LANGUAGE AND

POLITENESS
By group 1
GROUP MEMBERS:

• Alda Niasalsabila Sudirman (21084014007)

• Ajenk Melia Ambarwati (202010007)

• Luthfiah

• Adinda Sari Cumlauda (20220130)

• Putri Nurhandayani (20084014003)

• Fitriani Nursyahidah (20220197)

THE NOTION OF POLITENESS
Politeness Peedo says that politeness is ’’defined by the concern for the feelings
of others.’’ Polite manners can be used to come across nicely, but they can also
be used to get something you want. (Levison- Brown, 1987)

According to Brown and Levinson, politeness is used in coversation to

maintain or save the hearers ’’face’’. They say that the face is the self
respect in private or public situations.According to Peedo, Face
Threatening Acts are things ’’that violate on the hearers’ need to maintain
his/her self-esteem, and be respected. ’’
TYPES OF POLITENESS

Politeness can be divided to 4 different categories:

positive politeness, negative politeness, bald on
record politeness and off record politeness.
• Positive politeness is when you notice the other
persons needs or wants or say for instance ’’What
a brilliant house!’’.
• Negative politeness is more distancing. You can
ask things indirectly e.g ’’Would you know where
Aleksi lives?’’. You can also use plural pronouns
e.g ’’We are happy to inform you…’’.
• Off record politeness is using a statement to be
indirect, while trying to get the other person to do
something for you. Saying ’’It sure is getting cold
here’’ to get your friend to close the window is off
record politeness.
• Bald on record politeness is simple. It is bald and
straight forward e.g ’’Pass me the drink’’, and
’’Come in’’ are both in the region of bald on
record politeness.
 MAXIM OF POLITENESS LEECH
• Maxim of Wisdom (tact maxim)
The basic idea of the maxim of wisdom in the principle of politeness is that speech participants must
adhere to the principle of always reducing their own benefits and maximizing the benefits of others in
speaking activities. People who speak and implement the maxim of wisdom can be said to be polite.
Leech (in Wijana, 1996) said that the longer a person's speech, the greater the person's desire to be
polite to the other person.

• Maxim of Generosity
With the maxim of generosity or generosity maxim, the participants of the
speech are expected to be able to respect others. Respect for others will
occur when people can reduce profits for themselves and maximize
profits for others.
 • Maxim of Appreciation
In the maxim of appreciation, it is explained that someone will be considered polite if in speaking they always
try to give appreciation to the other party. With this maxim, it is hoped that the speech participants will not
mock each other, berate each other, or demean each other. Speech participants who often mock other speech
participants in speaking activities will be said to be disrespectful people. It is said that because the act of
mocking is an act of disrespect for others.
• Maxim of Simplicity
IIn the maxim of humility or the maxim of humility, the speech participant is
expected to be humble by reducing praise for himself. People will be said to be
arrogant and arrogant if in speaking activities they always praise and like
themselves.

• Consensus/Compatibility Maxim
In this maxim, it is hoped that the speech participants can foster compatibility or agreement in
speaking activities. If there is agreement or compatibility between the speaker and the speech partner
in speaking activities, each of them can be said to be polite.
 • Maxim of Sympathy
This maxim is expressed in assertive and expressive speech. In the maxim of
sympathy, it is hoped that the speech participants can maximize the attitude
of sympathy between one party and another. If the interlocutor gets success
or happiness, the speaker is obliged to congratulate him. If the interlocutor
gets into trouble, or the speaker deserves to grieve, or express condolences as
a sign of sympathy. Antipathy towards one of the speech participants will be
considered an act of disrespect.
POLITENESS MODEL BROWN-LEVINSON
Face Wants
If a speaker says something that is a threat to others' expectations
of his or her self-image, the action is called the Face Threatening
Act (FTA). Or, one can say something less likely to pose a threat.
This is known as the Face Saving Act (FSA).

Negative and Positive Face

According to Brown and Levinson, negative face is the basic claim
to territories, personal preserves, and rights to non-distraction and
positive face is the positive and consistent image people have of
themselves, and their desire for approval. In other words, the
negative face is the need to be independent and the positive face is
the need to connect.
 POLITENESS STRATEGIES
POSITIVE POLITENESS
Positive politeness aims to save by applying closeness and
solidarity, usually in friendship or friendship, making others
feel comfortable and emphasizing that both parties (speaker
and interlocutor) have the same goal.
NEGATIVE POLITENESS
Negative politeness pays attention to negative faces, by applying the
distance between the speaker and the speech partner and not disturbing
each other's territory. Speakers use it to avoid coercion, and give the
speech partner a choice. Speakers can avoid the impression of being
pushy by emphasizing the other person's interests by using an apology,
or by asking questions that allow for a "no" answer.
POLITENESS STRATEGIES
Positive Politeness Negative Politeness
• usually in groups or • Try to impose the impose
friends or with people • Intrude their personal space
who know each other. • Creates social distance and
• It tries to take away the akwardnes into the situation
distance between people.
• Expresses friendliness
• Intends to bring people
closer.
• Respect Interests.
EXAMPLE OF POLITENESS STRATEGIES
Positive Politeness
• Attend to the hearer:
"you must be hungry, it's a long time since
breakfast. How about some lunch?"
• Avoid disagreement:
A: "What is she, small?"
B: "Yes, yes, she's small, smallish, um, not
really small but certainly not very big."
• Assume agrement:
"so when are you coming to see us?"
• Hedge opinion:
"you really should sort of try harder."
Source: Brown and Levinson's Politeniess
strategies
 Negative Politeness
• Be indirect:
"I'm looking for a comb."
• Forgiveness:
A: "You must forgive me but..."
• Minimize imposition:
"I just want to ask you if could use your computer?"
• Pluralize the person responsible:
"We forgot to tell you that you needed to by your plane ticket by
yesterday"

Source: Brown and Levinson's Politeniess

strategies
POLITENESS IN GREETINGS

Two friends meeting:

• Hi
• What's up?
• Sup dude!
Meeting someone you don't
know:
• Hello
• Good morning
THANK YOU !