On October 26-27, the International Symposium on “Politeness in Second Language Teaching” was held at Zhejiang University, co-hosted by the College of Media and International Culture at Zhejiang University and the PLIDAM Institute at France’s National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO). This event marked the first international conference in China focused on multilingual second language teaching, with Chinese, French, and English as the primary languages, adding pioneering significance to the gathering.
Distinguished keynote speakers included Professor Li Zhiqing from Ocean University of China, Professor Wu Yongyi from East China Normal University, Professors Joël Bellassen and Thomas Szende from INALCO, and Professors Galal Walker and Mari Noda from Ohio State University in the U.S. Over 30 scholars and experts from various countries, along with more than 10 postgraduate and doctoral students, participated in the conference.
The opening ceremony on the morning of October 26 was jointly hosted by Associate Professors Zhang Liping, Liu Ying, and Researcher Gong Junji from Zhejiang University. Wang Qingwen, Party Secretary and Deputy Dean of the College of Media and International Culture, gave a welcome speech, emphasizing the role of politeness in enhancing cross-cultural understanding and fostering respectful interactions in today’s increasingly globalized world. He highlighted the importance of exploring the significance, current practices, and challenges of politeness in second language teaching, calling for interdisciplinary research and practical initiatives to further develop and innovate in this field.
Professor Wang Jiangang, Head of the International Chinese Education Program at Zhejiang University, also addressed the audience, expressing appreciation to the organizers and participants of the conference. Quoting the dialogic theory of Russian literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin, Professor Wang emphasized that all expressions of human emotion and rational thought are grounded in ongoing communication. In a cross-cultural context, where participants bring different cultural backgrounds, politeness requires additional considerations and involves both verbal and non-verbal components critical to effective communication.
Professor Thomas Szende, Director of the PLIDAM Institute at INALCO, delivered a speech, expressing his gratitude to the Zhejiang University team and noting that this conference provided a valuable platform for scholars worldwide. He looked forward to continued and deepened collaboration with Zhejiang University.
In the first keynote session, led by Professor Szende, speakers presented their research and received insightful commentary.
Professor Galal Walker from Ohio State University gave a keynote address on “Consciousness and Socialization in Chinese Language Learning,” highlighting politeness as an essential strategy for understanding others' expectations and intentions. Through a comparison of interaction styles between strangers in the American Midwest and in China, he demonstrated cultural differences in the expression of politeness and proposed “performance” as a method for deconstructing politeness concepts within target language cultures.
Professor Li Zhiqing from Ocean University of China spoke on “Politeness and Textbook Writing – Starting from ‘Are You Short of Money?’.” He noted that politeness expressions are shaped by temporal, regional, and social class characteristics. By analyzing specific phrases and expressions, Professor Li proposed a progressive approach for incorporating politeness in textbooks, recommending that beginners be introduced to polite expressions with an appropriate level of formality, while maintaining standard communication norms in universally applicable textbooks.
Professor Joël Bellassen from INALCO explored “Distance and Asymmetry in Politeness Expressions in French and Chinese.” He argued that no translation is entirely “untranslatable,” but rather requires continual adaptation based on context. Drawing from linguistic analysis, he examined the challenges of translating politeness expressions like Best wishes, noting the asymmetry and potential for over- or under-translation when interpreting politeness across languages.
In the afternoon, parallel sessions were held in four groups, covering topics such as “Politeness and Cross-Cultural Communication,” “Politeness in Textbook Writing,” “Comparison of Politeness in Different Languages,” and “Teaching Practices of Politeness.” These sessions showcased the latest findings in politeness research from an intercultural perspective and included discussions on a range of languages, such as Chinese, English, French, Turkish, Hungarian, Arabic, Spanish, Russian, and Korean. This was the first conference in China to gather scholars for a multilingual symposium on language and cultural topics.
On the morning of October 27, the second keynote session was hosted by Professor Bellassen.
Professor Szende presented on “Politeness in Hungarian: A Multi-Dimensional Perspective on Grammar, Vocabulary, and Social Customs.” He explained that language sequences reflect social status and the nature of interpersonal relationships, emphasizing that observing politeness within language offers key insights into social interactions.
Professor Wu Yongyi from East China Normal University gave a presentation on “Politeness and Impoliteness in Speech Acts: Examples of Cross-Cultural Communication Errors Among Chinese L2 Learners.” He highlighted that while politeness is universal, its interpretation varies among cultural and linguistic communities. Through a comparison of the concepts of “politeness” in Chinese and “politeness” in English, he noted that Chinese culture emphasizes modesty and respect, while English places greater emphasis on empathy. He stressed that language learners should not only study the language itself but also the cultural and behavioral norms to avoid misunderstandings in cross-cultural communication.
Professor Mari Noda from Ohio State University spoke on “Politeness and Cultural Experience in a Multimedia Environment,” emphasizing that politeness requires the accumulation of cultural “stories” within the target language. She recommended that language learners document these stories and suggested using “performance watching” to help students acquire both verbal and non-verbal aspects of the target language.
The closing ceremony was presided over by Associate Professor Zhang Liping. Professor Bellassen delivered a summary speech, expressing sincere thanks to the speakers, hosts, and behind-the-scenes staff, acknowledging the significance of the conference. He remarked that the participants shared an inspiring experience that deepened their understanding of politeness in second language teaching.
Associate Professor Liu Xiang, Director of the Department of International Culture at Zhejiang University, concluded the event with a speech, expressing heartfelt gratitude to all academic colleagues. He observed that the diverse content and extensive discussions over the two days reaffirmed the conference's vision of bridging linguistic divides and fostering intercultural understanding, creating a more harmonious world.
Thus, the International Symposium on “Politeness in Second Language Teaching,” co-hosted by Zhejiang University and INALCO, concluded successfully.