A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF POLITENESS STRATEGIES IN ENGLISH TEXTBOOK AT SECONDARY LEVEL IN PUNJAB

Abstract

Politeness is a significant aspect of pragmatics that involves the use of language and communication strategies to maintain harmony between interlocutors. The primary purpose of this study is the pragmatic analysis of politeness strategies used in English textbooks at the secondary level , published by the Punjab Textbook Board. The analytical framework was based on two approaches of pragmatic politeness described by Brown and Levinson (1987) and House and Kasper (1981). The primary data source was utterances taken in the form of words, phrases, and sentences in the content of textbooks. The data for the analysis is 9th and 10^th grade English textbooks. Data was manually tagged, and frequencies were calculated. The results showed that the textbooks frequently used negative politeness (142) and politeness makers (126) to address, give deference, or use honorifics reflecting the cultural and religious values of Pakistan. The study offers insight into how students can apply politeness in everyday interactions.