Pragmatics

Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Ngoan

Nguyen Tran Thanh Thuy

 Group 7 Group members

Linguistic 1. Lê Thị Thu Thảo

Politeness and 2.
3.
Nguyễn Ngọc An Thi
Lê Thị Thanh Thi

social 4.
5.
Đặng Thị Thanh Thúy
Nguyễn Trần Thanh Thủy

interaction
Nguyen Tran Thanh Thuy
 Contents 1. Interaction
A linguistic interaction is necessarily a
1. Interaction social interaction.(Tương tác ngôn ngữ
2. Politeness nhất thiết phải là tương tác xã hội.)
3. Face wants:
+ Face-threatening acts
+ Face-saving acts
. Negative and positive face
. Self and other
4. Negative and positive politeness
5. Strategies
6. Pre-sequences

Nguyen Tran Thanh Thuy

 1. Interaction

Various factors relating to social distance and

closeness.
 External factors: involve the
participants in the interaction,
including relative status, based on social
standing, age, gender and power.
 Internal factors: typically concern the
weight of imposition, the degree of
friendliness, and attitudes of the
speaker and hearer.

Social distance (vị thế xã hội)

and closeness (mức độ gắn bó)
Nguyen Tran Thanh Thuy
 2. Politeness
(1829-1892)

Richards (1985: 281)

George Youle (1997: 60)
Politeness as “the attempt to
establish, maintain, and save face
- Polite social behaviour
during conversation” - Being tacful, generous, modest,
and sympathetic toward others
- Showing awareness of another
(nỗ lực thiết lập, duy trì và lưu giữ person’s face
khuôn mặt trong cuộc trò chuyện) - Being accomplished in
situations of social distance or
closeness

Nguyen Tran Thanh Thuy

 Interactions

Internal factors External factors

( influence )

What we say

How we are interpreted

Interpretation
Evaluations Politeness

( rude, inconsiderate,
considerate and Impact of evaluations
thoughtful)
 FACE WANTS

FACE – a person’s public

self-image
FACE WANTS: a person’s
expectations that their public
self-image will be respected

WANTS - expectations

ĐẶNG THỊ THANH

THUÝ
- Face threatening act: a threat to another persons self-
image (Yule, 1996:134)

- Face saving act: say something that lessens the

possible threat to another’s face”

ĐẶNG THỊ THANH

ĐẶNG THỊ THANH
 I'm going to tell him
to stop that awful
noise right now!

Perhaps you could just ask him

if he's going to stop soon
because it's getting a bit late
and people need to get to sleep.

ĐẶNG THỊ THANH

Exercise: Decide whether each of the following utterances might
be FSA (face saving act) or FTA (face threatening act):

1. “Thưa thầy, em muốn hỏi thầy một câu được không ạ?” (Nguyễn
Thiện Giáp, 2002:105)
FSA

2. Could you repeat that? FSA

3. What? FTA

4. You’re not smart enough to win always! FTA

5. I was lucky, you’ll do better next time! FSA

ĐẶNG THỊ THANH

KINDS OF FACE SAVING ACT

Negative face

Positive face

ĐẶNG THỊ THANH

 Negative face

Is the need to BE
INDEPENDENT

+ to have a freedom of action

+ not to be imposed by others

ĐẶNG THỊ THANH

Example: Your friend asks for borrowing some money.

I don’t feel like lending him some money.

My reason is that I need to buy something right now.
(So, he can borrow others.)

Negative face
ĐẶNG THỊ THANH
 Positive face
Is the need to BE CONNECTED

+ To be treated as a member of the group

+ To know his/ her desires are shared by others

ĐẶNG THỊ THANH

Example: Your friend asks for borrowing some money.

I would lend him because I want him to like me and I want

the reputation of being a generous person.

Positive face
ĐẶNG THỊ THANH
 A SMALL TEST

Positive Negative
You look nice today

Excuse me, but I think you are

in my seat
That is a good essay. Well done

Do you mind if I read your

newspaper?

ĐẶNG THỊ THANH

Self and other: say nothing

LÊ THỊ THU
THẢO
Situation: You arrive at an important lecture. You want
to take notes but realize that you do not have a pen.
There is a person sitting next to you. In this situation
you are going to be (self) and the person next to you is
going to be other.

“Here, use it”

To look in bag

Self Others
Situation: You arrive at an important lecture. You want
to take notes but realize that you do not have a pen.
There is a person sitting next to you. In this situation
you are going to be (self) and the person next to you is
going to be other.

“Here, use it”

To look in bag

Self Others
 SAY SOMETHING:
OFF AND ON RECORD
Say something: off and on record
1. Off record: utterances not directly addressed to the
other.
Eg: a. Uh, I forgot my pen.
b. hmm, I wonder where I put my pen.
2. On record: utterances directly addressed the other
to express self needs. Using imperative form is known
as bald on record.
Eg: a. Give me a pan.
b. Lend me your pen.
 Quizes:

Q1: Your pen runs out of ink. You try to write down it in
the paper, but with the vague intention that your problem
will be recognized.
What kind of interaction is it?

-> Self and other: say nothing

Not directly address to the other.
Ex: After your search through your bag
“Uh, I forgot my pen.”
“Hmm, I wonder where I put my pen.”
 OFF RECORD
Directly address to the other.
Ex: “Give me a pen.”
“ Lend me your pen.”
 ON RECORD
The most direct approach, using imperative forms, is known as
bald on record.
MITIGATING DEVICES
 Mitigating devices
Mitigating devices: (eg. Please, would you) can
be used with bald on record forms to soften the
demand.
* Bald on record approach is different from direct command
forms (imperatives)
• Because imperatives forms are often used by close
familiars without being interpreted as commands.
Eg: a. Have some more cake.
b. Give me that wet umbrella.
 Positive and negative
politeness

An Thi
(1) How about letting me (3) Hi. How's it going?
use your pen? Okay if I sit here? We
must be interested in the
same crazy stuff. You
take a lot of notes too,
(2) Hey, buddy, I'd
huh? Say, do me a big
appreciate it if you'd let
favor and let me use one
me use your pen.
of your pens.

(6) I know you're busy, but

might I ask you if (4) Could you lend me a
-em- if you happen to have pen?
an extra pen that I could,
you know -eh- may be (5) I'm sorry to bother you, but can I ask
borrow? you for a pen or something?
(1) How about letting me
use your pen?

(2) Hey, buddy, I'd

appreciate it if you'd let
me use your pen.

 These expressions represent greater risk of refusal.

An Thi
 (3) Hi. How's it going? Okay if I sit here? We must
be interested in the same crazy stuff. You take a lot
of notes too, huh? Say, do me a big favor and let
me use one of your pens.

 They are preceded by ‘getting to know you’

talk to establish a common ground for the
positive politeness strategy.

A positive politeness strategy leads the requester to

appeal to a common goal, and even friendship. (Yule &
An Thi Widdowson, 1996, p. 64)
 (1) Bạn ơi, có thể cho (2) Này bạn ơi, mọi việc
mình mượn một cây bút tốt đẹp cả chứ. Bạn ghi
được không? được nhiều chưa? Cho
mình mượn cái bút!
(5) Cho mình hỏi … bạn
… còn cây bút nào nữa
không…? Nếu có … bạn
có thể … cho mượn ... (3) Cho em mượn cái bút
nhé!
(4) Xin lỗi đã làm phiền anh,
nhưng anh có thể cho tôi Some words such as nào, nhé, nha,... are
mượn cái bút được không? also used to show positive politeness
Tôi để quên cái bút ở nhà
mất rồi.
strategy. (Nguyễn, 2000, p. 112)
(4) Could you lend me a
pen?

(6) I know you're busy, but (5) I'm sorry to bother

might I ask you if you, but can I ask you for
-em- if you happen to have a pen or something?
an extra pen that I could,
you know -eh- may be
borrow?

A negative politeness strategy is a face saving act. Modal

verb, expressions of apology for the imposition and questions
to ask for permission are used. (Yule & Widdowson, 1996,
An Thi pp. 64-65)
 Positive politeness Negative politeness
A face saving act which is A face saving act which is
concerned with the person’s oriented to the person’s
positive face. It will tend to show negative face. It will tend to
solidarity, emphasize that both show deference, emphasize the
speakers want the same thing, importance of other’s time and
and that they have a common concern, and even include an
ground. apology for the imposition or
interruption.
(Yule & Widdowson, 1996, pp. 64-65)
An Thi
 How to get a pen from someone else

Say something Say nothing

(but search in bag)
On record Off record
(‘I forgot my pen’)

Face saving act Bald on record

(‘Give me a pen’)

Positive politeness Negative politeness

(How about letting me (‘Could you lend me a pen?’)
use your pen?’)
An Thi How to get a pen from someone else (following Brown and Levinson 1987)
Exercise: Decide whether the following statements are Positive
politeness (P) or Negative politeness (N).
1. The dish tastes delicious! I’d appreciate if you’d give me another
one. P

2. I’m sorry to bother you, but… would you mind turning off the fan?
N you close the door?
3. Could
N
4. How about letting me lend your car?
P
5. I know you’re tired, but might I ask you to carry this bag?
P
An Thi
 Strategies

An Thi
 Example 1:
Hey sweetie! Let’s meet at CGV cinema tonight. We’ll watch
Minions: The rise of Gru.

 Solidarity strategy

 use POSITIVE politeness forms (information, nickname,

inclusive term…)

An Thi
 Example 2:
There’s going to be a party. If you can make it, it will be fun.

 Deference strategy
 use NEGATIVE politeness forms and emphasize the
hearer’s right to freedom

An Thi
 Solidarity strategy Deference strategy
• Using positive politeness forms. • Using negative politeness
• Emphasizing closeness between forms.
speaker and hearer. • Emphasizing the hearer’s
• Including personal information, right to freedom.
nickname, abusive terms… • Being a formal politeness.
• Using inclusive terms: we, let’s

(Yule & Widdowson, 1996, pp. 65-66)

An Thi
Exercise: Identify the kinds of strategy of the following
statements.
1. Hey Ben! Let’s meet up at 8 a.m tomorrow! solidarity

2. Customers may not smoke here, sir? deference

3. It would be happy if you could join the party.

deference
4. Honey! Wait for me until I’m back.
solidarity
An Thi
 SEQUENCES
Definition: “one job pre-sequences are designed to do is to explore the
likelihood that utterance being prefaced, and the action(s) it will do,
will not be responded to in a disprefered way- will not for example be
rejected.”( Schegloff (1990)[43. p156]).
In other word, pre-sequences are used to help participants avoid
embarrassing disprefered responses.

Thanh Thi
Pre-sequences are called “ những lời ướm trước”. He
states that “ mở đầu cuộc thoại thường có chức năng gây
chú ý để đối phương cảm thấy sẽ có một hoặc một chuỗi
lời tiếp theo ; những câu có tính chất thăm dò đối phương
về chủ thể, về quan hệ, về cách thức giao tiếp. Như vậy,
những lời chào, những lời hô gọi, những lời thưa gửi, làm
quen,… là những lời mở đầu”. Nguyễn Thiện Giáp [7, p87]

Thanh Thi
1. Pre-request

2. Pre-invitation

3. Pre-announcement

Thanh Thi
 avoiding risk for the another person can be achieved by
1. Pre-request providing an opportunity for the other person to halt the
potentially risky act rather than simply making a request,
speakers will produce a pre-request

Ex:
A: Are you busy? (pre-request)
B: Not really. ( go ahead)
A: Check over this memo ( request)
B: Ok. ( accept)
-> Advantage : the hearer can decide to stop the pre-request or go ahead
Ex: A: Are you busy? (pre-request)
B: Oh, sorry. (Stop)
Thanh Thi
2. Pre-invitation “a pre-invitation is an utterance
before an invitation to check is an
invitation can be made” (Yule
50.p133)
Ex:
A: What are you going to do this weekend ?( pre-invitation)
B: Oh… Nothing special ( go ahead)
A: Let’s go for a coffee this Sunday ( invitation)
B: Yes, that’s a good idea. ( accept)

Thanh Thi
 According to Levinson (1997) [24, p349], a PA is
3.Pre-announcement an utterance used for “delivering on
(often by children) newsworthiness of potential announcement, for
validating newsworthiness in order to check
someone’s attention that comes before the main
announcement.”

Ex:
A: Jack, do you know what happened ? ( pre-announcement)
B: (Silence)
A: Hey, you know what ? ( pre-
announcement)
B: I’ve to go now. I’m late for school ( stop)
(no ‘go ahead’, silence should be interpreted as ‘stop’
Thanh Thi
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