230065 Approaching (Im-)Politeness (S) (SoSe 2020)

In this course, we will be looking at research on linguistic (im)politeness, a rather young academic field, whose foundations are in the area of pragmatics and interactional sociolinguistics. This will include a look at the historical development of the discipline and classic models of pragmatics and politeness theory. The research questions driving the field are diverse, making it a highly multidisciplinary endeavor. Therefore we will be looking at a number of studies investigating (im)politeness, reflecting different research agendas as well as theoretical and methodological orientations. We will discuss the advantages and limitations of approaches, but you will also spend a significant amount of time in the field. You will design and conduct your own small-scale research project and present the results of your investigation at the end of the semester.

Requirements for participation, required level

Dear students,
This term will be very special indeed and I need to re-organize this class, which I had already planned and ready well before the situation changed so dramatically. I will do my very best to make this class run smoothly and to make it as much an agreeable experience for all of us as possible.
However, since many things originally envisaged will not be possible, I will need to know, how many of you registered are actually seriously planning on taking this class. You are therefore asked to get back directly to me on this issue - the sooner the better, but by April 20th at the very latest. If I don't hear from you by April 20, I will assume that you are not taking this class after all.
Kind regards,
Anne Schröder