Patterns of Politeness in EFL Classroom

Abstract

This research entitled 'Patterns of Politeness in EFL Classroom' aimed at analyzing politeness strategies employed by the students and teachers in EFL classroom. Random sampling procedure was used to select hundred and twenty students and ten teachers of bachelor level of different colleges in Kathmandu valley. Discourse completion test (DCT) for students and questionnaires for teachers were used as the tools for data elicitation so as to analyze various politeness strategies ranging from address forms to disagreements to request to apologize to complements etc. The major finding of this research was that students were more sensitive to hierarchical status while employing politeness strategies in the classroom. Though they were found to be inclined to more contradictory opinions while responding with their teachers, they also mitigated its adverse effect using address forms. Teachers were also found polite while participating in classroom interaction.

The thesis consists of four chapters. Chapter one includes general background (i.e. language and pragmatics) followed by introduction of the theoretical aspects of politeness phenomena such as faces of politeness, politeness strategies, politeness principles, and politeness and address forms. It also includes importance of politeness in classroom. Chapter two deals with methodology applied to carry out the research work. It consists of sources of data, sampling procedures tools for data collections, process of data collection and limitation of the study. Chapter three presents the analysis and interpretation of the data collected from the respondents. Chapter four presents the findings and recommendation and pedagogical implications of the study. The reference and appendices are also given.