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Falak Noreen
70043821
Ma’am Ghazala Samar
Literary discourse and phonetics and phonology
19th March 2020

“Discourse Analysis of Politeness and Interaction in An advertisement of a

local tea brand of Pakistan.”

Discourse analysis

Discourse analysis is a research method for studying written or spoken language in relation to

its social context. It aims to understand how language is used in real life situations. Discourse

analysis aims to perceive and categorize various meaning-making processes, networks and

practices from the data. Discourse analysis, which focuses on the production, change and

negotiations of meanings from the point of view of power and empowerment, is critical

discourse analysis. It is sometimes defined as the analysis of language 'beyond the sentence'.

Discourse analysis and conversation analysis:

"Discourse" means what people say or write. In discourse analysis, the function of language is

looked at in terms of the design of utterances and their location within the turn-by-turn

development of interaction. In conversational analysis, the function of discourse is much

broader. While they have some interest in specific conversational activities and the sequential

context, they are not restricted to this technical level. Conversational analysis includes Politeness

and Interaction. According to Brown and Levinson (1987) everyone has self-public image which
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has relation to emotional and social sense of self and expects everyone else to recognize.

Politeness and Interaction includes “Face wants, face threatening Act and Face Saving Act,

Negative face, Positive face, on record and off record etc.

What is Politeness?

 It is the behavior that is respectful and considerate of other people.

 Polite means showing regards for others in manners, speech, and behavior. Showing

consideration for others, using tact, and observing social norms are the qualities of being

polite. The opposite of polite is rude.

Face Wants

Within their everyday social interactions, people generally behave as if their expectations

concerning their public self-image, or their face wants, will be respected. Meanwhile if some

actions might be interpreted as a threat to another’s face, the speaker can say something to lessen

the possible threat, this is called face saving act (FSA). If a speaker says something that

represents a threat to another individual’s expectations regarding self-image it is described as

face threatening act (FTA).

FTA AND FSA:

 The speaker can say something to lessen the possible threat, this is called face saving act

(FSA).

 Speaker says something to lesson a possible threat or to maintaining a good self-image is

called face saving act.

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Face Threatening Act: speaker says something that represents a threat to other

individuals

 Expectations regarding self-image.

Positive and Negative face:

Negative face is the need to be independent to have a freedom of action and not to be

imposed by others. While Positive face is the need to be accepted, even liked by others,

to be treated as a member of the group and to know that his or her wants are shared by

others.

On Record and Off Record:

If the speaker directly addresses the others as a means of expressing the speaker’s

needs, it is called on record. Even if you decide to say something, you don’t have

actually to ask for anything. You can (perhaps after you search through your bag) simply

produce a statement. It is called off record.

Discourse Analysis of Politeness and Interaction in An advertisement of a local tea brand of

Pakistan:

Off record

The women whose daughter was getting married did not ask for the money, but her intention

of telling the date of her daughter wedding is to identify her problem as has shown in the

advertisement that the other women who was sitting and conversing with each other recognize

the problem of women and offer the money.

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The analysis of advertisement indicates that the women whose daughter was getting married

spoke to other through off record.

Face threatening act in advertisement:

The conversation between these three women from advertisement showed the face threatening

act. As the (a) says (Tumhay committee ki kya zrurt tumhara miyaan to khud chalta phirta bank

hai) threatened the (b) face. Similarly, the response from (b) (Mujeh kyu? Khalda anty sy kahen

Jin ka beta bhi tou hai Dubai mein.) Threatened the (c) face.

Positive face in advertisement:

a. Mein agly hafty Dubai jaaa rhi hun, bht shopping krni hai kuch mngwana ho to btana.

b. Humaray khyal sy is bar committee pr pehla haq tumhara hai amna, akhir tmhari beti

hmri b tou beti hai.

c. The end part of the advertisement represented the positive face because every speaker in

the advertisement connected herself with eachother.e.g the dialogue of the woman (acha

ab in anso’on ko bacha kr rkhiye apni beti ki rukhsati ky liye) showed the camaraderie

and friendliness similarly, when the other woman says that (Mein agly hafty dubai jaaa

rhi hun, bht shopping krni hai kuch mngwana ho to btana).and ( Humaray khyal sy is bar

committee pr pehla haq tumhara hai amna,akhir tmhari beti hmri b tou beti hai.) it also

showed the positive face of the speaker.

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References:

“Tapal Danedar (Har Mizaaj Sey Aashna).” Tapal news, 25 Dec.2010,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwHP2Folzao

https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/discourse-analysis/

https://prezi.com/rpeilnqtwckc/positive-negative-politeness/

https://www.slideshare.net/indralovemaisha/pragmatic-politeness