A Contrastive Approach to the Analysis of Politeness Formulas

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the kinds of formulaic expression used by speakers of a language as markers of politeness, a knowledge of which is indispensable to the acquisition of communicative competence in the language. They can present many pitfalls for the learner who is not fully aware of their conditions of use; a failure to grasp the often subtle differences between first-language and target-language formulas can lead to serious misunderstandings and misjudgements. It is argued here that an explicitly contrastive discussion of formulas in the two languages can be helpful both in improving the learner's productive and receptive performance and in developing a deeper understanding of the foreign culture. A framework for the analysis and comparison of politeness formulas is presented, and examples taken from English and Moroccan Arabic are used to illustrate the kinds of contrast that may arise and the difficulties these may pose for the learner.