ABSTRACT
The introductory chapter argues for the importance of examining FL politeness and then positioning FL politeness and culture within the context of everyday TL interaction. I outline their role in establishing and constructing social and transactional relationships. Subsequently, a focus on raising language awareness and critical language awareness underscores how FL users can identify productive communicative resources and assets which can then lead to successful interpersonal and transactional communication. Subsequently, politeness is defined in terms of constructing, developing and sustaining interpersonal and transactional relationships. At the same time, I adopt Spencer-Oatey and Kádár’s understanding of culture as collective behavioural practices, beliefs and forms of reflection, offering meaningful understandings to participants, and influencing anticipated behaviour and affecting behavioural understandings/assessments. These discussions are followed by an examination of the features of ‘doing’ FL politeness behaviour and a justification regarding why it requires special consideration in FL teaching and learning. To achieve this, the chapter outlines how Halliday’s ideational, interpersonal and textual functions provide a framework for examining how FL users can approach TL politeness. Subsequently, the challenges, difficulties and problems in teaching and learning FL politeness are outlined. I then explain the objectives of the book and provide a brief chapter-by-chapter description of the book.
