This research mainly explores pragmatic modifiers in shaping teachers’ polite requests in English Foreign Language classroom interaction (henceforth: EFL). The research was designed qualitatively, employing non-participant observation and field-note methods. Audio-video recording and note-taking were used to obtain the data on the male and female teachers’ utterances during classroom interaction. The key apparatuses are a smartphone Vivo of Y21 and a digital voice recorder of 32 GB to capture natural-occurring data. The data were analysed through three interactive procedures of qualitative data analysis; data condensation, display, and conclusion drawing. The data interpretation was primarily drawn on the pragmatic theory of politeness, FTAs, and pragmatic modifiers. Part of the data was analysed from language and gender perspectives. The findings yielded that the male and female teachers applied internal and external pragmatic modifiers to enact polite requests in classroom interaction settings. The internal pragmatic modifiers cover downtoner, politeness marker, appreciative opening, and hedged performative opening. The external pragmatic modifiers include vocative, disarmer, and propitiator. There is a slight difference between male and female teachers in realising those types of pragmatic modifiers. It was partly related to the features of women’s language. However, such empirical evidence could not be directly generated for language and gender. The findings have implications for further investigations to probe the issue in depth.

Politeness is crucial to communicating among individuals or between groups in a speech community. This research mainly explores the politeness of welcoming guests in the Manggaraian speech community. Video recording and interviews were the techniques used to collect the data. Eight videos were recorded and transcribed in text. The data were interpreted in socio-pragmatics theory. The findings reveal that the Manggaraian speech community tend to apply positive and off-the-record politeness strategies. A positive politeness strategy was mainly employed to build a close relationship and friendliness and to show respect to a guest. The use of a positive politeness strategy was marked in honorifics such as ite, mori, ema, and downtoner yo. An off-the-record politeness strategy was utilised to designate generosity, modesty, and approbation to a guest. This politeness strategy was indicated in metaphorical expressions. The social factors that determine the use of those politeness strategies are related to the context of the event, age, relation, and guest status. In this study, the Manggaraian speech community employ politeness in the ritual of welcoming a guest to achieve three benefits: manifesting respect, maintaining a good relationship, and showing a positive attitude toward the guest.