Use of Address Terms by Jordanian Students: A Sociolinguistic Perspective

Abstract

This study investigated the usage of terms of address by Jordanian students from a sociolinguistic view. To identify the appropriateness of using these terms, the researchers rely on a politeness theory to analyze the data. Thus, this study adopted Brown and Levenson’s politeness theory (1987) to identify the exact meaning of politeness. To achieve the aim of this study, the researchers used a quantitative method of role-play. This study revealed that using the terms of address is desired by Jordanian students. They are keen to use them in order to soften their speech with others. Moreover, they considered that using them saved the face want of the hearers. This study recommends future researchers to conduct comparative research with other cultures to find the similarities and differences in using address terms.