Requests: What are they? Kinds of requests Parts of a request Requests & face Burden of requests Request strategies Factors affecting requests Japanese requests

When you make a request, a speaker asks a someone to do something

Lend somethingCan I borrow 1,000 yen?

Do or help with a choreWould you clean up your room?

Do something for someoneCould you drive me to the station?

Hearer-orientedCould you clean up the kitchen, please?

Speaker-orientedCan I borrow your notes from yesterday’s class?

Speaker- and Hearer-orientedSo, could we tidy up the kitchen soon?

ImpersonalSo it might be a good idea to get it cleaned up.

Danny, can you remind me to bring the book for you on Monday? Otherwise I might forget.Attention getter

Danny

Head act – the requestCan you remind me to bring the book for you on Monday?

Supportive move(s)Otherwise I might forget.

Face is your feeling of self-worth or self-image

Positive face is the desire for approval by others

We want others to like and respect us

Negative face is the desire not to impose on others.

We don’t want to be a burden to others

Requests can potentially be intrusiveThe request may place a burden on the recipient

Asking someone who is busy to do something else places a burden on them

A recipient may have to refuse a request

We don’t like to say noWe don’t like to be refused

Refusing a request and having a request refused result is a potential loss of face

Therefore, there is a need to minimize the burden of requests

Speakers reduce the burden of requests through different strategies

Direct strategies Usually the second most common (10% in English)

Conventially indirect strategies Most common in all languages (82%)

Non-conventially indirect strategiesLeast common (8%)

Explicit requestsI’m asking you to clean up the kitchen.You’ll have to clean up the kitchen.I really wish you’d clean up the kitchen. Often imperatives (commands) Clean up the kitchen.Do your homework!Sit down.

Make use of frequently used expressions to downgrade the request

SuggestionsHow about cleaning up?Why don’t you help with the cleaning up?

Grammatical downgradersCould you…?I wonder if you would mind…?Do you think I could…?It would really help if you…?Would you mind if I…?Would you be kind enough to…?

Supportive movesDo me a favor

Can you do me a favor? Would you lend me 1,000 yen?

Explain I missed my bus. Could you give me a lift home?

Supportive movesCheck possibility

Are you going towards the station? If so, could I have a ride?

ComplimentYou have beautiful handwriting. Could I borrow your notes?

Non-conventionally indirect strategies are hintsThere is a gap between the speaker’s intended meaning and the literal meaning

It’s cold in here.Meaning: Close the window

Do you have any money on you?Meaning: Can I borrow some money?

Do you know where the newspaper is?Meaning: Would you get the newspaper?

How requests are made depend on social and situational factors

Social statusSocial distanceHearer’s obligation to carry out the requestRight of the speaker to make the requestDifficulty of completing the request

English speakers prefer conventionally indirect strategies even when the burden is smallJapanese tend to use direct strategies when the burden is smallEnglish speakers do use hints, but Japanese hints tend to be more ambiguous

Requests: What are they? Kinds of requests Parts of a request Requests & face Burden of requests Request strategies Factors affecting requests Japanese requests