible with abusive settings. Moreover, gender and nationality differences suggested that assessing appropriateness of swearing behaviour and likelihood of swearword usage provided independent and contrasting findings. Cultural variations in swearing behaviour, particularly contextualized swearing, and suggestions for further research are outlined.
Keywords: Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Female, Humans, India/ethnology, Language, Male, Middle Aged, Taboo, time, Verbal Behavior, Young Adult