FACE-SAVING STRATEGIES IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK SPEECH ACTS: A CROSS-CULTURAL PRAGMALINGUISTIC ANALYSIS
Keywords:
pragmalinguistics, face-saving, politeness, speech acts, cross-cultural communication, English, Uzbek, pragmatics.Abstract
Communication is not limited to the exchange of information; it also involves maintaining interpersonal relationships and protecting participants' social dignity. One of the central concepts in pragmalinguistics is face-saving, which refers to the linguistic and pragmatic strategies speakers use to preserve their own and others' social image during interaction. Since speech acts are strongly influenced by cultural norms, face-saving strategies differ considerably across languages and cultures. This study investigates face-saving strategies in English and Uzbek speech acts from a cross-cultural pragmalinguistic perspective. The research aims to identify similarities and differences in the realization of politeness strategies in everyday communication and to explain how cultural values shape speakers' pragmatic choices. A qualitative comparative approach was employed to analyze authentic examples selected from literary texts, conversational discourse, and digital communication. The findings indicate that English speakers frequently employ indirectness, hedging devices, and explicit politeness markers to minimize threats to the interlocutor's face. Uzbek speakers, however, tend to rely on honorific expressions, modesty, indirect refusals, and culturally appropriate forms of respect. These differences reflect broader cultural orientations toward individualism and collectivism. The findings contribute to cross-cultural pragmatics, intercultural communication, translation studies, and foreign language education by highlighting the importance of pragmatic competence in successful communication.
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