REALIZATION AND UNREALIZATION OF OFF-RECORD INDIRECTNESS IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Abstract

Since little research has examined the reactions after off-record indirectness is used, the realization and unrealization, or lack of understanding, of off-record indirectness in intercultural communication using English as a lingua franca (ELF) was investigated in this study. In total, 40 participants were involved. The 20 Chinese and 20 Thai participants were divided into 20 pairs to engage in dyadic intercultural ELF conversations. Conversation analysis (CA) was used for the data analysis. A qualitative method and quantitative analyses were used. Overall, the use of off-record indirectness mainly pertained to one’s face according to the perspectives of politeness and impoliteness. Three situations occurred when off-record indirectness was realized: the conversations continued although certain disagreements emerged. These arguments occurred due to face-threatening acts (FTAs), and off-record indirectness was used as a response FTA. Three situations occurred when off-record indirectness was unrealized: communication broke down, FTAs were perpetrated by either the hearer or the speaker of off-record indirectness, and the intersection of a series of unrealized examples of off-record indirectness was observed. This research further contributes to the study of off-record indirectness in intercultural communication, and a model for the realization and unrealization of off-record indirectness in intercultural ELF communication is proposed.