PART C: CONCLUSION
1. Summary
The research is carried out to find the most frequent politeness strategies to make requests in American business correspondences. Within the relationship between suppliers and customers, two positive politeness strategies are used to support on mitigating the requests including notice, attend to the addressee, give(
ask for) reasons, and three other negative politeness strategies used with high occurrences in both of these groups, which are hedge, impersonalize and minimize the imposition. These strategies are used in order to avoid the FTAs on the addressee. Besides, there are some differences in choosing politeness strategies in both of groups, the group of suppliers seem to use more politeness strategies to make requests to their customers, especially they use both of positive and negative alternatively to mitigate their requests. However, negative politeness strategies are the main strategies in the kind of business letters; it indicates the formality of American business correspondences.
2. Recapitulation
The research was intended to find which politeness strategies to make request in English business letters effectively and show the reason why the letters of Vietnamese students is weak and not productive. Then, help the Vietnamese students be aware of the formal writing style in English, choose the most suitable politeness strategies to make request when communicating with the American in order to gain their business purposes, and improve their writing skills. The research uses quantitative and descriptive method in order to collect and analyze the data.
The finding of the research indicates the most frequent politeness strategies to make request in English business letter written by Americans and what markers the Americans use to show the politeness strategies in their business letters that the learners can be notice and apply in their writing later.
3. Limitations
Though the study is carefully and clearly designed and based on reliable data, some limitations are unavoidable.
The scope of the research focuses on the politeness strategies in making request for asking information from the supplier to their client in English business letters; and feedback from customers to the products. Therefore, it just exploits some typical types of making request in international business situations. What is more, the research does not cover the factors related to the politeness strategies use such as: gender, position or power. It takes much time and data for giving these aspects in consideration. Due to the time limitation, only some aspects of this matter were taken into consideration.
Due to these limitations, shortcomings are inevitable in this paper; all comments on the improvement are welcomed and appreciated.
4. Implications
The results of study indicate that pragmatic features are one of the most crucial issues in learning a foreign language. And according to Echeverria Castillo (2009), he believes that pragmatics knowledge should be taught. Because pragmatics relates to whom one can talk to, about what kind of topic and what kind of language is appropriate in those situations. It is not enough that learners, or as in this case, future business professionals can write and speak grammatically correct English. Some letters in this study, even though grammatically flawless, sounded too direct which might in real life result in miscommunication and maybe lead the addressee to think negatively about the writer as a person. We know that pragmatic competence is not simple as developing automatically as vocabulary or pronunciation. Teaching pragmatics means the students understand the alternative situation require different kind of language use. Therefore, it is important to make the learners aware of the pragmatic features of language use in general, starting from his/her native language. Every language has its own pragmatic principle, and people seem not recognize the importance of pragmatics in their mother tongue.
Thus, when the speaker is aware of the different situations in their mother tongue, it
is easy for them to understand the importance of pragmatics in the target language that they are learning.
This study impresses that it is important to teach pragmatic features of language to learners of foreign language. Learners show intuitional awareness that they have to adapt their language, but they transfer conventions from their native language and it is not always appropriate in their linguistic behavior.
5. Suggestion for further research
The research exploits a small aspect in using politeness strategies to make requests in English business letters due to the limitation of time and the authentic American data. Therefore, the results cannot be generalized for the politeness strategies for all kind of requesting in business letters, also the different agents to make requests in business letters ( for example: the applicant request to the recruiter, or vice versa,) These very limitations lay a foundation for subsequent research.
REFERENCES
Blum-Kulka, S., House, J., & Kasper, G. (1989). Cross-cultural pragmatics:
Requests and apologies (Vol. 31): Ablex Pub.
Blum-Kulka, S., & Olshtain, E. (1984). Requests and Apologies: A Cross- Cultural Study of Speech Act Realization Patterns(CCSARP). Applied linguistics, 5(3), 196-213.
Brown, P., & Levinson, S. C. (1987). Politeness: Some universals in language usage (Vol. 4): Cambridge university press.
Echeverria Castillo, R. E. (2009). The role of pragmatics in second language teaching.
Ellis, R. (1994a). The study of second language ac-quisition: Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Ellis, R. (1994b). The study of second language acquisition: Oxford University.
Goffman, E. (1967). On face-work. Interaction ritual, 5-45.
Halliday, M. A. (1970). Language structure and language function. New horizons in linguistics, 1, 140-165.
Hornby, A. S., & Wehmeier, S. (1995). Oxford advanced learner's dictionary (Vol. 1428): Oxford university press Oxford.
Ide, S. (1989). Formal forms and discernment: Two neglected aspects of universals of linguistic politeness. Multilingua-journal of cross-cultural and interlanguage communication, 8(2-3), 223-248.
Janney, R. W., & Arndt, H. (1993). Universality and relativity in cross-cultural politeness research: A historical perspective. Multilingua-journal of cross-cultural and interlanguage communication, 12(1), 13-50.
Kasper, G., & Blum-Kulka, S. (1993). Interlanguage pragmatics: Oxford University Press.
Lougheed, L. (2003). Business Correspondence: A Guide to Everyday Writing: Intermediate: Allyn & Bacon.
Matsumoto, Y. (1988). Reexamination of the universality of face: Politeness phenomena in Japanese. Journal of pragmatics, 12(4), 403-426.
Meier, A. J. (1995). Passages of politeness. Journal of pragmatics, 24(4), 381-392.
Mills, S. (2003). Gender and politeness (Vol. 17): Cambridge University Press.
Myers, G. (1989). The pragmatics of politeness in scientific articles. Applied linguistics, 10(1), 1-35.
Nguyen Quang, N. (2006). communication across cultures.
Nhung, B. T. (2007). An analysis of lexical cohesive devices in English letters of enquiry.
Piirainen-Marsh, A. (1995). Face in second language conversation (Vol. 37):
University of Jyvaskyla.
Pilegaard, M. (1997). Politeness in written business discourse: A textlinguistic perspective on requests. Journal of pragmatics, 28(2), 223-244.
Quang, N. (1998). Cross-cultural Communication: CFL-Vietnam National University-Hanoi.
Searle, J. R. (1969). Speech acts: An essay in the philosophy of language (Vol.
626): Cambridge university press.
Searle, J. R. (1975). Indirect speech acts: na.
Thomas, J. (1983). Cross-cultural pragmatic failure.
Verschueren, J. (1995). The pragmatic return to meaning: Notes on the dynamics of communication, degrees of salience, and communicative transparency.
Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, 5(2), 127-156.
Yeung, L. N. (1997). Polite requests in English and Chinese business correspondence in Hong Kong. Journal of pragmatics, 27(4), 505-522.
APPENDIXES
Appendix A: Brown and Levison‟s politeness strategies
Appendix B: Letters used in the thesis Appendix 1
Earl K.Long Library University of New Orleans 2000 Lakeshore Drive New Orleans, LA 70148 20th January 2002
Customer Care Manager Whitesmoke Inc.
501 Silverside Rd, Suite 105 Wilmington, DE 19809, USA
Dear Customer Care Manager,
I am the manager of Resource Department of Earl K.Long Library, University of New Orleans. We are considering using your new product named WhiteSmoke software for editing and enhancing English writing.
I am quite interested in your email about WhiteSmoke software. However, before purchasing this software, I would like to ask you some of the following questions:
5 Are there any promotions or discount programs at the beginning of this spring term?
6 Can we install this software for both computer rooms in our library and all of lecture rooms in our university?
7 Which operating system can this software run?
I would be glad if you provide me with that further information as soon as possible. I can be reached at EKLL_contact@gmail.com.us .
Yours faithfully, Kerry Fisher
Manager of Resource Department Earl K.Long Library
University of New Orleans Appendix 2:
Office works 544 Hudson Street Boston, MA 03291 March 29,2011
Mary Braddock Banquet Director Garden Hotel 219 Center Circle Boston, MA 03299
Dear Ms. Braddock:
Office Works is seeking a place to host our first awards banquet.
The evening will include dinner, speeches and an awards presentation. The extract date is flexible, but we would like to hold it on a Friday or Saturday evening in June.
We expect approximately 200 guests. We would like a room with a good sound system so that the guests will be able to hear the speeches easily.
Also, we would like to have elegant decorations that are suitable for the occasion. Does your hotel provide assistance with decorating, or will we need to hire a separate decorator?
We would like to serve a simple but elegant meal with both a meat and a vegetarian choice. Would the Garden Hotel be able to provide suitable accommodations for this event? If so, please send me a price list including rental fees for the room, menu choices and prices and any other charges.
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Events Coordinator
Appendix 3
New World Computers.Ire.
Sept,12,2010
Mary Matta 27 High Road Ipswich, MA 01801 Dear Ms. Matta:
According to our records, you recently contacted the New World Computers Technical Support Service and spoke with our representative, Joan Kim. We hope your experience was pleasant and effective. We would appreciate your giving us feedback your experience with Technical Support by taking a few minutes to fill out the enclosed Customer Survey forms. By letting us know about the quality of the support you received, you will help us ensure that we continue to provide you and all our customer with the excellent service that you deserve.
Please return the form in the enclosed envelope, or you can complete it online by going to our website at www.nwc.com/customersurvey. If you have any questions, please contact the Customer Support Office at 800-555-8978. Thank you for being a New World Computers‟ customer.
Sincerely, Sanutel JP.ee
Samuel Lee, Support Service Manager.
Appendix 4:
Dear Ms Miller,
I would like to thank you for your interest in and order form the JP.William company. It is exciting to know that our products travel all over the world.
However, as I process your order form I notice a discrepancy which I misunderstood and apologize for the size of the F24 pullover item is missing from the form. I wonder if you could respond, either by mail (with the provided stamped envelope) or by phone(at our cost) to our dilemma and let us know of the appropriate size to send.
Again I apologize for the trouble and delay for your order.
I have not been successful at reaching you by telephone and therefore writing to you know.
Hoping to receive your respond soon
Appendix 5:
Oracle Corporation 500Oracle Parkway
Redwood Shores, CA 94065 United States
(650)591-2011 October 25, 2008 Jennifer Lewis
2438 South Strantford Road, Winston Salem, NC,
United States (336)765-9027 Dear Ms. Lewis:
As per our discussion in the college last week, I am requesting you to give me information about you recently launched Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) by your company. The Sales Executive of you company who had come to my office to collect the monthly premium had told me about the scheme that will be launched in a fortnight.
Yesterday‟s newspaper had the advertisement of the scheme but did not give all the details, I searched on the Internet but I got information in bits and pieces. I want all the details about the scheme like initial investment, monthly installment, locking period etc. This will help me in taking a final decision for investment. Let me understand how the scheme will help me in securing my amount and what profit I will make after 3, 5,or 10 years as per your scheme.
I will appreciate if you send me the complete brochure regarding the scheme.
If you can manage to send a Marketing Executive who will explain me the scheme then it will be of great help to me. If I like the scheme and find it worth investing then I will give the initial amount right there to your Executive.
I am looking forward to your positive reply. You can contact me at (650)591- 2011 extension 116, or my personal email address-Daniel@redeffmail.com.
Yours truly,
Appendix 6 Daniel Smith 67 Acacia Avenue Westside, CA 4891 Dear Sirs,
I would like to take out a subscription to Modern Geographic magazine. I sometimes pick up copies of your publication when I travel, and I have always been impressed by quality of your articles and pictures. As an environmentalist, I particularly enjoy your section on world resource and environmental issues. I‟ll not need a copy of the world map, so I would like to ask you NOT to send it. I feel it would be a waste of resource to receive something that I will not use. I have enclosed a check for $23.95 and look forward to receiving my first issue.
Regards, Miguel Sousa
Appendix 7:
Terry Dear, Jenny
Pls kindly provide shipper contact information so that we could double check with ALL detail of each shipments, because we MUST get correct information to get the correct quote and cost…
So the Dims are 120x80x144(cm) weight 168kg and the other one approximate 120x80x124 cm around 200kg.
Now you said that Cnee said the unit should be in INCH…we must make sure, because if that were the case, that shipment can NOT fit into any regular container.
That is for special equipment shipping, such as using Flat Rank. And if Cnee want to ship everything together, therefore, we must have ALL detail of shipment, and information so that we could check ALL cost accordingly…
Thank you very much.
Best
Appendix 8 Tom Atkinson Global MIE Inc 4 Edith Street Hackney West
Dear
We are pleased of your interest in our services and we hope to serve you to the best of our abilities.
In order that we may provide you with reasonable and competitive prices, we ask all our customers to submit a credit application. We understand that the information we require may be sensitive. However, rest assured that by requiring the same information from all our customers we are protecting you from having to pay higher prices from someone else‟s bad credit.
Could you please fill the enclosed application and forward it to us at your earliest convenience, so that we may extend to you 30-day payment term upon approval?
Sincerely
Appendix 9
CSC-South America Branch Raymond Kwok
Manager
323 728 3501 ex 113 rkwok@columbia.com March 20th 2009 George Franklin Sales Manager
Columbia Sportswear Company (CSC) 1256 Link Park, Central Building Washington DC
USA Dear Sir
I am writing to ask you some technical questions about Factory Quality System Control Manual( FQSCM) which was sent to our branch in South America yesterday.
1. Will we apply this FQSCM for a series of T-shirts model CSC-A123?
2. In FQSCM, there will have a Qualified Testing Lab for all CSC branches all over the world, so when will you start building it in South America branch?
3. I am not quite clear about Defect Classification Manual in FQSCM, could you please give me further information?
For your convenience, you can contact me by email at rkwok@columbia.com or telephone number 323 7283501 extension 113 at any time
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely, Raymond Kwok Manager
CSC-South America Branch
Appendix 10:
Dear Mr Galoob
Thank you for sending me a copy of your latest ceramics catalog. Your vases and bowls are quite exquisite. They look so realistic. I would like to order 50 more of the Ladybug bowls. According to the catalog, they are available in small, medium and a limited number of extra large sizes. I‟m interested in purchasing approximate 25 of the extra scorpion cups. If they are popular I may consider ordering more, if the museum has the budget, please send me information on your available stock. I would appreciate receiving the information by fax.
I look forward to hearing from you and hope that we‟ll be able to continue doing business for a long time to come.
Sincerely,
Appendix 11:
Market Products, Inc.
830 2nd Ave, Suite 20B New York, NY 10015
Ms Lucy Harper 2091 W 4th Avenue Buffalo, NY1238 Dear, Ms Harper
We thank you for your interest in our firm‟s service and we look forward to serving you.
I am certain that you will be interested in our 30 days payment term, so that we may process your credit application, please provide us with the following :
1. The name, address and telephone number of your bank 2. Your bank account number
3. The name and telephone number of 3 suppliers whom we may contact as references
We look forward to doing business with you Sincerely
Appendix 12:
Kenneth Beare 2520 Visita Avenue September 12, 2009 Jackson Brothers 3489 23rd Street John Miley
Manager, the Acreme Hotel 140 Main Street
WA98501, US
Dear, Mr Miley
Now that you have had a chance to evaluate our product, we would like to hear from you?
The total sasticfaction of our customers, even after their purchase, is extremely important to us. Won‟t you take a moment to fill out the enclosed questionnaire?
Acreme Hotel knows as that it‟s our customer who make our business. We therefore want to make sure that the purchase of a set of kitchen‟s facilities is a sastifying experience for all.
We greatly appreciate your response to this questionnaire. Should you any immediate assistance, or would prefer to respond by telephone. Please feel free to contact us at 0090-775-168. I would welcome any comment you may have.
Thank you Yours sincerely,
Appendix 13:
Sorana Holl
5104 Crawford, N.W Washington, DC 2008 August 10th, 2006 Ms.Rhonda Hipkins Sales and Marketing Silver Garment Company 319 Stalling Road, Suite 109 Stallings, NC 28104
Dear Ms. Hipkins
I read an advertisement about the dress collection, Autumn 2006 in Fashion magazine-Elle some days ago, and I really like to buy a dress. However , I did not get much information about the collection such as the price, colors, and materials of each dress.
Can you please send me your catalogue of the collection? Moreover, I would like to know how to pay for the product and how long I could get the product I want to buy.
You can contact me by email at Sorana221@gmail.com or phone me at 770- 559-1988.
I look forward to hearing from you soon and I hope to be your regular customer.
Yours sincerely Sorana Holl
Appendix 14:
Arlington Heights Programming Associates 16 Oak Street
Springfield, CA 90562 November 11th 2009
Customer Relations Turing data Solutions 2394 Maple Avenue
Mountain View, CA 94920 Dear Customer Relations,
I am a system engineer at Arlington Heights Programming Associates developing a new client-server net worked database system for two non-profit corporations.
My team is considering using your new release of Omega Database Plus 1.0 as a key part of the system. If we incorporate your product into our design, our clients will need to purchase at least a total of 140 copies of your software.
We have read your promotional material and are very interested in using your product. We need, however, the answer to the following questions before we can decide whether or not to use Omega Database Plus:
1. Are you still planning to release the Omega Database Plus version 1.0 on February 12, 2009
2. What Lan environments will your product support?
3. Will your product support PGP encryption?
I would be happy to talk to you further about your product. You can call me at (415) 666-323 or email me at egrarel@arlpro.com
Yours sincerely, Edgar Garrels
Senior Systems Engineer