Politeness and empathic communication in EL1-EIL speech situations

This paper focuses on an aspect of English as an International Language (EIL) which to date does not seem to have received the attention it deserves - that is, its status as an increasingly recognisable and distinct variety of English. It suggests that EIL can be categorised in ways analogous to the...

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Main Author: Conlan, Chris
Other Authors: Dr Katie Dunworth
Format: Conference Paper
Published: Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia 2007
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/34804
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author Conlan, Chris
author2 Dr Katie Dunworth
author_facet Dr Katie Dunworth
Conlan, Chris
author_sort Conlan, Chris
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description This paper focuses on an aspect of English as an International Language (EIL) which to date does not seem to have received the attention it deserves - that is, its status as an increasingly recognisable and distinct variety of English. It suggests that EIL can be categorised in ways analogous to the ways in which other varieties of English are categorised, but that while L1 and nativised varieties of English - such as Australian English, Singaporean English etc. - are identified by utilising traditional linguistic (e.g. syntactic, morphological, and phonological) criteria, EIL - as a consequence of the nature of its speaker base - needs to be classified first and foremost in terms of its functional orientation. The paper argues that the functional orientation which is a hallmark of EIL is marked in uses related to lexical mitigation, clause structure, and discourse organisation; and further, that differences in functional orientation have the potential to result in breakdowns in empathic communication when speakers of EIL interact with speakers for whom English is an L1 variety.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-488012017-02-28T02:44:14Z Politeness and empathic communication in EL1-EIL speech situations Conlan, Chris Dr Katie Dunworth English as an L1 English as an International Language This paper focuses on an aspect of English as an International Language (EIL) which to date does not seem to have received the attention it deserves - that is, its status as an increasingly recognisable and distinct variety of English. It suggests that EIL can be categorised in ways analogous to the ways in which other varieties of English are categorised, but that while L1 and nativised varieties of English - such as Australian English, Singaporean English etc. - are identified by utilising traditional linguistic (e.g. syntactic, morphological, and phonological) criteria, EIL - as a consequence of the nature of its speaker base - needs to be classified first and foremost in terms of its functional orientation. The paper argues that the functional orientation which is a hallmark of EIL is marked in uses related to lexical mitigation, clause structure, and discourse organisation; and further, that differences in functional orientation have the potential to result in breakdowns in empathic communication when speakers of EIL interact with speakers for whom English is an L1 variety. 2007 Conference Paper http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/34804 Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia restricted
spellingShingle English as an L1
English as an International Language
Conlan, Chris
Politeness and empathic communication in EL1-EIL speech situations
title Politeness and empathic communication in EL1-EIL speech situations
title_full Politeness and empathic communication in EL1-EIL speech situations
title_fullStr Politeness and empathic communication in EL1-EIL speech situations
title_full_unstemmed Politeness and empathic communication in EL1-EIL speech situations
title_short Politeness and empathic communication in EL1-EIL speech situations
title_sort politeness and empathic communication in el1-eil speech situations
topic English as an L1
English as an International Language
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/34804