EXTERNAL MODIFICATIONS AND POLITENESS IN REQUESTS AMONG JORDANIAN HOTEL STAFF: A SOCIOPRAGMATIC ANALYSIS

Abstract This study examines the use of external modifications in politeness strategies among Jordanian hotel staff during English-mediated service encounters. Grounded in Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory and Blum-Kulka et al.’s (1989) Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Project (CCSARP), the research analyzes how non-native English speakers (NNSs) employ linguistic devices such as grounders, alerters, and disarmers to mitigate face-threatening requests. Qualitative data were collected through audio recordings of 120 naturalistic interactions between 11 front-office staff (with 6+ years of experience) and international guests in Jordanian five-star hotels. Findings reveal a strong preference for external modifications—particularly pre-positioned grounders (43.2% of requests) and formal alerters (e.g., "Sir/Madam," 34.5%)—reflecting L1 Arabic pragmatic transfer, where directness and overt justification are prioritized. Notably, staff avoided excessive apologies or indirectness, aligning with Arabic norms that view such strategies as insincere. The study highlights pragmatic gaps between Jordanian employees’ request behaviors and target-language (English) norms, underscoring the need for tailored hospitality training programs that address sociopragmatic competence. Limitations include the absence of a native-speaker baseline and a focus on high-tier hotels, suggesting avenues for future research on cross-cultural adaptation in diverse service contexts.