Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory: Strategies

Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory

Brown and Levinson’s study examines verbal interaction strategies from a cross-cultural perspective. They establish that strategies for conducting interaction are superficially culture-specific, based on a universal principle of politeness. Conventions are often reasons for doing things, which is the outcome of rational choices made by individuals.

To explain why speakers often use certain strategies, Brown and Levinson introduce the concept of “face.” Face

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Discourse Analysis: Key Concepts and Projects

Key Considerations in Discourse Analysis

1. Planning a Discourse Analysis Project

When planning a discourse analysis, consider the following:

  • Actual research question: Does it contain a good, researchable idea?
  • Well-focused question: This is the key to a good research project.
  • Identifying information: Determine what kind of information each approach can supply.

2. Evaluating a Discourse Analysis

The following issues are crucial when evaluating a discourse analysis:

  • Reliability: The consistency of the results
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Understanding Discourse and Textuality

Discourse and Text: Form, Meaning, and Context

Discourse is text in context. It involves an internal relationship between form and meaning and relates coherently to an external communicative function or purpose and a given audience.

Key Elements of Discourse

  • Channel: Spoken, written, audiovisual, or visual.
  • Agent: Monologic, dialogic, or multilogic.
  • Register: Formal or informal.
  • Social Context: The social setting.
  • Purpose: Transactional, instructional, interactional (e.g., interview).
  • Context: Embedded
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Understanding Politeness in Communication

Politeness in Communication

Calsamiglia Blancafort summarizes the most important aspects of politeness:

  1. It focuses on verbal interaction and the choice of certain linguistic markers of politeness.
  2. It is based upon the acknowledgment that the interpersonal function of language is always present as the essence of human communication.
  3. It is used for making social relationships smoother and for compensating aggressiveness, that is, all those actions that can constitute a virtual threat for the participants
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Mastering Interviews and Focus Groups: Techniques & Tactics

Conducting Effective Interviews

IƱiguez Lupicinio

To conduct an effective interview, the interviewer’s role is essential. Consider the following:

  • Engage in everyday conversation to build rapport.

Key Setpoints for Interviews:

  1. Present the topic clearly.
  2. Focus on and repeat key issues for emphasis.

Interview Tactics:

  • Deepening: Explore topics in greater detail.
  • Expressions of Interest: Use brief, clear affirmations like “ahhh, you are absolutely right” to show understanding.
  • Short Expressions: Use concise
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Textual Cohesion: Lexical and Grammatical Procedures

These are mechanisms that provide a continuity of meaning from the text of the meanings of the main procedures for granting words. The lexical cohesion to a text are repetition, reiteration, and association.

Repetition

This is the exact replica of the same word or expression in different parts of the text.

Reiteration

The meaning of a term is repeated through different words or expressions. The reiteration may contain synonyms (words that are different but have similar or identical meanings) or hypernyms

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