Politeness Connotations of Silence in the Jordanian EFL Classroom

Abstract

This study aims to identify the exact meaning of politeness in silence among Jordanian EFL students. It seeks to elaborate on the implicit meaning of silence between professors and their students in the EFL classroom. Professors and students were interviewed in the English and translation department. Brown & Levinson (1987) politeness theory was adopted to analyze the data. This research found that the professors and their students employed the silence strategy for various purposes. On the one hand, Professor silence was used to stop interruptions, unacceptable answers, and unaccepted behaviors. On the other hand, students' silence was used to show embarrassment, inadequate knowledge, and thinking for answers. This study recommends that future researchers look into the usage of silence among students in their communications.