Speech Events

The one thing that struck me about speech events is how they are governed by a set or rules (implicit or explicit) and that in order to be a functional member of a culture, one must necessarily be familiar with, and abide by these rules. This concept becomes especially clear when we observe and analyse the rules for interaction and norms of interpretation.

Take the Chinese dinner invitation for example. The rule of interaction, i.e. having to insist on an invitation more than once, seems to be a prevalent Asian concept and Singapore is no exception. We would rather not impose on others and avoid creating trouble for our would-be hosts. The Thais even have a specific term for this thoughtful politeness that stems from an unwillingness to impose on others. In Singlish, this meaning is probably most well captured by an alternative use of the Hokkien word paiseh, which means "to feel embarrassed (about imposing on someone)".

On the other hand, it may also true that oftentimes invitations are presented as a polite gesture which may not be a genuine offer. A example of this would be an invitation to have a meal together that isn't followed up with details. E.g. "Hey, why don't you come over for dinner one day?". Immediately accepting such offers may catch the host off guard.

Indeed, being able to identify speech events and break them down into their individual components can be a useful aid for assimilation into a new culture and the observance of its associated rules can help us to avoid being cross-culturally awkward or insensitive.