Scholarly source: Although this article is on historical pragmatics and thus seems little relevant to teaching pragmatics to secondary students today, Kerbrat-Orecchioni does touch on the nature of politeness in French, which she purports to have remained unchanged for centuries. Politeness, she states, deals with “relation management” and includes all behavior that “aim to preserve…harmony in interpersonal relationships” (Kerbrat-Orecchioni 135). The author bases her research on the Brown and Levinson (1978, 1987) model of politeness conceived in terms of face-threatening and face-flattering acts. She elaborates that politeness is “a collection of strategies [to spare] or [enhance]” another’s face to preserve social order (136).
This balance, she maintains, though at times leading to a “double bind”, has been the same since at least the classic age in France and holds true for many other cultures as well, although its manifestation may vary. Kerbrat-Orecchioni quoting Renaud Camus (1985) states, “Politeness is an art of reciprocity” (152). Politeness distilled to this formula is simple enough to introduce to adolescent language learners. If translated to more relatable language and supplemented with examples from the learners’ environment, this could be a valuable concept for helping learners beginning to negotiate the step of politeness procedure in their first language as well as the target.
Kerbrat-Orecchioni, C. (2011). From good manners to facework: Politeness variations and constants in France, from the classic age to today. Journal of Historical Pragmatics, 12(1), 133-155. Retrieved February 9, 2015, from Ebsco Host.