FTA Face Threatening Act and FSA Face Saving Act

2. FTA Face Threatening Act and FSA Face Saving Act

Naturally, there are some inconvenient and uncomfortable utterances for others in communication. By utterances, a speaker can hurt, disappoint or ridicule a hearer. Those then threaten the self-image of interlocutor. Brown and Levinson use the term FTA or face threatening act to describe the utterances. 55 Even, it is assumed that all linguistic action involves FTA of some kind. 56 For example, if a speaker uses the direct speech act to ask a hearer to do something give me that paper, the speaker are behaving as if he has more social power than the hearer. If the speaker in the reality has n’t the power, then the speaker are performing an FTA. An indirect speech act could you pass me that paper?, removes the assumption of social power. The speaker is only asking if it’s possible. This makes the request less threatening to the other person’s face. Whenever a participant of communication says something that lessens the possible threat to another’s face, it is a face saving act FSA. 57 There are many options that can be used by the interlocutor when communicating. The interlocutor can use any expression he or she wishes to. In accordance to the concept of face, five possible ways can be chosen. Those ways are: 58 a do not perform FTA b performing an FTA using off-record politeness c performing an FTA with negative politeness d performing an FTA with positive politeness e performing an FTA with bald-on-record strategy. 55 Brown and Levinson 1992, op.cit. p. 65. 56 Coulmas 2000, op.cit. p. 378. 57 George Yule 2006, loc. cit. 58 Brown and Levinson 1992, op.cit. p. 60. There are many kinds of FTAs based on Brown and Levinson politeness theory. 59 It can be classified as follows: a. Acts indicate that the speaker S doesn’t intend to avoid impeding freedom of action of hearer or addressee H. Those acts threaten the negative face of H. Those acts are: a.1 Acts predicate some future act of H. Therefore, the speaker puts some pressure on H to do act. Those acts are: a Order and request b Suggestion and advice c Reminding d Threats, warnings and dares. a.2 Acts predicate some positive future act of S toward H. Therefore, the speaker puts some pressure on H to accept or reject them. Those acts are: a Offers b Promises. a.3 Acts predicate some S’s desire toward H or his goods. Therefore, it gives H reason to think that he may have to take action to protect the object of S’s desire, or give it to S: a Compliment, expression of envy and admiration S shows that he likes H’s possession. b Expression of strong emotion to H such as showing hatred, anger and lust. b. Acts indicate that speaker does n’t care about the feelings and wants of hearer. Those acts threaten the positive face of hearer. Those are: 59 Ibid. pp. 65-69. a Expression of disapproval, accusation, criticism, complaints, contempt, and insults. b Contradictions and challenges. c Expressions showing out of control emotions. d Irreverence and taboo topics, including acts that are inappropriate in the context of conversation. e Bringing bad news about hearer and good news boasting about the speaker. f Talking about emotional or divisive topics such as the problems of politics, issues of race, and religion conflicts. g Non-cooperation in conversation such as interruption. h Using address terms and other status marked identification of hearer in initial encounters. c. Acts offend S’s negative face. Those acts are: a Expressing thanks S accepts a debt, humbles his own face. b Acceptance of H’s thanks or H’s apology. c Excuse. d Acceptance of offers the reason is that S feels constrained to accept a debt. e Responses to faux pas of hearer. f Unwilling promises and offers. d. Acts directly damage S’s positive face. Those acts are: a Apologies the reason is that S indicates his regret in doing a prior FTA. b Acceptance of a compliment the reason is that S feels constrained to denigrate the object of H’s prior compliment, thus damaging his own face. c Stumbling or falling down it is the physical sign of FTA. Most of FTAs are in the form of utterances. d Self humiliation, acting stupid, and self contradicting. e Confession and admission of guilt or responsibility. f Emotion leakage and non control of laughter or tears.

3. The strategies for doing FTAs