‘Please’ as an impoliteness marker in English discourse

Abstract

This study explored how Iranian EFL learners and native English speakers conceptualized the impoliteuse of please in interaction. Moreover, attempts were made to examine whether Iranian EFL learnersand native English speakers differ in using the impolite version of please in their communications. Tothis end, informal conversations of 20 Iranian EFL learners in pairs and small groups were recorded andtranscribed. The impolite version of please in these conversations was compared with similar data fromthe Bergen Corpus of London Teenage Language (COLT). According to results, several functions of the‘impolite’ please were found among Iranian EFL learners and native English speakers. Firstly, pleasewas used to establish or confirm harmonious relationships between the speakers; it was used as rapportstrengthening impoliteness marker. Secondly, ‘mock impoliteness’ was conceptualized to bear positivemeaning since it was interpreted as an amusing or entertaining remark. In teenagers’ circles,entertainment skills whereby impolite please was employed were highly valued. Thirdly, participantsadhered to ‘repetition’, ‘reformulation’, and ‘escalation’ in their interactions to show their creativeimpoliteness. Finally, it was concluded that certain functions of the impolite please were shared betweenthe Iranian EFL learners and native English speakers, while some functions were not shared betweenthese two groups.