Abstract

The world is doing business with China. This paper profiles patterns of impoliteness and non-politeness in email business communication of Chinese users of English. Based on the authentic data from a textile company, particular attention is paid to the relationship between specific speech acts and the occurrence of impoliteness and non-politeness to address the questions of what impolite devices are used in frontline business communication; what are the circumstances, patterns and functions of impoliteness in workplace emails, and are they appropriate in a particular workplace. Inter alia findings show that message enforcers are the most common impoliteness devices used, to advance a demand, reinforce the position, release anger and for finger-pointing. Among all the forms of potential impoliteness and non-politeness, the assertive speech act is the most problematic. In addition, given that speed is another factor of communication, propositional contents of the message can be less sensitive to face value in a fixed business relationship, therefore much conventional impoliteness is likely regarded as non-politeness. Pedagogical implications of the politeness spectrum are discussed in the conclusion.

 

Link to publication in Research Gate