Politeness in Language Use: A Study of Undergraduates of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka

Abstract

Politeness in language is a very important aspect of communication. This can be referred to as ‘tact’. Normally conversation works best if both parties are cooperative. This involves among other things avoiding speaking or behaving in a thoughtless and inconsiderate manner .We each have expectations as to how we should be addressed by the various people we meet in the various contents in which we meet them. The study of politeness is the study of the ways in which these expectations are met or are not. Politeness is regarded as the linguistic expression of social relationships. Being linguistically polite involves speaking to people appropriately especially ones’ superior in the light of one’s relationship. Given the importance of politeness in social interaction this paper sets out to investigate the politeness strategies students employ and to discover the extent of impoliteness among the students’ with their lecturers as well as the repercussions. A non participant observation method was used to ascertain the level of the politeness strategies of students. The theoretical framework used to analyse the discourse was Brown and Levison’s Politeness theory. It was discovered that there were situations where students’ utterances and actions amount to impoliteness and face threatening acts (FTA).Such behaviours often lead to frictions and conflicts. The paper concludes that for a harmonious and peaceful co-existence students must avoid face threatening acts in their language use.

Key words: Politeness, face, communication, face threatening acts, social interactions, conflict, imposition