Greetings as a Politeness Strategy in EFL Distance Learning Students' Official Emails

Abstract

The current study attempts to discover English as a Foreign Language (EFL) distance learning male students' awareness of email greetings as a politeness strategy in English computer-mediated communication (CMC). To this end, 200 email messages sent from distance learning students at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia, to their graduation project supervisor were analyzed. The degree of formality of these messages was very high for two main reasons. First, all of the email messages comprised instances of first-time contact with the supervisor. Second, the social distance between the students and their supervisor was high. Hence, the students were expected to use formal email greetings. The emails sent by the analyzed sample were put into three categories: begun with formal greetings, started by informal greetings, and null-greeting emails. Contrary to expectations, only 16.5% used formal English email greetings. The remaining students chose religious greetings (20.5%), less formal greetings (7%), or null greetings (56%). The large number of null greeting emails suggests that the students' awareness of greetings as a politeness strategy was low. Hence, the study concluded with implications to ensure increasing EFL students' awareness of politeness strategies in CMC.

An Analysis of Students-Educator’s Politeness Strategy Toward Online Communication in Efl Context

“…Yet, on the other hand it turns out that this convenience does not necessarily guarantee a good communication. Almoaily & Riyadh (2018) in a previous study revealed that a communication that is established online is not the same as communication that takes place directly and face to face. In online communication, it is difficult for speakers and interlocutors to determine boundaries due to the absence of prosodic as a sign that is able to emphasize a meaning conveyed in a communication process.…”

“…A study conducted by Almoaily & Riyadh (2018) related to "Greeting as a Politeness Strategy in EFL Distance Learning Students's Official Emails" found that students did not comply with the norms of politeness in English in communicating, marked by the low use of appropriate and polite greetings in initiating online communication (which in this case uses e-mail). The existence of a level of social strata that distinguishes the existence of teachers and students has not been able to create a good polite relationship so that this matter becomes serious to be handled in order to prevent failure in communication.…”

The Politeness Strategies Utilized by Postgraduate Students and Lecturers in Asynchronous online-learning Discussion

“…Telling a greeting to start a discussion can be a form of the Face Threatening Act (FTA). Moreover, it also has been investigated by Almoaily (2018). He stated that greeting demonstrates politeness strategy to show respect toward others and makes the communication more relaxed.…”

“…It shows the relationship between social context and language used for effective and meaningful communication among parties, especially concerning the acts of politeness. Investigations on the politeness of students and teachers in the Learning Management System as a part of Computer-Mediated instruction have been conducted by Almoaily (2018), Li (2012), Mulyono (2019), and Mohammad et al (2016). According to Almoaily (2018) and Li (2012), the politeness strategy in the CMC context, especially in the asynchronous discussion context in e-learning platforms nowadays, is used to connect with another member in the discussion and participating in their learning.…”

“…Investigations on the politeness of students and teachers in the Learning Management System as a part of Computer-Mediated instruction have been conducted by Almoaily (2018), Li (2012), Mulyono (2019), and Mohammad et al (2016). According to Almoaily (2018) and Li (2012), the politeness strategy in the CMC context, especially in the asynchronous discussion context in e-learning platforms nowadays, is used to connect with another member in the discussion and participating in their learning. Almoaly (2018) investigated politeness in the distance learning students' official e-mails.…”