Politeness as a communicative strategy in institutional speeches: an analysis based on the Appraisal Theory

Abstract

Introduction: This article examines the use of politeness as a communicative strategy that aims to create or strengthen ties within the framework of bilateral relations between Spain and other countries. Methodology: For this purpose, a corpus was compiled consisting of twenty speeches given by four Spanish institutions: the Crown, the Government, the Congress and the Senate. This corpus was examined by applying the politeness theories of Brown and Levinson and Leech and the attitude subsystem of the Appraisal Theory of White. Results: The results obtained indicate the use of expressions of affection, flattery and allusion to common characteristics and interests as a form of communicative politeness. Discussion: It is expected that this work could contribute to explaining the linguistic structure of institutional speech given within the framework of international relations. Future research could examine the analysis of the engagement and graduation subsystems in institutional speech. Conclusions: Politeness is revealed as a common strategic communicative tool in institutional speeches. Certain differences have also been observed between the aforementioned institutions in terms of the degree of formality and affection expressed.