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Patterns of Politeness in Teacher-Student Interaction: Investigating an Academic Context

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, Fasa Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran.

2 PhD Candidate of TEFL, Torbat-e-Heydarieh-Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran.

Abstract

Patterns of Politeness in Teacher-Student Interaction: Investigating an Academic Context
Abstract
This study investigated politeness strategies used in instructor-student relationships, in an academic environment. To conduct the study, four university classes with different instructors were randomly selected, observed and analyzed. Brown and Levinson’s theory of politeness was drawn on as the analytic model guiding the study, which focused on face-threatening and face-saving acts. After observing the classes and gathering the data through four classroom observations, it was found that the instructors produced face-threatening utterances less frequently than face-saving utterances. In the case of face-saving acts, they used various strategies to make students feel more comfortable in the classroom. The findings implied that instructors should be aware of using threatening utterances that could negatively affect students’ self-esteem. It also suggested that applying politeness strategies in the classroom could lead to a better relationship between students and instructors.
Keywords: Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory, teacher-student interaction, face-threatening acts, face-saving acts

Keywords

Main Subjects

Article Title [Persian]

الگوهای ادب در رابطه استاد- دانشجو: بررسی یک محیط دانشگاهی

Abstract [Persian]

این تحقیق  به بررسی استراتژی های ادب و نزاکت بکار برده شده در رابطه بین استاد و دانشجوها در یک محیط دانشگاهی پرداخته است.  برای انجام این مطالعه، چهار کلاس دانشگاه با اساتید مختلف به صورت تصادفی انتخاب ، مشاهده و تجزیه و تحلیل شدند. از نظریه ادب براون و لوینسون (Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory) به عنوان مدل تحلیلی در این تحقیق استفاده شده است که بیشتر روی اقدامات تهدید کننده (face-threatening acts) واقدامات  محافظتی چهره(face-saving acts)   افراد تمرکز دارد. بعد از مشاهده چهار کلاس و جمع آوری و تحلیل داده ها مشخص شد که اساتید جملات و سخنانی که حالت تهدید کننده داشته باشند را نسبت به جملاتی که جهت حفظ چهره و شخصیت افراد بکار می روند کمتر استفاده می کنند. در مورد اقداماتی که جنبه حفاظتی از شخصیت و چهره افراد دارند، اساتید از استراتژی های مختلفی استفاده می کنند تا دانشجویان در کلاس احساس راحتی داشته باشند. یافته های این پژوهش نیز  نشان می دهد که اساتید باید از استفاده از سخنان تهدید کننده ای که می تواند اعتماد به نفس دانشجویان را تحت تاثیر قرار دهد، آگاه باشند. همچنین این نکته پیشنهاد می شود که استفاده از استراتژی های ادب و نزاکت در کلاس درس می تواند منجر به برقراری ارتباط بهتر بین دانشجویان و اساتید شود.

Keywords [Persian]

  • نظریه ادب براون و لوینسون
  • ارتباط استاد-دانشجو
  • اقدامات تهدیدکننده چهره
  • اقدامات محافظتی چهره
  • ادب
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Journal of Applied Linguistics and Applied Literature: Dynamics and Advances
Volume 5, Issue 1 - Serial Number 9
March 2017
Pages 69-87
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History
  • Receive Date: 14 April 2018
  • Revise Date: 20 October 2018
  • Accept Date: 10 August 2018
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