Directive Speech Acts, Social Hierarchy and the Syntax–pragmatics Interface: A Contrastive Study of Azerbaijani and British English Institutional Discourse in Higher Education and Workplace Settings
Aygun Telman Hasanova
*
Academic Center for Languages, Azerbaijan State Agricultural University, Azerbaijan.
Aishen Fazil Qasimova Mustafayeva
Academic Center for Languages, Azerbaijan State Agricultural University, Azerbaijan.
Rena Azer Hashimova
Department of Foreign Languages, Azerbaijan Technological University, Azerbaijan.
Cevahir Nizami Nasibova
Academic Center for Languages, Azerbaijan State Agricultural University, Azerbaijan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study investigates the realization and interpretation of directive speech acts in Azerbaijani and British English institutional discourse, with particular attention to the interaction between syntactic form, social hierarchy, and pragmatic evaluation. Adopting a qualitative contrastive discourse-analytic approach, the research examines 200 naturally occurring directives (100 Azerbaijani; 100 British English) drawn from higher education and workplace settings characterized by asymmetrical power relations.
The analysis demonstrates systematic cross-cultural differences in directive orientation. Azerbaijani institutional discourse favors relationally framed directness, where imperatives function as legitimate expressions of authority when accompanied by morphologically embedded markers of respect, such as plural pronouns and honorific forms. In contrast, British English institutional discourse privileges modalization, interrogative constructions, and hedging strategies, reflecting an interactional orientation that foregrounds autonomy and minimizes imposition.
The findings challenge universalist assumptions that equate indirectness with politeness and instead show that the relationship between grammatical form and pragmatic force is mediated by culturally grounded expectations of hierarchy and legitimacy. By integrating Speech Act Theory, Rapport Management, and a syntax–pragmatics interface perspective, the study advances a multi-layered framework for explaining cross-cultural variation in directive practices.
Beyond theoretical implications, the results highlight the importance of pragmatic awareness in institutional, pedagogical, and intercultural communication contexts. The study also contributes empirically by incorporating Azerbaijani—an underrepresented language in comparative pragmatics—into broader discussions of relational and institutional discourse.
Keywords: Directive speech acts, institutional discourse, cross-cultural pragmatics, social hierarchy, politeness theory, negative politeness, positive politeness, relational work, rapport management, mitigation strategies, syntax–pragmatics interface, speech act theory, authority, power relations, intercultural communication, discourse analysis, honorifics