Politeness in Movies

Donna Hurst Tatsuki
tatsuki [at] kobeuc.ac.jp

Politeness in requests can be marked in a variety of ways in English, not only with the word "please". Here is an activity to draw learners' awareness to the language forms in English that are used to mark politeness or the lack of it. To make this more concrete, a scene from the movie The Graduate will be used.

Objective:
- Students will listen for and recognize different levels of politeness in a dialogue.
Level:
- High intermediate to advanced
Materials:
- Handout and a short video segment in which one or both speakers make requests.
Preparation:
- Select a video segment.
- Study the dialogue (use the screenplay or transcribe it).
- Make a list of all politeness markers or imperatives.
- Add other politeness markers to the list and add to the handout.
Procedure:
- Students form groups and look at the list of requests on the handout. They need to sort the request forms into three categories: Very Polite, Moderately Polite and Not Very Polite. (there will be some differences in opinion, even among teachers)
- Students try to make rules or guidelines to explain the differences among the three categories.
- Students make a list of specific words or combinations of words that indicate levels of politeness.
- Watch the video and check off the politeness markers that occur in the segment. Play the segment two or three times.

Handout

Politeness in Movies

Requests

Asking other people to do things is known as making a request. Requests take many different forms and may be very polite, moderately polite or not very polite (rude). Sort these request forms into the three categories. Feel free to add other examples to the list.

Won't you sit down?
Could you sit down?
Can't you sit down?
Sit down, why don't you!
Would you like to sit down?
Please sit down.
May I ask you to sit down?
Will you sit down?
Would you sit down, please?
Please! (gesture towards the chair to indicate sitting down)
I'd like you to sit down.
Sit down.
Sit down, will you.
Sit down would you.
Would you mind sitting down?
I was wondering if you would like to sit down.
Could I get you to sit down?
(others)

Requests in The Graduate

(in the seduction scene starting as the car pulls up in front to the Robinson house ending with the famous shot taken from between Mrs. Robinson's crossed legs)

Put an X beside the politeness forms that are used during this scene.

Would you come in please?
Will you come in please?
Can you come in please?
I want you to come in till I get the lights on.
Come in until I get the lights on.
I'd like you to come in till I get the lights on.
Would you mind walking ahead of me to the sun porch?
Could I get you to walk ahead of me to the sun porch?
Would you walk ahead of me to the sun porch?
Please come in.
Please (gesture inside)
May I get you a drink?
What would you like to drink?
What do you drink
What will you have?
Why don't you wait until my husband get home?
Please wait until my husband gets home.
May I ask you a question?
Do you mind if I ask you a question?
I want to ask you a question.
Please don't get up, Benjamin
Sit down Benjamin.

Answer Key for the Handout

  Would you come in please?
X Will you come in please?
  Can you come in please?
  I want you to come in till I get the lights on.
  Come in until I get the lights on.
X I'd like you to come in till I get the lights on.
X Would you mind walking ahead of me to the sun porch?
  Could I get you to walk ahead of me to the sun porch?
  Would you walk ahead of me to the sun porch?
  Please come in.
X Please (gesture inside)
  May I get you a drink?
  What would you like to drink?
X What do you drink
  What will you have?
  Why don't you wait until my husband get home?
X Please wait until my husband gets home.
X May I ask you a question?
  Do you mind if I ask you a question?
  I want to ask you a question.
  Please don't get up, Benjamin
X Sit down Benjamin.

This is a sub-page of ESL/EFL Lessons Using Movies

The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. IV, No. 3, March 1998
http://iteslj.org/