ABSTRACT
The study of linguistic politeness is the focus of this chapter. It explores politeness theory through the lens of a number of different models. Within these paradigms, some of the key features are examined using corpus pragmatic techniques and naturally-occurring data. For example, the chapter explores Brown and Levinson’s (1987) concepts of positive politeness through a case study of vocatives, and negative politeness through a micro-study of hedging across different contexts of use. The chapter acknowledges that Brown and Levinson’s theory of politeness has come in for criticism. The chapter also explores the concept of impoliteness in the context of naturally-occurring data. Finally, it examines discursive politeness where we look beyond linguistic structures to include the individual’s interpretation of these structures as (im)polite in instances of on-going verbal interaction. This brings to the fore the dynamic notion of relational work. Throughout the chapter, there is a range of optional tasks that the reader may wish to attempt and an annotated further reading list is included at the end to aid further study.
