Cultural Differences of Politeness in Arabic and American Motivational Speeches

Abstract

This study discusses the explanation of cultural differences in politeness in Arabic and American motivational speeches following Samarah's study of politeness in Arabic culture. Samarah's study has also been applied to the American culture in the current study, and American motivational speeches have been examined based on the concepts extracted from Samarah's study. The purpose of this study is to distinguish between the two languages of motivational speech - Arabic and American - by utilizing the concepts extracted from each culture as outlined in Samarah's study. Secondly, the study aims to analyze the meanings and forms of politeness in Arabic and American motivational speeches. The researcher observes several phenomena in Arabic speeches, such as gratitude, benevolence, felicitation, and introduction of conversation, while in American speeches, three situations are noted - sociability, greetings for part of speech, and appreciation.