Forms and Functions of Politeness in the Language of Sundanese Ethnic Students: Patterns, Frequency, and Influence

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the forms and functions of politeness in Indonesian language used by Sundanese ethnic students in formal interactions on campus, as well as to determine the patterns, frequency, and effects of the application of politeness in language. This study uses a mixed methods approach, which combines qualitative and quantitative analysis, and is based on the theory of speech acts and the principles of politeness in language. Data were collected through questionnaires, participant observations and in depth interviews, which focused on formal conversations, such as class discussions and interactions with lecturers. The results showed that Sundanese students more often used literal indirect speech acts (67%) in formal conversations. The dominant politeness functions include stating, asking, ordering, apologizing, and criticizing, which reflect politeness and respect to maintain social harmony. Quantitative analysis revealed that literal direct speech acts were used as much as 30%, and non-literal indirect speech acts 20%, with non-literal direct speech acts only 3%. The Chi-Square test showed a significant difference in the use of speech acts between conversations with lecturers and between students (χ2=12.5), which indicates that the use of speech acts differs depending on the conversational situation. Furthermore, the results of the correlation calculation show a positive relationship between Politeness Speech Acts (X) and Academic Interaction Quality (Y) with r = 0.678 and t = 7.02, which is statistically significant. The coefficient of determination r2 = 45.97% indicates that 46% of the variation in Academic Interaction Quality can be explained by Politeness Speech Acts. The regression equation Y = 37.00 + 0.486X shows that every one unit increase in Politeness Speech Acts increases the Academic Interaction Quality by 0.486 units