Card Flip Activity: Which Politeness Strategy?

Politeness Strategies

Now that you have learned about the 4 different politeness strategies, it is time to apply your knowledge to an imagined scenario:

Imagine that you are in a classroom and the window is open. Someone wants to close the window but they are not near it, other people are, and for some reason they can’t shut the window themselves - might be a guest perhaps. or new at work, or in an interview. So they need to ask someone to close it for them - another student or the teacher. There are 4 different approaches that they could take.

You will see 4 cards in this activity. On the front is an example of a politeness strategy. Aim to work out which one. The answer will be on the back of the card. You will need to consider and assess the impact and outcome of each of the strategies, reflecting on your new knowledge of positive and negative face. You can discuss your thoughts with your teacher and/or your peers.