Characteristics of English speech etiquette

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Кафедра англійської філології та методики викладання іноземних мов

Мукачівський державний університет

Characteristics of English speech etiquette

Герцовська Н.О. кандидат філологічних наук, доцент

Фозекош К.В. магістрантка I курсу

The notion of English speech etiquette has been studied in the article. English interrogative questions as the means of implementation of speech etiquette have been defined.

Key words: speech etiquette, rules of conduct, speech behavior, interrogative sentences.

У статті проаналізовано поняття англійського мовленнєвого етикету. Досліджено англійські питальні речення як засіб реалізації мовленнєвого етикету.

Ключові слова: мовленнєвий етикет, правила поведінки, мовленнєва поведінка, питальні речення.

speech etiquette english

Decent human behavior has been valued since ancient society. However, the Greeks believed that a person can behave well only when he/she has certain moral qualities, harmony of «spirit and body» (according to Plato), external and internal. However, a person's external behavior, which corresponds to the moral norms and rules of good manners, only acquires a personal meaning if it is based on moral motives. Decent behavior is, first of all, the result of a meaningful attitude to one's own actions, responsibility for their consequences [3, p. 34-37].

The culture of the behavior is an integral part of human culture, it is an external manifestation of the spiritual wealth of the individual and his/her inner world. Language culture (speech etiquette) is a separate system of requirements and regulations regarding the use of language in speech activity (oral or written). Under the culture of language we mean the observance of established linguistic norms of oral and written literary language, as well as conscious, purposeful, skillful use of linguistic and expressive means, depending on the purpose and circumstances of communication. It is believed that speech etiquette is one of the most important characteristics of human behavior.

The mandatory rules of conduct significantly affect the functioning of the entire system of literary language. Literary norm is a model and a set of implementations of the language system, recognized by society in a certain period of its historical existence. At the same time, it has not only a territorial base, but also a social basis, because in different historical periods its bearers were more or less broad social groups. Characterization of the social basis of norms of the behavior, as well as the fixation of changes that occur in it, is one of the essential aspects of the study of the semantics of words to denote etiquette in modern English. The latter is considered the cultural face of the nation. Language etiquette, while maintaining the traditional structure of etiquette expressions, is not a closed system, it is characterized by dynamics and flexibility [5].

Based on the fact that etiquette refers to the norms of behavior adopted in society, and plays an important role in the relationship between members of society, we believe that the interest to the language etiquette is associated with the development of communication, study of national language specificity, achievements of both theoretical linguistics and related sciences, as well as the practical needs of communication, mastering foreign languages, acquaintance with culture and life, traditions of native speakers. As this determined the topicality of the research. The aim of the article is to analyze the notion of etiquette, taking into account its sociolinguistic and stylistic background. To reach the aim the following tasks are to be solved:

* to define the notion of etiquette;

* to investigate interrogative sentences as the source of English speech etiquette.

The object of the study is speech etiquette of the English language.

The subject of the study is English interrogative questions as the means of implementation of speech etiquette.

Under the term etiquette it is meant «nationally specific rules of language behavior, which are implemented in a system of stable formulas and expressions that are recommended for use in various situations of polite contact with the interlocutor» [1, p.18].

In our investigation we differentiate the broad and narrow sense of the notion of etiquette: a) a form of normative language behavior in society between members of one nation and b) a set of typical expressions enshrined in national -cultural and language traditions in a given language group for use in specific socio- communicative situations [2, p. 6-7].

Thus, speech etiquette, having a long history and being an important and interesting phenomenon, remains a relevant subject of study in various disciplines.

However, when studying the phenomena of speech etiquette, two main aspects are being addressed to: sociolinguistic and stylistic [1, p. 20]. Sociolinguistics is interested in the social side of speech etiquette. With the help of speech etiquette there appears a social influence of communicators on each other, which is characteristic of communication in general, and in speech etiquette is particularly pronounced [2, p. 16-21].

From the point of view of stylistics, speech etiquette is a supra-stylistic phenomenon, not attached to any style. We can only talk about a greater or lesser extent of its manifestation in a particular style. The study of etiquette vocabulary in modern linguistics is primarily based on the work of prof. M. Fabian, in which, along with English speech etiquette, Ukrainian and Hungarian speech etiquette is also studied [5].

Among the linguistic means of expression of etiquette in modern English, the leading place belongs to the word as the most regulated element of the language system. The reflection of the culture of behavior, as well as all actions, is fixed in the word, that is, primarily in the lexical dimension. Any word is not separate, but is part of the lexical system of language as its component, which shows the uniqueness of the semantic structure of words in languages, and the corresponding semantic units occupy different positions in different semantic systems [4].

In the study of etiquette vocabulary there are many problems that in general linguistic terms still remain controversial. Some scholars consider its lexical and semantic feature to be decisive for a word, while others consider it to be formal. As you know, none of them alone has not justified itself. In our opinion, the combination of the specified signs which are expressed in integrity of the maintenance and the form is more correct at definition of a word. In this approach, their combination allows to characterize and clearly distinguish the word from other language units [5].

Identifying the characteristics of the reproduction of etiquette forms of English interrogative sentences can help in practicing conversational English with pupils and students. In different English-language communicative situations, and accordingly, in different interrogative sentences, the principle of politeness is implemented differently, which is an important component of English speech etiquette [1, p. 75]. The principle of politeness in the interrogative sentence is due primarily to the ability of the speaker to take the initiative and tact in a way, as if to control the actions of the listener. In some cases, an incorrectly asked question can put the recipient in an awkward position, from which it is sometimes difficult to find a way out. The question of politeness or correctness in English speech etiquette concerns mainly the thematic content of the conversation in general and the interrogative act in particular. No less important is the choice of the interrogative form in the communicative context.

The British often start a polite conversation with questions about the weather. For Ukrainians, this is not so common. Instead, it is more typical for the Ukrainian language to use intonation to emphasize politeness and correctness.

Thus, we can conclude that various interrogative sentences of the English language are a source of English speech etiquette, because it is in such interrogative acts that the principle of politeness and correctness is realized. Polite forms of requests, questions and even orders, depending on the communicative situation, may contain modal verbs, future tense verbs, narrative sentences and disgunctive questions, direct questions and imperative interrogative sentences. The linguistic culture of the individual is a reliable support in the expression of the thought, the transmission of human feelings. Possession of the norms of speech etiquette of any language is an evidence of the level of education of a person, his/her culture. The level of speech etiquette testifies to the development of intelligence and high general culture of personality. The slang features of the etiquette vocabulary of the English language are the prospect of the further study.

Literature

1. Bohdan S.K. Movnyj etyket ukrajinciv: tradyciji i suchasnistj / Svitlana Bohdan. - K.: Ridna mova, 1998. - 475 s.

2. Stupin L.P. Sovremennyiy angliyskiy rechevoy etiket / L. Stupin, K. Ugnatyev. - L.:LGU, 1980. - 142 s.

3. Pinchuk O.F. Mova, ljudyna, nacija / О. F. Pinchuk // Aktualjni problemy sociolinghvistyky. - К.: NMK ВО. - 1992. - S. 34-37.

4. Saharchuk L. І. Socialjnyj aspekt movnoji dijaljnosti / L. І. Saharchuk // Aktualjni problemy sociolinghvistyky. - К.: NMK ВО. - 1992. - S. 16-21.

5. Fabian M. Etyketna leksyka v ukrajinsjkij, anghlijsjkij ta ughorsjkij movi: [monoghrafija] / Myroslava Fabian - Uzhhorod: «ІВА», 1998. - 255 s.

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