So Rude! The Effects of Non-Native Politeness in English Writing On Non-Native Peers.

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2022-07-11

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en

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This study investigated the attitudes of second-language English speakers of various backgrounds on emails containing varying politeness levels. Participants answered a questionnaire asking to read an email from a student asking to be considered for an internship. In total, there were three emails, each containing different levels of politeness modifications (low, moderate, and high). In addition, each email had two versions, one where the speaker's origin was explicitly mentioned and the other where their origin was not. The results showed that the different variables did not influence the participant's evaluations of the content of the email or the sender. These results demonstrate that the use of differing politeness modifications was not noticed. However, these results do not align with existing theories which suggest that readers identify politeness modifications in real-life situations.

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