In this term paper, the main differences between English and German in terms of politeness will be further explained and analysed, based on the use of the politeness markers "Bitte" and "Please". There appear to be an assumption that Germans use more often the direct and unfriendly approach while requesting something from someone, whereas English tend to indirectly ask the other person to do something by using a more formal and polite way. This possible difference may lead to problems especially for Germans while learning English, since they may appear rude without even knowing the reason. However, this term paper shall prove whether this thesis is true or not by analysing 100 samples from the English and German corpus each and comparing those results with different data and studies.
In our everyday life, we try to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings as much as we possibly can to protect our own image and the one we are talking to. However, the inevitability of such problems causes people to be excessively tactful in order to maintain a positive communication with other people. But the tactfulness may differ depending on several circumstances, for example its cultural surroundings. While it is possible to use the third singular and third plural form "you" to speak to a higher standing person in English, there is a difference in German when using "Du" and "Sie". This issue and other different aspects can lead to difficulties of intercultural communication or even by starting to learn a new foreign language. This is why this subject is important to understand in order to talk to people appropriately and accordingly, so that miscommunication can be minimized as much as possible. Even if you can speak a language perfectly, there is still a possibility that you will be misunderstood.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. General definition of Politeness
2. Requests
3. Analysing data
3.1 Politeness in German and English
3.1.1 “Bitte” in the Corpus
3.1.2 “Please” in the Corpus
3.2 Comparing the results
4. Cross-cultural misunderstandings
Research Objectives and Focus
This academic paper examines the linguistic and pragmatic differences between German and English regarding politeness, specifically investigating how the markers "Bitte" and "Please" are utilized in spoken interaction to avoid conflict and maintain social rapport.
- Theoretical exploration of "social politeness" versus "tact".
- Analysis of request strategies and sentence structures in German and English.
- Empirical comparison of 100 samples from German and English corpora.
- Examination of cross-cultural miscommunication and pragmatic failure.
- Evaluation of direct versus indirect approaches in intercultural discourse.
Excerpt from the Book
1. General definition of Politeness
It is a possibility to treat politeness as a fixed concept according to ‘polite social behaviour’ within a culture (Yule 1997: 60). However, politeness cannot simply be defined as “appropriate behaviour” towards other people; moreover, it is split into two different aspects called “social politeness” and “tact”, which need to be considered (Janney/Arndt 1992: 22). Social politeness focuses more on the smooth flow of a conversation and the use of certain common routines to maintain it (Janney/Arndt 1992: 22). Those also known as “gambits”, whose meaning is taken from chess and describe certain standardised strategies that are often used to achieve something (House 1989: 99). They are mainly used as a framework that you can get easily into and out of, for example introducing yourself, or for maintaining a conversation as in checking for comprehension or even for terminating conversations by bidding farewell (Janney/Arndt 1992: 22). It is more or less just scratching on the surface of a conversation and no deep meaning is involved.
Tact however, involves the public self-image of a person, their so-called “face” which is to be protected (Ehler 1996: 166). According to the author, everyone has a positive and negative face with certain “face wants” (Ehler 1996: 166). Negative face wants would be the need for independence and the freedom of action without anyone interfering (Yule 1997: 61). A positive face has a need for acceptance, to share their wants and to be treated equally (Yule 1997: 62). Only other people can fulfil those needs, which is why we have to behave accordingly so that they are willing to do so (Ehler 1996: 166).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the motivation for the study, outlining the assumption that Germans favor direct communication while the English favor indirectness, and sets the goal of validating this through corpus analysis.
1. General definition of Politeness: Defines the core concepts of politeness, specifically distinguishing between social politeness/gambits and the tact required to protect an individual's "face".
2. Requests: Discusses the nature of requests as face-threatening acts and explores different sentence types (declarative, interrogative, imperative) used to mitigate this threat.
3. Analysing data: Details the usage of politeness markers in German and English, breaking down results from the German (Cosmas II) and English (BNC/COCA) corpora.
4. Cross-cultural misunderstandings: Explores why pragmatic failure occurs when members of different cultures interact, citing Juliane House's frameworks for discourse analysis.
Keywords
Politeness, Pragmatics, Requests, Cross-cultural communication, Bitte, Please, Face-threatening acts, Corpora, Social politeness, Tact, Misunderstanding, Discourse analysis, Gambits, Speech acts, Intercultural competence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper explores the lingual differences between English and German regarding politeness, focusing on the usage of the markers "Bitte" and "Please" to test cultural assumptions about direct versus indirect communication.
What are the central themes discussed?
Central themes include the concepts of "social politeness," "tact," "face-threatening acts," and the role of linguistic markers in navigating social interactions across distinct cultures.
What is the core research goal?
The goal is to determine if common assumptions—that German speakers are more direct and aggressive in their requests compared to English speakers—can be confirmed or refuted through empirical data.
Which scientific method is applied?
The author performs a comparative analysis of 100 samples each from German (Cosmas II) and English (BNC/COCA) corpora to identify patterns in sentence structure and the frequency of politeness markers.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section covers the theoretical definitions of politeness, strategies for making requests, empirical results from the corpus analysis, and an overview of cross-cultural communication challenges.
Which keywords best describe the research?
Key terms include Politeness, Pragmatics, Requests, Face-threatening acts, Cross-cultural communication, and Discourse analysis.
Does the data confirm that Germans are more "rude"?
The results suggest that while German speakers are more direct and rely more on declarative sentence structures, the data is not sufficient to definitively categorize them as "rude," as context and intention play complex roles.
What is the significance of the "interrogative" sentence structure?
The interrogative is used more frequently in English as it provides the listener with more options, thereby showing more consideration for the addressee's point of view compared to the direct declarative or imperative forms.
Why might non-native speakers struggle even with perfect grammar?
Even with perfect grammatical skills, non-native speakers may face "pragmatic failure" when they apply the politeness expectations of their first language to a foreign culture, leading to misinterpretation of intent.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Leonie Quicker (Autor:in), 2017, Politeness in German and in English. Differences in the everyday language, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1354063
