The cross–cultural study of directives: zulu as a non–typical language

Abstract

In die volgende referaat word direktiewe in SAE, Zoeloe en Engels as tweede taal van Zoeloesprekers kontrastief ondersoek. 'n Aanvanklike analise volgens die metodologie van die CCSARP projek bring wesenlike verskille in versoekstrategieë tussen SAE en Zoeloe aan die lig. Hierdie verskille kan slegs verklaar word as Brown en Levinson se wilsmodel van beleefdheid verwerp word en direktiewe in Zoeloe binne die sosiale indeksmodel van beleefdheid geplaas word. Daar word aangetoon dat status 'n sentrale role speel in Zoeloe interaksie, en met behulp van videofilms oor rolspeling word tipiese meganismes om status te bevestig in Zoeloe direktiewe aangetoon. Hierdeur sal die beperkinge van die CCSARP projek aangespreek word en sal aangetoon word dat die verskille tussen direktiewe in Zoeloe en SAE gebaseer is op kulturele aan- names wat aanleiding gee tot verskillende opvattings oor direktiewe.

The following paper examines contrastively directives in SAE, Zulu and the L2 of Zulu-speakers. A first analysis using the methodology of the CCSARP project reveals substantial differences in requesting strategies between SAE and Zulu. However, it is only possible to explain these differences by rejecting Brown and Levinson's volitional model of politeness and locating Zulu directives within the social indexing model of politeness. Status is shown to be central to Zulu interaction, and on the basis of video-taped role plays, typical mechanisms of reinforcing status in Zulu directives are presented. By these means the limitations of the CCSARP project are addressed and the differences between directives in Zulu and SAE shown to rest on cultural assumptions resulting in a differing understanding of directives.