Вип. 26 (2011)

Pasternak T. A.COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGIES OF ENGLISH «JOB INTERVIEW» ...
The aim of the article is to analyze communicative strategies of English
“job interview” in the context of studying the strategies of positive and negative
politeness.
The concept of “communicative strategy” is investigated in modern linguistics
using different approaches. According to the most common approach “communicative
strategy” is defined as realization of speaker’s intentions, his global
and local aims, “it assumes control and choice of effective turn takings and their
cardinal transformation in concrete situation” [1]. In our opinion this approach
can be named “intentional” as it is connected with understanding the strategy in
the context of realization of addresser’s intention.
Other approach of interpreting communicative strategy is oriented to the
effectiveness of addresser’s strategic program on the addressee as well as on
the communication. This approach can be called “effective” as it is based on the
category of effectiveness which defines communicative strategy proceeding from
its ideal strategic aim: “effective ways to reach communicative objective” [5].
Effective approach is closely connected with cognitive aspect of interpretation
of communicative strategy because the effectiveness of communication in
some way results in influence of one communicant on the perception of the world
of the other communicant. According to the cognitive approach communicative
strategy appears as means of influencing on the world-view of the interlocutor by
language means. “It is “the coercion” over the addresser, directed to the change
of his world-view, to the transformation of his conceptual consciousness” [3].
As we have mentioned above, communicative strategies are investigated by
linguists applying different approaches, but the most universal and popular among
them is studying the strategies of positive and negative politeness. This approach
is based on two theories: the principle of “face and politeness” formulated in 1978
by Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson [6] and cooperative principle realized
in four conversational maxims: Maxim of Quality, Maxim of Quantity, Maxim
of Relevance, and Maxim of Manner and introduced by the British philosopher
Paul Grice [7]. According to the first theory “politeness” is the expression of the
speakers’ intention to mitigate face threats carried by certain face threatening
acts toward another [8, 6]. Being polite therefore consists of attempting to save
face for another. Positive face was defined in two ways: as “the want of every
member that his wants be desirable to at least some others”, or alternately, “the
positive consistent self-image or ‘personality’ claimed by interactants”. Negative
face was defined as “the want of every ‘competent adult member’ that his actions
be unimpeded by others”, or “the basic claim to territories, personal preserves,
rights to non-distraction--i.e. the freedom of action and freedom from imposition”.
Later, P. Brown characterized positive face by desires to be liked, admired,
ratified, and related to positively, noting that one would threaten positive face
by ignoring someone. At the same time, she characterized negative face by the
299