THE USE OF POLITE REQUEST AMONG JORDANIAN CHILDREN

Abstract

This paper aims to discuss the use of demand perspectives in the Arabic language of Jordan. 336
student teachers, including 168 participants and 168 respondents, are part of the current study
sample. In Jordanian Arabic, they were asked to respond to various situations in which they
submitted a request to speak. Using the Discourse Completion Test (DCT), data was gathered.
Analysed according to the models proposed by Blum-Kulka, et al. (1989), whose theoretical
framework classified the perspective of demand into four types: listener-oriented demand,
speaker-oriented demand, detailed and impersonal demand. The study findings showed that the
native speakers of the Jordanian Arabic language who used direct head verbs for requests were
more from the listener's perspective. In either direct or conventional indirect methods, the
respondents used a listening perspective to express solidarity and consideration for others.
However, various viewpoints have been used by the main verb of the submission, such as the
guided listener, the voice, the holistic, or the impersonal. In order to be free from the imposition
of others and to show that they value the rights of others for their equality and freedom of
movement or choice, respondents used a speaker-oriented viewpoint, inclusive or impersonal. In
addition, the findings showed that in general, respondents used a listener-oriented and speakeroriented viewpoint more than other viewpoints in M-M, F-F interactions, and M-F and F-M
interactions. In particular, the findings showed that respondents in experiences with M-M, F-F,
M-F and F-M appeared to use only listener-oriented perspectives in direct requests..