A Pragmatic Analysis of Impoliteness in Selected Ghanaian Social Interactions

Abstract

This study investigates impolite natural Ghanaian conversations using a pragmatic approach. It is aimed at describing the types of impoliteness strategies, how they are linguistically represented and identifying responses toward the impoliteness strategies. This research employed a qualitative collection. The data were ten natural Ghanaian conversations which portray a distinct Ghanaian society in terms of norms, relationship, status and power. The sources of the data were documented transcribed into English because some were in the local language (Twi). In this research, descriptive and investigative approach was used in analyzing the data. The results of this research are stated as follows. The five types of impoliteness strategies are used by interlocutors in the conversations. They are, positive impoliteness, negative impoliteness, sarcasm or mock politeness, withhold politeness and bald-on-record impoliteness. Negative impoliteness is the most dominant type of impoliteness strategy, while positive impoliteness is the least strategy to occur in this research. The impoliteness strategies were linguistically represented by the use of vocatives, dismissal, threats and silencers. Accepting impoliteness is the most frequently used response. The interlocutors choose to use this response because they tend to prevent any further face attack.