An Analysis Of Pragmatic Strategies In Speech Act Of Apology In American TV Series

Apology is a remedial act in verbal communication and it is also a polite social behavior.When offense happens,apology is mainly used to maintain and save hearer's face in order to exhibit speaker's respect to hearer.With apologies,apologizers can make up for consequences caused by their offense.Thus,the harmonious relationship between interlocutors in communication is restored.As an important way to maintain relationships and regain social balance,speech act of apology has been a hot topic in the field of pragmatics.Under different culture context,the employment of strategies in performing speech act of apology varies.With further development of globalization,cooperation and communications between China and America are increasingly frequent.A detailed study of speech act of apology in American English contributes to the smooth progress of cross-cultural communication between Chinese and Americans.In this thesis,with the combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches,speech acts of apology selected from American TV series How I Met Your Mother are analyzed from the perspective of pragmatics.According to the distribution of apology strategies,characteristics of speech act of apology in the series are explored,which is interpreted with respect to the influence of culture.Apology strategies are based on Trosborg's classification framework.According to Leech's Politeness Principle,the application of each maxim of Politeness Principle in performing speech act of apology is investigated,which can also be explained with reference to cultural factors.Results of the research have shown that expression of apology(IFIDs)and explanation or account are the most frequently used strategies in the realization of speech act of apology.The highly frequent use of the two strategies can reflect American low-context culture.In low-context culture,people have a preference for explicit expression of emotions and detailed description of situations.Besides,Tact and Generosity maxims of Politeness Principle are the most frequently applied maxims in apology strategies in the series,which can also reflect American low-context culture.Low-context culture points to individualism,which makes Americans regard Tact and Generosity maxims as the most important maxims when performing politeness.