The effects of L1 and L2 writers’ varying politeness modification in English emails on L1 and L2 readers

Abstract

Politeness research has shown that L2 users of English differ from L1 users in that they underuse politeness markers to modify their requests. The purpose of the current study was to investigate if variations in politeness modifications in English email requests by L1 versus L2 writers are evaluated differently by L1 and L2 readers. In an experimental study with a 2 (sender: Dutch English/L1 English) × 2 (politeness: less/more) design, 120 Dutch and 131 British participants evaluated one of four emails in which the politeness and the sender of the email were systematically varied. Results showed that senders were perceived as more bossy when the email contained less politeness modification than when the email contained more politeness modification. L2 writers were evaluated as being more authoritative and readers were more willing to comply with the request in L2 emails with less politeness modification than in emails with more politeness modification. An L1 English writer of an email with less politeness modification was seen as less competent than an L1 English writer of an email with more politeness modification. Thus, undermodification of requests may have a limited but important impact on how L1 and L2 email writers are evaluated.