Investigating impoliteness in workplace emails by Chinese users of English

Abstract

This paper presents a number of findings concerning impoliteness within the workplace email of Chineseusers of English. Particular interest was given to the exploration of the relationship between specific speechacts and the occurrence of impoliteness and non-politeness; what impolite devices were used in frontlinebusiness communication; what are the circumstances, patterns and functions of impoliteness in workplaceemail? Findings illustrate that message enforcers were the most common impoliteness device used, generallybeing utilized to make a demand, emphasize a position and place blame. In terms of giving rise to potentialimpoliteness the assertive speech act was the most hazardous. In order to maintain authenticity the examplesused are reproduced exactly as they occurred in the data set, in places substantial deviations from theconventions of English grammar and spelling are to be found. Pedagogical implications are discussed in theconclusion.