THE SPEECH ACT OF APOLOGY IN XITSONGA EDUCATIONAL CONTEXTS

195 Pages·2008·0.51 MB·English

THE SPEECH ACT OF APOLOGY IN XITSONGA
EDUCATIONAL CONTEXTS

BY

MIHLOTI PENELOPE SOMBHANE

Thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of
Arts at the University of Stellenbosch.

Study leader: Dr M. Dlali

December 2008
ii
DECLARATION

By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work
contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the owner of the copyright
thereof (unless to the extent explicitly otherwise stated) and that I have not previously
in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification.

…………..…………… …………………..
MP SOMBHANE DATE

Copyright © 2008 Stellenbosch University
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ABSTRACT

The study explores how Grade 10 learners use the speech act of apology in an
educational environment. Apologies are viewed in this study as a kind of remedial
work; action taken to change what may be regarded as an offensive act into an
acceptable one. Eight different strategies for complaining and twenty-one for
apologising are presented with examples to illustrate each. Data was gathered using
questionnaires in order to gain insight in the total number of complaint and apology
strategies used. Analysis of the answered questionnaires showed that while there
are strategies which are commonly used by both male and female learners, some
strategies are used mostly by male learners and some mostly by female learners.
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OPSOMMING

Die studie ondersoek hoe graad 10-leerders die spraakhandeling van verskoning vra
gebruik in ’n opvoedkundige omgewing. Verskonings word in die studie beskou as ’n
soort remediërende werk; ’n aksie wat uitgevoer word om 'n handeling wat aanstoot
kan gee, in 'n aanvaarbare handeling te verander. Agt verskillende strategieë om te
kla en een-en-twintig om verskoning te vra word aangebied, met voorbeelde wat
elkeen te illustreer. Data is versamel deur gebruik te maak van vraelyste om insig in
die totale aantal kla- en verskoningstrategieë wat gebruik word, te verkry. Ontleding
van die beantwoorde vraelyste het getoon dat alhoewel daar strategieë is wat
algemeen deur sowel manlike as vroulike leerders gebruik word, sommige strategieë
meer deur manlike leerders en ander meer deur vroulike leerders gebruik word.
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NKOMISO
Dyondzo leyi yi valanga hilaha vadyondzi va ntlawa wa khume va kombelaka ha
kona ndzivalelo loko va endla swihoxo eka mbangu wa dyondzo. Eka dyondzo leyi,
ku kombela ndzivalelo swi langutiwa ku ri, ntirho wo yo lulamisa maendlele lama nga
tirhisiwaka ku cinca leswi nga langutiwaka ku ri maendlelo yo khunguvanyisa ku va
maendlele lama amukelekaka. Ku na maqhingha ya nhungu yo kombisa ku vilela ni
ya makume-mbirhin’we yo kombela ndzivalelo lama nga nyikiwa ni swikombiso ku
hlamusela qhingha rin’wana ni rin’wana. Data yi hlengeletiwile hi ku tirhisa papila ra
swivutiso leswi a swi endleriwa ku kuma ntwisiso wa nhlayo ya maqhingha leyi
tirhisiweke ku kombisa ku vilela ni ku kombela ndzivalelo. Nhlahluvo wa papila ra
swivutiso wu humeserile erivaleni leswaku ku na maqhingha lama tirhisiwaka hi
xitalo hi vaxinuna ni vaxisati kasi man’wana ma tirhisiwa ngopfu hi vaxisati kumbe
vaxinuna.
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DEDICATION

Dedicated to my husband Khongotela Thomas Sombhane.
My dearest friend whose sweet happiness surrounded and supported me in this
massive project from beginning to end.
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NRF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The financial assistance of National Research Foundation (NRF) towards this
research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclussions arrived at,
are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the National
Research Foundation.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank and express my sincere gratitude to the following people for
their cotribution to this work.

My study leader, Dr. Dlali, for encouragement, support and invaluable guidance
through this challenging and enriching learning experience.

Irvin Mathebula, time spent typing my work, and my husband Khongotela time spent
proof reading the text.

My sister, Mikateko Ndhambi, for her generosity, love and support.

The principal, staff and grade 10 learners of 2006 at E.P.P Mhinga High School, for
allowing me time to conduct my study there.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
1. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................1
1.1 AIM..........................................................................................................1
1.2 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY..............................................................2
1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY............................................................2
1.4 METHODOLOGY....................................................................................2
1.5 DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES.......................................................3
1.5.1 Secondary research method ...................................................................3
1.5.2 Primary research method........................................................................3
1.6 SCOPE AND DELIMITATION.................................................................3
1.7 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY..........................................................3

CHAPTER 2: SPEECH ACTS AND POLITENESS THEORY
2.1 AIM..........................................................................................................5
2.2 SPEECH ACTS.......................................................................................5
2.2.1 Trosborg (1995).......................................................................................5
2.2.2 Yule (1996)..............................................................................................9
2.2.3 Thomas (1995)......................................................................................14
2.2.4 Austin (1962).........................................................................................14
2.3 POLITENESS THEORY........................................................................23
2.3.1 Trosborg (1995).....................................................................................23
2.3.2 Thomas (1995)......................................................................................26

CHAPTER 3: THE SPEECH ACT OF APOLOGY
3.1 AIM........................................................................................................34
3.2 THOMAS (1995)....................................................................................34
3.3 HOLMES (1990)....................................................................................36
3.3.1 Methodology and the corpus.................................................................39
3.3.2 Apology strategies.................................................................................40
3.3.3 Syntactic-semantic features of apology.................................................42
3.3.4 Distribution of apology strategies...........................................................44
3.3.5 Characteristics of the offence................................................................44
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3.3.6 Relationship between the participants...................................................47
3.3.7 Overall weightiness of the offence.........................................................48
3.4 SCHER AND DARLEY (1988)...............................................................48
3.5 JAWORSKI (1985)................................................................................52
3.5.1 Abstract.................................................................................................52

CHAPTER 4: APOLOGY STRATEGIES
4.1 AIM........................................................................................................59
4.2 APOLOGY STRATEGIES.....................................................................59
4.2.1 Trosborg (1995).....................................................................................59
4.2.2 Blum-Kulka et al (1989).........................................................................67
4.2.3 Fraser (1979) on apologizing.................................................................83

CHAPTER 5: APOLOGIES IN XITSONGA
5.1 AIM........................................................................................................87
5.2 APOLOGY SITUATIONS ......................................................................87
5.2.1 Inconvenience.......................................................................................87
5.2.2 Space....................................................................................................88
5.2.3 Talk........................................................................................................88
5.2.4 Time......................................................................................................88
5.2.5 Possession............................................................................................88
5.3 QUESTIONNAIRE.................................................................................89
5.3.1 Copy of the questionnaire......................................................................89
5.3.2 Completion of the questionnaire..........................................................101
5.4 ANALYSIS OF THE APOLOGIES.......................................................101
5.4.1 Apology situations and apology strategies ..........................................101
5.4.2 Apology strategies in sub-situations....................................................112
5.4.3 Individual strategies in major situations...............................................145
5.4.4 Individual strategies.............................................................................154

CHAPTER 6: THE EXPRESSION OF OFFENCE IN XITSONGA
6.1 THE COMPLAINT STRATEGIES........................................................159
6.2 COMPLAINT SITUATIONS AND COMPLAINT STRATEGIES...........160
6.2.1 The major situations............................................................................161