A Pragmatic Study of Face Threatening Acts in Selected Phone-ins from Religious TV Programs: The Case of ‘Al-Maw’eẓa Al-Hasana’

Document Type : Research Papers/Extracts from dissertations

Authors

1 English Department, Faculty of Arts, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.

2 Helwan University

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study how and why two TV presenters in similar contexts manifest similar and/or different linguistic styles. The study investigates how the two presenters of the Islamic TV program ‘Al-Maweza Al Hasana’. (i.e., presenter A and presenter B) apply politeness strategies when they perform and/or mitigate Face Threatening Acts (FTAs) which are directed towards the phone-in callers (e.g., FTAs of criticisms, requests, advice and warnings). This study relies on Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Model (1987) and Grice’s Cooperative principle (1975, 1989).The data are ten phone-ins between random callers and the two presenters of the TV program. The phone-ins are selected based on similarity of topic (e.g., inheritance and doing good to one’s kith and kin). The results of the study have showed that the two presenters share some linguistic choices, such as preferring positive politeness and off-record strategies. However, unlike presenter B, presenter A employs powerful language by performing dangerous FTAs towards the callers which makes his mitigation strategies less effective. On the other hand, presenter B maintains the caller’s face more successfully as he avoids dangerous FTAs and he mitigates minor FTAs with various redressing strategies. Regardless of the different linguistic preferences of each presenter, clarity and honesty of the information conveyed remain as an essential characteristic in their interactions.

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Helwan Journal of English Studies

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 02 December 2023

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