2012 International Conference on Education Technology and Management Engineering Lecture Notes in Information Technology, Vols.

16-17

Analysis of Politeness Strategy in Convivial Business English Letters Fang Kan

Xuchang University, Henan Xuchang, 461000 China

Keywords: politeness strategies, Politeness Principle, convivial letters Abstract. This thesis takes Leechs Politeness Principle(PP) as the theoretical framework to reveal how the politeness is achieved in convivial letters. The thesis uses the case analysis as research method to demonstrate how PP guides the use of polite language in convivial letter writings at different levels, namely, at lexical, syntactic and discourse level. Introduction In the convivial letters, the illocutionary goal is compatible with the social goal, or rather, the illocutionary goal and social goal match. Therefore, the convivial letters are aimed to present the favorable information and establish sound business relationship. The convivial letters may include congratulation letters, approval letters, appreciation letters, acceptance letters, offers letters, order letters, etc. (Gilsdorf, 1989) As the convivial letters are polite and courteous in nature and the messages are positive, the more direct it is, the better it is. To make the convivial letters effective, politeness is an important decisive factor determining what language to use and what structure to follow. This thesis intends to adopt Leechs Politeness Principle (PP) as the theoretical framework to analyze convivial business English letters by case study method. Theoretical FrameworkLeechs Politeness Principle Leechs PP deals with the relationship between two involvers in communication, namely, self and other. He models after Grices CC, and he divides the politeness principle into a number of maxims. 1) Tact Maxim a. Minimize cost to other. b. Maximize benefits to other. 2) Generosity Maxim a. Minimize benefits to self. b. Maximize cost to self. 3) Approbation Maxim a. Minimize dispraise of other. b. Maximize praise of other. 4) Modesty maxim a. Minimize praise of self. b. Maximize dispraise of self. 5) Agreement Maxim a. Minimize disagreement between self and other. b. Maximize agreement between self and other. 6) Sympathy Maxim a. Minimize antipathy between self and other. b. Maximize sympathy between self and other.
978-1-61275-016-3/10/$25.00 2012 IERI
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The six maxims explain asymmetries. Tact Maxim and Generosity Maxim go in pair, both of which fall into cost-benefit scale; and Approbation Maxim and Modesty Maxim go in pair both of which fall into praise-dispraise scale. The agreement Maxim deal with the scales of disagreement, and Sympathy Maxim deals with the scale of sympathy. However, the statuses of the six maxims are unequal. According to Leech, Tact Maxim is more powerful and important. That well demonstrates that other is more important than self in politeness. Besides, the sub-maxims are less powerful than the maxims, which demonstrate that the negative politeness is more important in politeness. Application of Politeness Principle in Convivial Letters The thesis will focus on how the six maxims can be used to explain the politeness strategies in convivial business letters. Application of Politeness Principle at lexical level. Using You-Attitude Language. According to Tact Maxim in Leechs PP, the writer should maximize the benefits to the readers to demonstrate that the writer has perceived the issue from the readers stand. (Rodman, 2001) In this way, the readers needs are satisfied. When the speech act is beneficial to readers, the more direct it is, the more polite it will be. Therefore, in collaborative business letter and convivial business letters, it is preferred to use you-attitude language to obtain a better response and to please readers. Using positive words. Positive words are frequently found in business letters either conveying the negative information or positive information as the words can make the letters sound more polite. (Wienbroer, 2000) Positive effects can maximize the benefits to the reader, minimize the cost to reader, minimize the disagreement between the reader and the writer, and maximize the sympathy. Therefore, using positive words observe the Leechs PP. Using positive words and expressions is extremely significant in the conflictive letters which usually convey the unfavorable messages. It is obvious that it is impolite to present the unfavorable message with the negative words, like cant, deny, couldnt, refuse, fail, etc. For minimizing the cost to other and the disagreement, it is better to use positive words to generate goodwill and avoid impoliteness. I was very pleased to read the Fortune Magazine report entitled the Giants of Asia and find you named among the top executives leading the best companies in Asias New Economy. (Sample letter 1) In the congratulation letter, a series of positive words are used to convey the good news. In the example above, the positive words such as pleased, top executive and best are used. The use of positive words follows Leechs PP: first, it acts in accordance with the tact maxim as it maximizing the benefits to the reader; second, it acts in accordance with the agreement maxim as the positive words indicate that the writer confirms and recognizes the readers accomplishment; third, it acts in accordance with generosity maxim as the reader by using a series of positive words is obviously generous to give praises. Application of Politeness Principle at sentence level Using Active Voice. Voice is to suggest whether a subject of a sentence acts or whether the subject is acted upon. Active voice indicating the subject as the doer puts the actor at the very outset of the sentence so it makes sentence look more directly and forceful. On the contrary, the passive voice with the object acted upon at the beginning of the sentence undermines the role of the subject. Generally speaking, active voice is more frequently found in the collaborative and convivial letters, while passive voice is more frequently found in conflictive and competitive letters. Collaborative and convivial letters usually convey the positive or neutral message, which is a benefit to the readers. Therefore, the writers tend to express the meaning more directly and forcefully with the
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active voice sentence in which the actor is emphasized. Besides, with the active voice, the writer intends to show his or her consideration for the readers benefits and agreement as well as empathy. Your skill in chairing the controversial panel on The Role of Developing Countries in the Future Of Aviation Management was very much appreciated by those representing all sides of that extremely sensitive topic. On both a professional and a personal level, I really appreciated the time that the two of us were able to spend together for fun and reflection during conference down times. I certainly learned a lot about the unique aspects of aviation operations in your part of the world (not to mention the things you taught me about the backhand on the squash court!). (Sample Letter 2) This is an excerpt of an appreciation letter, in which the writer expresses his appreciation for what the reader has done in the conference. The first sentence uses passive voice, and the upcoming sentences use active voices. All the sentences are to convey the good news, and express the writers appreciation for the readers performance in the conference. However, the writer improperly deals with the voice of the first sentence. By using the passive voice, the sentence does not directly express the writers appreciation, which violates Leechs Tact Maxim of maximizing the cost to others. The following sentences use the active voice, highly emphasizing the theme of appreciation. The suggested revision of the first sentence is: Those representing all sides of that extremely sensitive topic really appreciate your skill in chairing the controversial panel on The Role of Developing Countries in the Future of Aviation Management. Using simple sentences. Simple sentence refers to the sentence with simple structure and fewer words, while complicated sentence is usually long with complicated structure such as modifiers and dependent clauses. It is usually easy to grab the major idea of a simple sentence in a quite short period of time as the simple sentence is clear, explicit, empathic and direct. On the contrary, it is usually difficult to grab the meanings of the complicated sentence. Generally speaking, the simple sentences are usually used in the business letters presenting good news because the more direct the expression is, the more likely that the benefits of the reader can be maximized. In this sense, use of simple sentence is in line with the Tact Maxim. As discussed at that meeting, the objectives of our review sessions will be to: Review and assess the overall effectiveness of the program; Identify and document strengths weaknesses of the program; Propose customer-focused solutions to address areas of weakness; Develop an approach and action plan for Phase 2 of the project; (Sample Letter 3) This is an excerpt of a notification letter of the further meanings. As the letter is a kind of collaborative letter with the focus on conveying the information, it is better to make sure that the information is clearly and explicitly conveyed. The more direct and explicit the letter is, the more polite it is. In the example above, a series of simple sentences with the structure of S+V are used, which clearly presents the objectives of the review sessions. In this way, the reader can accurately acquire the message. The use of simple sentence observes Agreement Maxim of maximize the agreement. In addition to having taken a broad range of courses, I served as a computer consultant at the colleges computer center where I helped train users to work with new systems. (Sample Letter 4) The complicated sentence is included in an application letter. The sentence uses the adverbial clause within the main sentence to underplay what the writer has done in the colleges computer center. This is a way of minimizing the praise to self, hence, it observes Modesty Maxim. Your accomplishments as chairman of ONYX Corporationas well as the reputation you have earned as an innovator, visionary, and role model for new generationsis quite remarkable. (Sample Letter 5) In the congratulation letter, congratulating the readers titled as the Giants of Asia, the write uses a quite complicated sentence. Within the body, there is an attribute sentence the reputation you have earned as an innovator, visionary, and role model for new generations. It makes the
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expressions quite indirect. According to Leechs generosity maxim and tact maxim, the writer should maximize the benefits and praise to the reader when the information is positive. However, the writer uses such a long and complex sentence that the reader may find it to indirect to obtain the writers goodwill. It is better to split the sentence into several simple sentences to make it polite. The revised edition would be: You have accomplished a lot as the chairman of ONYX Corporation. Besides, you have earned the reputation y as an innovator, visionary, and role model for new generations. These are quite remarkable. Application of Politeness Principle at Discourse Level How to organize an English business letter is critically important as it can affects the effectiveness of communication. Scollon and Scollon (1995) identify two approaches of structuring the business letters, namely, deductive approach and inductive approach. Which approach to choose is closely linked with the nature of message. From Leechs point of view, when the request is beneficial to the reader only, the more direct it is, the more polite it is. Therefore, in writing business letters with good message or neutral message, it is better to use the deductive approach to structure the whole text so that that the letter can be more direct, and ultimately achieve the goal of politeness. Deductive approach refers to a way of organizing the text by presenting the major themes at the outset of the texts and presenting the minor information after the major idea. With deductive approach, the writer usually states the main theme or major idea at the very beginning of the letter, and then the writer presents the details or offers some background information, and at last the writer reiterates the major theme of the letter. Deductive approach is often employed when the writer believes that the reader will approve the main theme. In business letters with the good message or the neutral message, the reader is likely to accept and agree with the delivered message as the message is beneficial to the reader or at least not threatening to the reader. The deductive approach has its merits: first, it brings the reader directly to the theme of the letter; second, it is likely to arouse the favorable response or reaction in the reader. By using deductive approach, the writer maximizes the benefits to other, thus, Tact Maxim is observed. In the business letters conveying the bad news such as the conflictive letters and competitive letter, it is improper to use the deductive approach as presenting unfavorable messages at the very beginning is likely to upset or irritate the reader. It is quite rude and impolite to do that. Therefore, inductive approach is often used in the letters with unfavorable message. Inductive approach refers to an approach conveying the message in an indirect way. According to Davison (1975), Indirectness seems to be associated most of the time with the bad news, unfavorable opinions, and intrusive questions. Indirectness enables one to distance oneself from the unfavorable message and mitigates the intrusion and imposition. (Davison, 1975:153) Therefore, it is preferable to start the letter with some positive or neutral message and present the negative message in the latter part of the letter. With the inductive approach, a business letter is usually structured in this way: 1) a buffer coming first. A buffer refers to a device to minimizing the unpleasantness and shock. In the letters with negative messages, the buffer refers to temporarily withhold the negative message to mitigate the negative effect of the unfavorable message. The use of buffer minimizes the cost to other, maximizes the benefits to other and minimizes the antipathy. Therefore, it observes Tact Maxim, Generosity Maxi and Sympathy Maxim. 2) Reasons following the buffer. In the part, the writer further explains why the unfavorable message occurs with good reasons. 3) Presenting bad news. As the reader has understood the reasons, she or he may feel less threatened by the bad news. However, it is better to state the bad news in a polite and courteous way. 4) Suggesting alternatives to maintain the business relations and mitigate the negative effect. 5) Ending the letter with goodwill. With the inductive approach, the writer observes Leechs PP so that the negative influence on the reader is mitigated to the maximum and that the politeness is achieved.
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In the later sections, the four types of business letters will be analyzed at the discourse level to reveal how the writer abides by Leechs PP to make the letter sound polite and courteous. Sample Letter 6 Dear Mr. Peterson: I am pleased to accept your offer of an appointment as a Physical Education Teacher in your school system at an annual salary of $29,000. As you know, I will be teaching a course during the summer term at Sims Valley Private School and will be available to begin my duties at South Town High School on August 26, 2010. During my visit I was very impressed with your facilities and the teachers in your department. The opportunity to become an active member of your educating team is especially appealing. I look forward to joining you and your staff. Sincerely, XX The letter is a kind of acceptance letter, giving a positive reply to the offer of appointment as a Physical Education Teacher. Therefore, it is a kind of convivial letter. The letter also uses the deductive approach, that is, the letter is organized in a direct manner. First, it directly goes to the main information, that is, the acceptance of the offer of an appointment, I am pleased to accept your offer of an appointment as a Physical Education Teacher in your school system at an annual salary of $29,000. In this way, the writer is likely to draw the readers attention and interest in the main idea. Next, the writer continues presenting the detailed information such as the time of being available and the impression of the school on the writer. In the end, forward-looking statement brings the letter to an end, I look forward to joining you and your staff. The message conveyed in the letter is the benefit to the reader as the appointment is likely to produce the pleasant feeling in the reader. Therefore, it is polite to directly convey the message directly. By maximizing the benefits to the reader, the writer abides by Tact Maxim. Conclusion The study on the politeness strategies in convivial letters can stimulate the readers to pay close attention to how the politeness strategies are used under the guidance of politeness principle. As discussed, the use of politeness strategies at different levels can promote the business transaction in a large sense. Therefore, business English writers should use the politeness strategies properly. Practically, the research can direct the writings of business letters, which may increases the chances of success in communication. In addition, it can also promote the addressee's understanding of why the addresser uses politeness strategies. Acknowledgements I would express my gratitude for my mother, my grandfather and all the ones I love and who love me. Without their supports, I couldnt accomplish this paper. And I also thank for my father, who gave me a lot of love in the past twenty years. References [1] Brown, P. and Levinson, S. Politeness: Some universals in language usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987. [2] Chiappini, F. Harris S. Requests and status in business correspondence. Journal of Pragmatics,1996, (28):635-662 [3] Gibson, J. W. and Hodgets, R. M. Business Communication: Skills and Strategies. New York: Harper & Row Publisher, Inc., 1990.
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[4] Grice, Paul. Logic and Conversation, in Peter Cole and Jerry Morgan. eds., Syntax and Semantics, Vo1.3. Speech Acts. New York: Academic Press. 1975. [5] Lakoff, R. The Logic of Politeness; Or; Minding Your Ps and Qs. In Papers.from the 9th Regional Meeting of the Chicago Linguistic Society,1973, 292-305, Chicago: Chicago Linguistic Society. [6] Leech, G. Principles of Pragmatics. London: Longman, 1983. [7] Locher, Miriam A., Power and Politeness in Action: Disagreements in Oral Communication, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, 2004. [8] Londo, Richard J. Common Sense in Business Writing. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1982. [9] Scollon R.&Scollon S. W. Intercultural Communication: A Discourse Approach, Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press by arrangement with Blackwell Publishers Ltd., 1995. [10] Watts et al. Politeness in Language: Studies in Its History, Theory and Practice. New York: Mouton de Gruyter, 1992. [11] Yule, George. Pragmatics. Shanghai: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2000. [12] Yule, George. The Study of Language. 2nd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.

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