Abstract: Speech act theory is an important pragmatic theory. Since Austin and Searle proposed speech act theories, linguists have done plenty of research on speech act theory. However, fewer scholars, both home and abroad, have made comparative studies on the speech act of complaints between Chinese and English, the comparative studies on complaint strategies and complaint responses in English and Chinese are even less. Based on the Politeness Principle theory, the thesis aims to conduct a comparative study of explicit complaints, indirect complaints, complaint strategies and complaint responses in English and Chinese so as to explore the causes of differences. Therefore, having a good understanding of these differences will be helpful in employing complaint responses and complaint strategies appropriately, developing English and Chinese learners’ abilities to perform speech acts and reaching a successful cross-culture communication. 

Key words: speech act; complaints; complaint strategies; complaint responses; culture

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction1

2. Literature Review.1

  2.1 Studies on Speech Act

2.2 Studies on Complaint Speech Abroad

2.3 Studies on Complaint Speech at Home

3. Theoretical Frameworks2

  3.1 Leech’s Politeness Principle

  3.2 Gu Yueguo’s Politeness Principle

4. Comparisons of Complaints and Their Responses in English and Chinese6

  4.1 Comparison of Complaints in English and Chinese

4.1.1Comparison of Explicit Complaints in English and Chinese 

    4.1.2 Comparison of Indirect Complaints in English and Chinese

    4.1.3 Complaint Strategies Used in English and Chinese

    4.1.4 Comparison of Complaint Strategies in English and Chinese

  4.2 Comparison of Complaint Responses in English and Chinese

5. Reasons Accounting for the Difference of Complaints in English and Chinese.12

  5.1 Social Value System

  5.2 High Context Culture vs. Low Context Culture

6. Conclusion13

Bibliography.15

Acknowledgements16