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Levinson 1987, p. 66 explain that Face Threatening Acts FTA is the threats generally require a mitigating statement or some verbal repair politeness. In
addition, it is an action that threatened by other ‟s face, and it does not make
satisfied or not run well in a communication. Face Threatening Acts are usually done within verbal communication,
through utterances for instance. However, intonation and other non-verbal communication can also cause FTAs as well. As an example, people may violate
someone‟s negative face by simply ordering the person to do something for him and violate someo
ne‟s positive face by simply failing to respond to a greeting. Holtgraves 2002 explains that many people want to perform face-
threatening acts. Therefore, people should concern the way they produce an utterance. The speakers should concern the word they want to say or utter in order
to be able to save the face of the hearer.
6. Politeness Strategy
Brown and Levinson 1987 define politeness strategy is a strategy that has concern on saving hearer‟s face by formulating an expression that is less
threatening for the hearer‟s face. Politeness strategies are strategies which adopted by the speaker and the hearer to avoid and minimizing the FTA that occured in
communication. Politeness is a form of strategic behavior which the speaker engages in, weighing up the potential threat to the hearer.
Politeness strategy is one of communication strategy which emphasizes the polite words and actions. Brown and Levinson 1987, p. 92 categorize into four
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main strategies of politeness strategy, namely, bald on record, negative politeness, positive politeness, and off record. Bald on record is applied when speaker does
not minimize the threat to the hearer face. Positive politeness is a strategy that concerns on how to fulfill hearer‟s positive face. Negative politeness is a strategy
that concerns on how to fulfill hearer‟s negative face. Off record is a strategy that let the
speaker‟s utterances ambiguous and therefore leaves the speaker with no responsibility to the act that he does.
Furthermore, Brown and Levinson 1987 also state that the least polite strategy is bald on record strategy and following in manner are the positive
politeness strategy, negative politeness strategy, and off record strategy. Bald on record is the strategy where the FTA is stated explicitly without any redressive
action. In contrast, Off record is the strategy where the FTA is implicitly stated. Positive politeness is oriented toward the positive face of the hearer, the positive
self-image that the hearer claims for himself. Negative politeness is oriented mainly toward partially satisfying the hearer‟s negative face or want to maintain
claims of territory and self-determination. The following sections will discuss the deeper explanation of the strategies.
1. Bald on Record Strategy
