Politeness in Maltese English : a small-scale study of how Maltese English is influenced linguistically by British English and Maltese when showing politeness

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate how Maltese English is influenced by British English and Maltese when it comes to the expression of politeness. The bilingual context of Malta is quite particular, as the majority of Maltese native speakers have high proficiency in both languages, making it an interesting question to see which one of the two language varieties affect or maybe even dominate the way in which Maltese English expresses politeness. In this study, I will take an experimental approach in which I will observe audio data collected from the three varieties: British English, Maltese and Maltese English and compare them in terms of lexis (hedges and mitigators) and phonology - intonation. I will then look for similarities across the three varieties to determine towards which variety Maltese English leans more when expressing politeness linguistically.