공손이론으로 본 한·중·일 3국인의 언어행동 상호평가

Abstract

This research applies the Politeness Theory to an analysis of how Korean, Chinese and Japanese evaluate the degree of face threatening in request, account and refusal speech acts in all three languages. Results showed that the degree of face threatening increases in the following order: request → account → refusal. The analysis of data drew the following conclusions. (1) Korean, Chinese and Japanese subjects highly evaluated request utterances in Japanese. Also, Japanese subjects considered refusal utterances in all three languages acceptable. (2) It was also observed that high evaluation of request utterances in Japanese is related to the use of Japanese politeness strategies (off record). However, in refusal utterances, positive politeness strategies used in Korean and Chinese languages were highly evaluated, especially when it concerned “being polite” and “consideration for the hearer”. (3) In situations where the risk of face threatening increases, as in the case of refusal utterances, explanation of the reasons are seen as an efficient strategy for communication. Overall results showed that subjects considered the Japanese communication style a model to perform request speech acts. On the other hand, in the case of refusal and account utterances, Korean and Chinese styles were considered a communication model to be followed. From the results shown above, we conclude that Japanese speakers are more likely to choose linguistic forms according to social restrictions and that their language behavior is based on “wakimae” (discernment). As for Koreans and Chinese, speakers often build their social relations using positive politeness according to each of the situations they face. We can say that language behavior in Korean and Chinese is based on “hatarakikake” (volition).

This research applies the Politeness Theory to an analysis of how Korean, Chinese and Japanese evaluate the degree of face threatening in request, account and refusal speech acts in all three languages. Results showed that the degree of face threatening increases in the following order: request → account → refusal. The analysis of data drew the following conclusions. (1) Korean, Chinese and Japanese subjects highly evaluated request utterances in Japanese. Also, Japanese subjects considered refusal utterances in all three languages acceptable. (2) It was also observed that high evaluation of request utterances in Japanese is related to the use of Japanese politeness strategies (off record). However, in refusal utterances, positive politeness strategies used in Korean and Chinese languages were highly evaluated, especially when it concerned “being polite” and “consideration for the hearer”. (3) In situations where the risk of face threatening increases, as in the case of refusal utterances, explanation of the reasons are seen as an efficient strategy for communication. Overall results showed that subjects considered the Japanese communication style a model to perform request speech acts. On the other hand, in the case of refusal and account utterances, Korean and Chinese styles were considered a communication model to be followed. From the results shown above, we conclude that Japanese speakers are more likely to choose linguistic forms according to social restrictions and that their language behavior is based on “wakimae” (discernment). As for Koreans and Chinese, speakers often build their social relations using positive politeness according to each of the situations they face. We can say that language behavior in Korean and Chinese is based on “hatarakikake” (volition).

본 연구는 한·중·일 3개국인의 의뢰-해명-거절이라는 목적지향적인 언어행동의 평가에 관한 것으로, 공손이론을 도입하여 체면(Face) 위협이라는 측면에서 고찰한 것이다. 본 연구의 분석대상인 언어행동은 ‘의뢰→해명→거절’의 순서로 상대방의 페이스 위협 정도가 강해진다. 이를 분석한 결과, 다음과 같은 점을 알 수 있었다. (1)일본어의 의뢰발화에 대한 3개국인의 평가가 높고, 한국어의 거절발화에 대한 3개국인의 평가 또한 매우 높다. 또한 일본인의 경우, 3 개국의 거절발화에 대해서는 관용적이다. (2)의뢰발화는 일본어와 같이 공손전략을 사용하지 않아도 문제가 발생하지 않지만, 거절발화에서는 한국어나 중국어와 같이 적극적으로 공손전략을 사용함으로써 ‘정중’항목과 ‘상대배려적’항목의 평가의 상승으로 이어진다. (3)한국인과 중국인, 그리고 일본인이 원활한 커뮤니케이션을 할 때에, 공손이론의 관점에서 보면, 상대의 페이스를 위협하는 위험이 높은 언어행동인 ‘거절’에서는 한국이나 중국의 경우처럼 상세하게 이유를 설명하는 것이 유효할 것으로 판단된다. 즉, 일상생활의 언어행동에서는 일본어의 커뮤니케이션 스타일이 모델이 될 수 있으며, 고도로 목적지향적인 언어행동에서는 한국어나 중국어의 커뮤니케이션 스타일이 원활한 의사소통의 도구가 될 것이다. 위의 결과는 일본어는 사회적인 제약 조건에 따라 이미 정해져 있는 언어형식과 발화내용을 선택한다는 이른바 규범적 언어행동이며, 한국어와 중국어는 규범적 사용도 보이지만, 화자가 당면한 자리에서 적극적으로 사회적 관계를 구축해 나가는 전략적 언어행동임을 나타내는 것으로 볼 수 있다.