'I can think of no-one in the field better qualified to write a critical introduction to linguistic politeness research than Professor Watts. He has a lively critical awareness of the shortcomings of the standard approach, an excellent overview of the presently available alternative approaches, and a willingness to work within standard theory to make the politeness research paradigm more responsive to the needs and interests of researchers around the world. There is no doubt in my mind that a critical introduction to linguistic politeness will be met with enthusiasm by the world's politeness researchers. This book is predestined to become the first standard introduction to the field.' Professor Richard W. Janney, Institüt für Englische Philologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München

• 1. Introducing linguistic politeness; 2. Politeness through time and across cultures; 3. Modelling linguistic politeness I; 4. Modelling linguistic politeness II: Brown and Levinson and their critics; 5. Facework and linguistic politeness; 6. A social model of politeness; 7. Structures of linguistic politeness; 8. Relevance Theory and concepts of power; 9. Politic behaviour and politeness in discourse; 10. Politic behaviour and politeness within a theory of social practice; Glossary of terms; Bibliography.

'I can think of no-one in the field better qualified to write a critical introduction to linguistic politeness research than Professor Watts. He has a lively critical awareness of the shortcomings of the standard approach, an excellent overview of the presently available alternative approaches, and a willingness to work within standard theory to make the politeness research paradigm more responsive to the needs and interests of researchers around the world. There is no doubt in my mind that a critical introduction to linguistic politeness will be met with enthusiasm by the world's politeness researchers. This book is predestined to become the first standard introduction to the field.' Professor Richard W. Janney, Institüt für Englische Philologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München

• 1. Introducing linguistic politeness; 2. Politeness through time and across cultures; 3. Modelling linguistic politeness I; 4. Modelling linguistic politeness II: Brown and Levinson and their critics; 5. Facework and linguistic politeness; 6. A social model of politeness; 7. Structures of linguistic politeness; 8. Relevance Theory and concepts of power; 9. Politic behaviour and politeness in discourse; 10. Politic behaviour and politeness within a theory of social practice; Glossary of terms; Bibliography.