Politeness Theory and Face in Conversations

People all around the world have a universal desire to be spoken to with politeness. Polite behaviors and words differ across cultures but we all want the same thing at its core. In fact, in professional settings we often avoid talking about important issues because we don't want to offend other people or threaten their "face." This video looks at Politeness Theory and Face, two related research areas, as ways to help us have difficult conversations rather than avoiding them.