History of Ideas: the language of politeness

This short course introduces you to the fascinating world of politeness studies. You’ll explore how we manage politeness in everyday conversation and how different cultures express it linguistically. You’ll learn about research and theories on politeness from pragmatics and linguistics, considering how these have developed over time.

Using real-life examples and interactive activities, you’ll learn how politeness works -and why it matters.

What will we cover?

• What politeness means in everyday and academic terms

• How we protect our “face” and avoid sounding rude

• Key politeness strategies (like being indirect or friendly)

• How politeness varies across cultures and situations

• How politeness works in digital communication

• How theories of politeness have changed in an increasingly multicultural world