METHODS FOR OVERCOMING OF COMMUNICATIVE THREATS TO A POSITIVE FACE OF THE ADDRESSEE IN GERMAN LINGUOCULTURE
The authors of the article study the most frequent means to avoid communicative threats to the positive face of the addressee in the German linguoculture. A brief description of the possible grammatical and lexical ways, as well as strategies to minimize the threat to the face of the interlocutor, is given. On the basis of examples of contemporary fiction, the most often used speech acts making a threat to the positive face of the addressee and the corresponding politeness strategies are analyzed. Based on the examples analyzed, it is concluded that such speech acts as “personal questions” and “discussing controversial topics” provide the biggest threat, and the most popular politeness strategies in such cases are “show interest”, “notice, attend to hearer” and some others. Expression of criticism, disapproval, demonstration of strong emotions, mention of bad events happened to the addressee, expression of bragging, countering the interlocutor’s communicative intentions, etc. also refer to face-threatening acts. In turn, among the most common methods for overcoming of communicative threats, the courtesy strategies can be identified that contribute to overcoming communicative threats to a positive face of the recipient. These are such strategies of positive politeness as “show interest to the interlocutor”, “express approval and sympathy to the addressee”, “express attention and care”, “use jokes”, “mark common intra-group affiliation”, “avoid disagreement”, “strive for agreement” and others.