Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research 

     University of Babylon
College of Education for Human science 
 Department of English

Socio –Pragmatic Study of Speech Act of Thanking in

Biden's Speech of Highlighting the Importance of
Getting Vaccinated

Done by

Ula Esam Abd Al-Hussein

Supervised By

Prof Dr. Qassim Obayyis (Ph.D.)

 1. Introduction
1.1 The Problem
Language is crucial in people's lives because it allows them to communicate their desires to
others. Language is also utilized to express one's emotions and thoughts to others. People
become increasingly aware of the significance of language in their ability to communicate and
act. Thanking, requesting, complimenting, congratulating, and disputing are examples of speech
acts that occur when people communicate face to face. Thanking is an example of an expressive
act. Thanking or appreciation is one of the speaking acts that should be explored since it occurs
in our daily lives when individuals show us kindness, help, a present, a suggestion, or an offer.
To make the aims of the research clear, the writer formulates it into the following questions:
1- What are the socio-pragmatic functions of speech act of thanking?
2- What are socio – pragmatic characteristics of thanking?
3- How does Biden employ the speech act of thanking strategies in his speech?

1.2 The Aims of the Study

This study aims at :
1- Describing the socio-pragmatic functions of speech act of thanking
2- Presenting socio – pragmatic characteristics of thanking.
3- Finding out the speech act of thanking strategies that Biden employed in his speech.
1.3 The Hypothesis of the Study :
1- There are different socio-pragmatic functions of speech act of thanking.
2- Several socio – pragmatic characteristics of thanking could be found.
3- Biden could employ dissimilar speech act of thanking strategies in his speech
4- 1.4 Procedures of the Study
This research is descriptive research which describes speech acts form found in Biden's
speech of Highlighting the Importance of Getting Vaccinated and Kicking Off a Community
Canvassing Event on 24 June 2021.
The following procedures will be followed;
1- Collecting the texts that include thanking speech act.
2- Analyzing the collected in isolation on the basis of the six strategies of thanking speech
act proposed by Cheng (2005).
3- Make a discussion and conclusion.

2
 2. A Theoretical Background
2.1 Speech act of Thanking
Speech act has been utilized and expressed by different scholars in various ways. Yusefi et
al. (2015: 211) claimed that showing appreciation and thanking seems to be one of the most
frequently used speech act and key tools which reinforces the connections between the members
of a general public.
Correspondingly, thanking can be regarded as a speech act whose interpretation has been
on the basis of the manner where it is conducted, and its correlation with other speech acts within
identical language (Aijmer, 1996; Kumatoridani, 1999).
Similarly, on the basis of the context, they are used the way of expressing speech act
forms, including thanking, varies from one culture to another one. Okamoto and Robinson
(1997) claim that British thank you is commonly employed while communication with high-
status speakers.
Likewise, according to Mey (1998), several linguistic behaviors, including expressing
thanks, demanding, and making an apology are likely to be concerned with identical
circumstances in similar manners across cultures.
Grant and Gino (2010) claim that expressing gratitude can be omnipresent within human
public life; A great number of cultures show thankfulness appropriately which has significant
societal value, which can be present in the ‘positive face' of the supporter. Nevertheless, the
manner that thankfulness is communicated can mostly be decided by ‘socio-cultural values' and
bonds leading every culture (as cited in Yusefi et al., 2015).

2.2 Thanking as an expressive speech act

Typologically thanking is submitted under the umbrella of expressive speech acts and
occurring as a daily lives overblown behavioral act for expressing gratitude. Concerningly ,
thanking is usually an expression of gratitude along with the emotional feeling of pleasure to
someone for doing some prior deed in the thanker's benefits. Hornby (1995:45) thanking is
typically a profit expressed a sense of gratitude to someone's else for giving kindness, issuing
help, presenting gift, or offering suggestion. In its social doctrine, thanking is ultimately a
powerful social expressive tool that is embedded so deeply in our language and society that non-
of us, even those who pride themselves on being plainspoken, ever get through the day without
using it. Accordingly, thanking is relatively broaden in social life relation; as Leech (1993:25)
claims, to be strongly integrated with politeness evaluation, as it handy verbal tool for effecting

3
level of politeness in conversation delivering between speakers. In its pragmatic formulization,
thanking is taxonomically a type of expressive speech act, its execution are retrospectively based
on otherness previous speech actions. It is definitely assessed as positive with social act values
(Searle 1975: 12)., its verbalization is executively addressed to an action by the benefactor or to
some result of such an action; whereof, the hearer rather than the speaker subjects the events
(Coulmas,1981: 74-75).
2.3 Socio – Pragmatic Characteristics of Thanking :-
To show the main socio pragmatic characters of thanking, evaluation for thanking
sociolinguistic factor such the participants involved, social needs, societal beliefs, religions,
polite attitude, besides other social variables in associations with meta-pragmatic standards of
thanking performance, as: past beneficial baseline, amount of benefit, benefactor, beneficiary,
need for thanking should be legitimately categorized for setting forth a genuine thanking
factorization. Follow this, the following socio-pragmatic characteristics are thereof configured:
2.3.1Politeness:-thanking is closely attached with matters that require verbal politeness and
essentially issued with a major pragmatic functions of strengthening social links and engendering
warmth feelings among interlocutors in association with good manner (Bodman & Eisenstein,
1993: 1).
2.3.2Conviviality:- thanking is terminologically convivial, that is they are designedly evoked
with a target of establishing a harmony between speakers and hearers (Leech, 1983: 104).
2.3.3Universality:- thanking is most frequently used speech acts in daily encounters in all
languages and cultures. It is absolutely a universal pragmatic phenomenon and generic linguistic
variable to an extent every world's language has its own social doctrine and conventional devices
to carry out it on (Coulmas, 1981: 121).
2.3.4Retrospectivity:- thanking is genetically post – events reaction which is positively evoked as
an act due to the effect of some antecedent stimulus beneficial attributions brought about the
ongoing action (Searle, 1969: 65).

2.4 Thanking Speech Act Strategies

There are six strategies of thanking speech act proposed by Cheng (2005). Thanking strategies
Taxonomy by Cheng are:
2.4.1Appreciation
Thanking and using the word appreciate. (Thank you! I appreciate)
Thanking and promising. (Thank you! I will do my best)

4
2.4.2 Positive feelings
Thanking and stating the reason. (Thank you for your help!)
Thanking and farewell. ( Thank you! bye-bye)

2.4.3 Apology
Using apologizing words. (I am sorry!)
Apologizing and mentioning the favor. ( I am sorry! I am sorry for being late)
Thanking and compensating. (Thank you! I will do your part next time)
Thanking and offering promise. (Thank you! I will do my turn next time)

2.4.4Recognition of imposition
Acknowledging the imposition. (I know that you were not allowed to give me extra time!)
Stating the need for the favor (e.g., I try not to ask for extra time, but this time I need it!)

2.4.5 Repayment
Offering and promising. ( Next time I will treat you)
Feeling indebted. ( I owe you next time)
2.4.6 Alerters
Titles and names ( Mr, Dr, Azad, Sir)
Attention getter. ( really, well, Hey)

2.5 Socio - Pragmatic Functions of thanking: -

2.5.1 Phatic: - influences a good feeling upon the hearer or get him to feel good. For example
''That is so nice of you'', or answer for health enquire ''Fine thanks''. It is overly subsumed
important social values; besides, it crucially invites / saves good relations with otherness.
2.5.2 Balancing politeness: - thanking is a social pragmatic tool intrinsically overarched as a
strategic device whose most eminent function is to balance politeness relations between
interlocutors and reestablishing societal polite evaluation reasonably (Coulmas, 1981:81).
2.5.3 Stressing satisfaction:- thanking is considerably the most valid devices for expressively
impressing satisfaction and social expectation on the part of the thanker (beneficiary) towards
what the thankee (benefactor) has do for and at being benefited (Mckay, Fanning & Paleg, 2006:
68).

5
2.5.4 Opening or closing of a conversation / changing topic: apart from grateful expression,
thanking is virtually used, in many languages societies, for opening or closing conversation;
whence, thanking may conventionally be set forth as formula as any other language natural
formula for opening – closing a conversation or invitation (Haverkate,1994: 96).
2.5.5 Emphasizing obligation: thanking is an inevitable technique for calling obligation.
Whence, a person feels that s/he is very indebted to another person, since the gratefulness
feelings obliged him to thank. However, a person may thank another person without being
beneficed simply because the social situation requires such behavior; thereupon, he is morally
obliged (Taavistsainen and Jucker 2010,p. 88)
2.5.6 Complimenting: - thanking is eminently a certain discourse technique that considerably
influences response of compliment upon the thankee or thankee's action as indebtedness polite
attitudinal reaction for some good past deeds (Searle, 1969: 78).
2.5.7 Strengthening Social Bonds:- thanking is ultimately is a pragmatic procedure relatively
entwines social value that strongly assesses for strengthening relationships, emerging etiquette
values, creating kindness feeling, effecting solidarity, and admitting care. However, responding
to favour or a service ineffectively or unthankfully would attributably damage the relationship
between beneficiary and benefactor (Eisenstein & Bodman, 1986:33).

6
 3. Methodology
3.1 Data Collection
Ten texts are extracted to be the data of the current study from Biden's speech of
Highlighting the Importance of Getting Vaccinated and Kicking Off a Community Canvassing
Event on 24 June 2021.
3.2 Technique of Analysing Data
The present paper is qualitative in nature. The collected texts will be analysed in isolation
on the basis of the adopted model.
3.3 Model of the Study
The model of analysing the data of the current study is the strategies of thanking speech act
that proposed by Cheng (2005).
3.4 Data Analysis
It is found that Biden attempts to employ different strategies when presenting his speech.
In the following, the texts that include thanking speech act are classified according to their
strategies of thanking

1. Appreciation
In his speech, Biden uses this strategy of thanking to present his appreciation toward the
medical staff in the fronts fighting against covid-19 pandemic.
Biden : Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
2. Positive feelings
This strategy is used to assert that the addresser employs his speech act of thanking for stating
a reason.
Biden: I want to thank you for all you’re doing.

3. Apology
Here the thanking speech act is presented then followed by Using apologizing words.
Biden: Thank you.  I thought you didn’t have any seats there.  I was going to really feel
guilty. I am sorry. 

4. Recognition of imposition

7
 The speech act of thanking could also be stated by acknowledging the imposition. or
stating the need for the favor
Biden: I thank you everyone here at the Green Road Community Center for hosting us.

5. Repayment
One of the most frequent strategies that Biden employs the speech act strategy of thanking
in which the speaker feels indebted toward the addressees. It is found Biden utilizes this strategy
five times in his selected speech.

1. I can’t thank you enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Thank you.
2. I wanted to come to Raleigh to thank everyone in this room for everything
3. I want to publicly thank — when I asked for help.
4. So, I've, thank you for representing the best of us.  Thank all of you for representing the
best of us.
5. I thank you for that introduction, you know, and for everything you’re doing.
6. Alerters
This strategy of thanking speech act is usually used by attaching by mentioning the titles or
the names of the addressee before or after the act of thanking.
Biden: Thanks for all you do, Rev.

Conclusion
8
 Based on the previous analysis , it has been concluded that Bided employs different
startegies to present his speech act of thanking. One of the most frequent strategies that Biden
employs the speech act strategy of thanking in which the speaker feels indebted toward the
addressees. It is found Biden utilizes this strategy five times in his selected speech.
Since it is one of the most noteworthy kind of speech acts in society, there are several socio-
pragmatic functions that speech act of thanking serve such as Phatic, Balancing politeness ,
Stressing satisfaction, Opening or closing of a conversation / changing topic, Emphasizing
obligation , Complimenting, and Strengthening Social Bonds. It is shown that there are diverse
socio-pragmatic characteristics of thanking, evaluation for thanking sociolinguistic factor such
the participants involved, social needs, societal beliefs, religions, polite attitude, besides other
social variables in associations with meta-pragmatic standards of thanking performance, as past
beneficial baseline, amount of benefit, benefactor, beneficiary, need for thanking should be
legitimately categorized for setting forth a genuine thanking factorization.

References

9
 Cheng, S.W. (2005) An exploratory cross-sectional study of interlanguage pragmatic

development of expressions of gratitude by Chinese learners of English, The University

of Iowa.

 Coulmas, F. Ed. (1981) Conversational routine. The Hague: Mouton.

 Eisenstein, M., & Bodman, J. W. (1993) Expressing gratitude in American English. In G.

K. S. Blum-Kulka .Ed. Interlanguage pragmatics (pp. 64-81). New York: Oxford University

Press.

 Eisenstein, Miriam and Jean Bodman. “Expressing Gratitude in American English”.

Interlanguage Pragmatics. Eds. Gabriele -Kasper and Shoshana Blum-Kulka. Oxford &

New York: Oxford University Press.

 Haverkate, Henk. La cortesía verbal (1994) Estudio pragmalingüístico. Madrid: Gredos.

 Hornby, A.S. (1995) Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University

Press.

 Leech, G. (1983). Principles of pragmatics. London: Longman.

 Okamoto, S., & Robinson, W. P. (1997) Determinants of gratitude expressions in

England. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 16(4), 411–433.

 Searle, John R. (1969) Speech Acts. An Essay in the Philosophy of Language.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

 Aijmer, K. (1996) Conversational Routines in English. New York: Pearson Education.

 Khosroshahi, M.S. (2013) "Iranian EFL Learners' Perceptions with Respect to Speech

Acts in Comparison with the Actual Content of the Textbooks*", Theory and Practice in

Language Studies, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 345356.

 Mey, J. L. (1998) Pragmatics: An introduction. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.

10