Politeness strategies used in the correspondence of L1 and L2 user Interpol Police Officers

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

2 M.A. in Applied Linguistics, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

10.22077/ali.2025.8841.1085

Abstract

The dynamic world of international policing necessitates seamless communication between officers from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Interpol, the world's largest international police organization, exemplifies this environment. Understanding how politeness strategies are employed within this context is crucial for fostering effective collaboration and information exchange. Due to this significance, the present study investigated the politeness strategies used in emails of L1 and L2 user English-speaking police officers of Interpol. To this end, 100 emails composed by L1 and L2 police officers were obtained from the Interpol office in Tehran, Iran, and the frequency of politeness strategies was calculated by two professional raters. The Chi-square test did not reveal a statistically significant difference in the overall application of politeness strategies between L1 and L2 officers. However, the analysis of individual strategies highlighted some clear variations in usage patterns: L1 user officers employed more politeness strategies than their L2 user counterparts. In addition, the findings revealed that both groups used negative politeness strategies more often than positive strategies. The findings of this study can help police training centers develop a better scope on what structures to focus on in their lesson plans to make their cadets ready to work in the international arena.

Keywords

Applied Linguistics Inquiry
Volume 2, Issue 2
September 2024

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History

  • Receive Date: 26 April 2024
  • Revise Date: 19 June 2024
  • Accept Date: 10 August 2024

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