Linguistic Etiquette 3007-EJ(KS)-OG

This course aims to familiarize students with the principles of Polish linguistic politeness and its distinctiveness from other systems of politeness.

Lectures will cover lexical, grammatical, and pragmatic determinants of politeness. We will also discuss the most common concerns about the appropriateness of linguistic and non-linguistic behaviors in various social interactions faced by members of the academic community – both at university and beyond:
- how to navigate the academic hierarchy and titulary?
- what are the advantages and disadvantages of "shortening the distance"?
- what politeness challenges do we face in an international and multicultural environment?

The lecture will cover the following topics, among others:
1. Concepts of linguistic politeness
2. Characteristics of the Polish politeness system
3. Transformations of the Polish model of politeness
4. The most important socio-political phenomena and their impact on the politeness system
5. Language correctness and culture of language
6. Non-linguistic components of politeness
7. Selected polite acts and their functions
8. Titles
9. Electronic correspondence and telecommunications. Etiquette of mediated communication. Cognitive hygiene
10. Business etiquette
11. International etiquette
12. Academic politeness
13. Codes of good manners specific to social environments and groups, e.g., people with disabilities, seniors, and public transport users
14. The role of politeness in self-presentation and shaping the public image
15. The culture of debate and public communication
16. Politeness and inclusive communication

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

propaedeutic subject

Course coordinators

Anna Miłoszewska-Kiełbiewska

Type of course

general courses

Learning outcomes

KNOWLEDGE
The student knows and understands:
- the concepts of linguistic etiquette, the system of politeness, and communicative competence
- the difference between politeness and humility
- the importance of appropriate use of politeness for effective and ethical communication
- the importance of personal culture and familiarity with various social situations in consciously shaping a public image

SKILLS
The student is able to:
- express respect for others verbally and nonverbally
- use at ease polite acts of varying degrees of formality
- recognize appropriate behaviors in a different environment and communication situation
- place themselves in various structures and hierarchies
- rely on their own experience and knowledge of communication norms to maintain comfort when functioning in various environments

SOCIAL COMPETENCES
The student is ready to:
- establish and maintain social contacts in various environments
- participate competently in public life while respecting politeness and maintaining the highest standards of communication culture
- effectively implement a friendly, cooperative, and assertively polite attitude towards others

Assessment criteria

1. completing the pre-test
2. completing the post-test
3. written exam

Estimated student workload: 2 ECTS
- participation in lectures – 30h (1 pts)
- getting to know the literature on the subject – 15h (0,5 pts)
- preparation for the exam – 15h (0,5 pts)

Practical placement

not applicable

Bibliography

Basic literature:
1. Goffman E. 2006. Rytuał interakcyjny, trans. A. Szulżyńska. Warszawa: PWN.
2. Kamińska-Radomska I. 2020. Kultura biznesu. Normy i formy. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
3. Marcjanik M. 2008. Kody grzeczności jako forma identyfikacji z grupą. Warszawa: Narodowe Centrum Kultury. https://nck.pl/upload/archiwum_kw_files/artykuly/6._malgorzata_marcjanik_-_kody_grzecznosci_jako_forma_identyfikacji_z_grupa.pdf
4. Marcjanik M. 2020. Słownik językowego savoir-vivre’u. Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego.
5. Ożóg K. 2005. Współczesny model polskiej grzeczności językowej, in: Język a kultura. t. 17: Życzliwość i agresja w języku i kulturze, ed. A. Dąbrowska i A. Nowakowska. Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego.
6. Pease A. i B. 2022. Mowa ciała, trans. J. Grabiak. Poznań: Rebis.

Supplementary literature:
1. Brown P., Levinson S.C. 1987. Politeness. Some Universals in Language Usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
2. Kamyczek J. 1974. Grzeczność na co dzień. Warszawa: Iskry.
3. Kępa-Figura D. 2021. Linguistic politeness in Polish social media – an overview of the problem. ”Socjolingwistyka”, https://socjolingwistyka.ijppan.pl/index.php/SOCJO/article/view/307/273
4. Polszczyzna na co dzień. 2022, ed. M. Bańko. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
5. Wojtak M. 1992. Wybrane elementy staropolskiej etykiety językowej. In: Język a kultura. Polska etykieta językowa, ed. J Anusiewicz and M. Marcjanik. Wrocław: Wydawnictwo „Wiedza o Kulturze” Fundacji dla Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego.

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 3007-EJ(KS)-OG in USOSweb