Week 2: Speech Acts
When someone compliments you for your new haircut, bag or simply for your efforts in a project, how would you respond without coming across as being arrogant or over-the-top to the extent of sounding fake?
After an insightful lesson on compliment responding, I was deeply intrigued by this particular speech act in pragmatics. Being the most studied speech act in pragmatics, it has continued to draw attention from various academics of pragmatics, particularly compliment responding amongst Chinese.
Chen (1993) finds that Chinese he compliment responses (CRs) are characterized by rejection, whereby speakers typically denigrate the object of the compliment when they respond to compliments. As this paper was written almost 2 decades ago, I believe that changes in the compliment response behavior amongst Chinese could have evolved.
Chen and Yang (2009) affirmed my thoughts when they replicated Chen’s (1993) study with a same research site (Xi’an, China) and a similar subject population (university students from a local university). Their research showed that Xi’an Chinese are now found to overwhelmingly accept compliments. In fact, they accept compliments as much as do speakers of many Western languages such as English and German. The authors attributed this change to the influx of Western cultural influences that has occurred in the City of Xi’an since the early 1990s.
The validity of the above research could also be transposed onto Singapore’s context. Being a Chinese brought up in Singapore, our traditons and beliefs are largely influenced by the western culture. This has directly impacted the evolution of our speech acts and most Singaporean Chinese are generally accepting of compliments. It seems that as we are slowly discarding our sense of modesty for a more confident self; and leads me to wonder whether if our Western counterparts are also undergoing any changes in their self-image?
In this case, this evolution could bring about a set of speech acts that could be utilized across the globe. In a fast shrinking world where contact between cultures and languages is becoming the norm, I am not surprised with an increased understanding of the pragmatics of different cultures as well as how different cultures will influence each other, a set of “globalized speech acts” could be reached and recognized.
I'm glad that you looked up the Chen & Yang's (2009) study to find out the explanation for the big differences in compliment responses by Chinese speakers between the early 1990s and the recent years. Good effort.
ReplyDeleteA set of “globalized speech acts” could be reached and recognized. Hmm, sound scary to me... As much as I would want the world to unite, to be one, i do also want a little bit of diversity here and there. Nevertheless, I got what you mean. Side effect of globalization I suppose.
ReplyDeleteA well-researched and -reflected post. =). True enough the sudden change in the percentage of persons in Xi'an choosing 'acceptance' as their preferred strategy for CR is highly reflective of most societies which are undergoing rapid development. Unlike the Chinese, there is still too few research papers on Malays and their preferred strategy to CR. But I'm sure that it's similar to that of the local Chinese as well as those in Xi'an. All I can say is, there seems to be a correlation between: the usage of English as a language medium and the increase in 'acceptance' CRs. I.e. the more you speak English, the more likely you are to 'accept' compliments. =)
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