This study aimed to uncover the different structures of linguistic politeness used in the utterances of the teachers in classroom interaction. More specifically, the analysis made use of House and Kasper’s (1981) Politeness Linguistic Expressions, Brown and Levinson’s (1987) Politeness Strategies, and Leech’s (1983) Politeness Maxims. Using observation and interview, several structures of linguistic politeness were unearthed. Firstly, the politeness linguistic expressions involved politeness markers, consultative devices, downtoners, committers, forewarning, hesitators, and agent avoider. Secondly, the politeness strategies involved positive politeness, negative politeness, off-record strategy, and bald-on record strategy. Lastly, the politeness maxims involved tact, approbation, modesty, and agreement maxim. Politeness is a non-value-laden linguistic phenomenon where it does not always mean what people in the here-and-now take it to mean, but there can always be a conventional ways of expressing so in a particular social interaction. The structures of linguistic politenesss do not always lead to conflict-avoidance, but they only contribute to the success of the effect of the expressions used. Hence, whatever may seem to have been considered as conventionally conventionalized or non-conventionalized politeness in a context, several factors must need to be considered for an expression to be a form of politeness strategy that performs supportive facework.

The media has discursively represented China, the Philippines, and the United States as states involved in territorial disputes in the South China Sea. These discursive representations ultimately pervade the media and public spheres. This study aimed to unravel these media representations by employing Halliday’s transitivity analysis and van Djik’s notion of ideological squares in analyzing news articles of the dispute from leading international news media. The analyses uncovered that China, the Philippines, and the United States are depicted to be actively involved in the dispute. The articles depict China’s assertive and aggressive measures in the disputed waters and against the United States. China is likewise portrayed to be favoring efforts to forward diplomatic resolutions in the region. The United States is depicted as aggressive towards China while maintaining a projection of power and intimidation in the region as the security guarantor. The Philippines, moreover, is portrayed to advance its claims in the context of forwarding aggressive policies, diplomatic protest, and negotiations and proposals for diplomatic resolutions, all while balancing relations with the US and China. These discursive representations demonstrate how the media has construed and constructed for the public the states involved in the territorial dispute.