Impoliteness Strategies In The Chinese Debating Discourse

Interpersonal harmony is the goal for human communication.As a sort of social behavior,however,impoliteness often arises in the communicative process of harmony and conflict.At present,impoliteness research has gained fruitful achievements in many fields such as linguistics,anthropology,social psychology and media,etc.Following this trend,the present thesis investigates and analyzes the use of impoliteness strategies by drawing upon data from an online program: Let's Talk by and large based on Bousfield's impoliteness model put forward in 2008.This thesis sets out to probe into three questions: First,what impoliteness strategies are used in the Chinese debating discourse? Second,how are they realized in the Chinese debating discourse? Third,what factors possibly affect the use of impoliteness strategies in the Chinese debating discourse? The answers to the three questions are totally based on the data collected in the present study.After an analysis of the data,the conclusions are drawn as follows:(1)Bousfield's model is basically applicable to the Chinese discourse and most of the impoliteness strategies identified in the Chinese debating discourse echo those strategies found by Bousfield(2008).In the meantime,Exploiting vulnerable points is a new strategy identified in the Chinese debating discourse.(2)Impoliteness strategies in Chinese debating discourse are realized at three dimensions,namely,the lexical level,the syntactical level and the discoursal level.At the lexical level,some impoliteness strategies can be achieved by certain words,or phrases particularly for the strategy of Using taboo languages.At the syntactical level,it reveals that debaters tend to use longer sentences when they want to express disagreement or to express contemptuous attitude,etc.and integrative strategies sometimes are used in order to strengthen the impoliteness effect.At the discoursal level,the first personal pronoun “Ni” is often used successively to strengthen the force of impoliteness,especially in questions.(3)Three possible factors affecting the use of impoliteness strategies are identified in the Chinese debating discourse,specifically,lessening the degree of offence,showing power and creating entertainment.Debaters adopt the impoliteness strategies likely due to the considerations of lessening the degree of offence on the opposite debater,showing their predominant role in the debating or creating entertainment for the audience.The present study is both of theoretical and practical significance.Its contribution mainly lies in two aspects: adding some findings to the domestic existing impoliteness research and testifying the theoretical models proposed abroad.In addition,an awareness of impoliteness strategies will be conducive for the debater to counter the opposite party's argument in debating.