RAPPORT MANAGEMENT BY SPANISH LEARNERS OF
ENGLISH AS AN L2 AT THE OPENING PHASE OF
INTERACTION IN THE TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICE:
A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS
NURIA MARTÍNEZ LÓPEZ
MANUEL PADILLA CRUZ
EUSA and Uni e si y o Se ille
RESUMEN
Es e abajo analiza la ges ión de las elaciones in e pe sonales po pa e
de es udian es de inglés como L2 en Tu ismo en la ase inicial de la
in e acción en una o icina de u ismo. Basado en los abajos de Spence -
Oa ey (2000, 2008, 2009) y B own y Le inson (1987), explo a las es a egias
de co esía que es os es udian es emplean en es sis emas de co esía
(Scollon y Wong-Scollon 1995) pa a ges iona sus elaciones sociales con su
L2. Con ello, examina si el compo amien o de es os es udian es en dicha
ase in e ac i a di ie e signi ica i amen e del de los hablan es na i os.
Palab as cla e: ges ión de las elaciones in e pe sonales, es a egias de co esia, sis emas de
co esia, o icina de u ismo, ase inicial.
ABSTRACT
This pape analyses appo managemen a he opening phase o
in e ac ion by Spanish s uden s o English as an L2 in Tou ism a he ou is
in o ma ion o ice. Based on Spence -Oa ey’s (2000, 2008, 2009) and B own
and Le inson’s (1987) wo ks, i explo es he poli eness s a egies hese
lea ne s use in h ee poli eness sys ems (Scollon and Wong-Scollon 1995) o
manage appo h ough hei L2. Thus, his wo k examines whe he hese
lea ne s’ beha iou signi ican ly di e s om na i e speake s’.
Keywo ds: appo managemen , poli eness s a egies, poli eness sys ems, ou is in o ma ion
o ice, opening phase.
1. INTRODUCTION
Rappo managemen (Spence -Oa ey 2000, 2008, 2009)
concei es o communica ion as aimed a ansmi ing in o ma ion and
es ablishing, main aining o modi ying social ela ionships. This pape
applies i s heo e ical ene s o he analysis o in e ac ion be ween L2
lea ne s o English a a ou is in o ma ion o ice. In his con ex ,
appo managemen is essen ial, o one o he unc ions o such
o ice is o dynamize ou ism. E icien appo managemen may ha e
posi i e ou comes and con ibu e o make ou ism a h i ing indus y.
Mo eo e , appo managemen by he s a achie es a special
ele ance when i is no ca ied ou in hei na i e language, bu in an
L2, as he e may a ise p agma ic ailu es. The e o e, his wo k
explo es he linguis ic means whe ewi h u u e p o essionals o he
ou is indus y manage appo h ough hei in e language in o de o
isola e possible p oblems. Due o space es ic ions, he analysis will
only ocus on he opening phase o in e ac ion.
This pape i s ly summa ises he main heo e ical concep s o
Spence -Oa ey’s amewo k and ela es hem o he in e ac i e con ex
o his s udy. Secondly, i explains i s me hodology. Thi dly, i
p esen s he analysis and a b ie discussion o he da a collec ed.
Finally, i o e s some conclusions.
2. RAPPORT MANAGEMENT AT THE TOURIST OFFICE
Spence -Oa ey (2000, 2008, 2009) con ends ha in e ac ion is
go e ned by sociop agma ic in e ac ional p inciples ha social
g oups in e nalise and aci ly ake o g an ed. She pu s o wa d ha ,
when de ining, main aining o modi ying social ela ionships,
in e locu o s manage h ee con ex ual pa ame e s: (i) ace sensi i i ies,
(ii) sociali y igh s and obliga ions, and (iii) in e ac ional goals.
Face is “[…] he posi i e social alue a pe son e ec i ely claims
o himsel by he line o he s assume he has aken du ing a pa icula
con ac ” (Spence -Oa ey 2000: 14). I is ela ed o digni y, honou ,
s a us, epu a ion and compe ence and has wo aspec s: quali y ace
and iden i y ace. The o me alludes o e e y pe son’s desi e o be
posi i ely e alua ed by o he s on he basis o hei pe sonal ea u es
and skills, while he la e e e s o e e yone’s wish o be
acknowledged wi hin a g oup on he basis o mo e pe sonal ai s. A
he ou is in o ma ion o ice, he ou is in o ma ion agen is expec ed
o main ain o s eng hen he quali y ace by p o iding he use – he
ou is – wi h objec i e, ue and comple e in o ma ion abou ou is
p oduc s. Thus, she p esen s he sel as a skil ul and quali ied wo ke
who ies o sa is y he use ’s needs. By being poli e, gi ing op ions
and ad ice, making sugges ions and paying due a en ion o he use ,
he agen also in ensi ies he own and he use ’s quali y and iden i y
ace.
Sociali y igh s a e social o pe sonal expec ancies o en i lemen s
ha indi iduals claim o hemsel es (Spence -Oa ey 2000: 14). Some
a e cons an ly nego ia ed, while o he s a e cul u ally o si ua ionally
de e mined be o ehand. Since in e locu o s expec hese igh s o be
espec ed, hey c ea e expec a ions which, i unsa is ied, may a ec
appo managemen . A he ou is in o ma ion o ice, hese igh s
and obliga ions a e de e mined by he ins i u ional na u e o he
con ex . They comp ise he agen ’s obliga ion o gi e in o ma ion
abou ou is p oduc s and he use ’s igh o be adequa ely in o med.
Consequen ly, o ins ance, he use may expec he agen o ea him
app op ia ely and o p o ide him wi h help ul in o ma ion, whe eas
he agen may expec he use no o ques ion he in o ma ion.
In e ac ional goals may damage social in e ac ion i hey come
in o con lic . I hey do no , hei managemen may esul in appo -
main enance o appo -enhancemen . In he con ex o his s udy, he
agen ’s goals include gi ing in o ma ion ha sa is ies he use , while
he use ’s goals in ol e ge ing ue and comple e in o ma ion in a as
and concise way because o ime a ailabili y. Agen s’ awa eness and
e icien managemen o use s’ in e ac ional goals may be c ucial in
egions whe e ou ism is an impo an sou ce o income.
Apa om hese ac o s, in e locu o s mus be awa e o hei
powe , social dis ance and hei ac s. Use s no mally ha e legi ima e
powe o e agen s, as hey ha e he igh o ask o in o ma ion and
a e a po en ial sou ce o income o he ci y. On he con a y, agen s
ha e expe powe because hey a e knowledgeable abou ou is
p oduc s (Spence -Oa ey 1992)1. Since use s go o ou is in o ma ion
o ices spo adically, hei equency o con ac , amilia i y and a ec
would be non-exis en , which ende s hei social dis ance high
(Spence -Oa ey 1996; Lo és Sanz 1997-1998). Howe e , hei social
dis ance may dec ease i he e a ises com adeship be ween hem, as a
consequence o pe sonal e ela ions and he use pe cei ing he agen
as help ul (Hays 1984). Ne e heless, hei social dis ance may be
hie a chically de e mined owing o he in e locu o s’ social oles
and/o age (Thomas 1995). The ypical ac s a he opening phase o
in e ac ion a e i ual –g ee ings, welcomes– and p ecede o he
subs an i e ac s a he ansac ional phase (Edmondson and House
1981)2. Al hough beginning in e ac ion may in ol e some h ea
(B own and Le inson 1987), i is a he unlikely ha in his con ex i
does, o in o ma ion is expec ed o be a ee good as well as pa o
he in e locu o s’ sociali y igh s and obliga ions. Ra he , i would be a
ace-boos ing ac and con ibu e o appo .
Rappo may be h ea ened by means o beha iou s ha challenge
ace, sociali y igh s and obliga ions and/o in e ac ional goals.
Al hough hese las wo beha iou s may be p oblema ic, hey do no
necessa ily in ol e a ace-loss. This o igina es when indi iduals a e
c i icised o eel hey ha e los c edibili y. When in e ac ing,
in e locu o s may adop any o ou possible o ien a ions: appo -
enhancemen , appo -main enance, appo -neglec o appo -
challenge (Spence -Oa ey 2000: 29-31, 2008: 28-29). A he ou is
in o ma ion o ice i is expec ed ha agen s show a appo -
enhancemen o main enance o ien a ion o p omo e ou ism.
3. METHODOLOGY
Twen y- ou con e sa ions in a ic i ious ou is in o ma ion
o ice ha e been analysed in his s udy. These da a we e collec ed
h ough ole-plays pe o med by 40 in o man s. O hese, hi y-six
we e Spanish s uden s doing hei second yea o Tou ism a EUSA,
Se ille. On a e age, hey ha e s udied English o hi een yea s, so
hei le el is A2/B1, and some ha e al eady had some expe ience wi h
he ou ism indus y. Twel e s uden s ole-played in Spanish o supply
he Spanish da a and he o he wen y- ou in English o supply he
in e language da a, on which his s udy is ocused. The ou emaining
in o man s we e Ame ican English speake s. Two o hem came om
he Uni e si y o No h Ca olina, bu did no s udy Tou ism, while he
o he wo we e s udying Tou ism a EUSA a he ime o he s udy.
They supplied he Ame ican English da a used.
In o man s we e g ouped in pai s and ins uc ed o ole-play in
h ee si ua ions ha co espond o h ee poli eness sys ems (Scollon
and Wong-Scollon 1995). The de e ence sys em [-P, +D] is e lec ed
in a si ua ion whe e he agen in e ac s wi h a 68 yea -old ou is
planning o spend some days in Se ille. Thei social dis ance is high
because o lack o con ac and he ou is ’s age. The hie a chical
sys em [+P, +/-D] is ep esen ed in a si ua ion in which he agen
in e ac s wi h a No wegian ou -ope a o who wishes o include
Se ille in a ou is package. His legi ima e powe o e ides he agen ’s
expe powe because o his highe p o essional s a us and he possible
economic consequences his decisions may ha e. The solida i y sys em
[-P, -D] is displayed in a con ex whe e he agen in e ac s wi h a
Ge man backpacke . The powe ela ionship would be balanced, bu
he e would be li le social dis ance because bo h in e locu o s a e
young.
Role-plays we e eco ded in May and June o 2010 in a
class oom by means o Sound Reco de 6.1. Mos o he in o man s
we e acquain ed wi h he oom and i s equipmen and we e used o
being eco ded. Con e sa ions we e ansc ibed ollowing he
no a ional sys em used by Spence -Oa ey (2000) and segmen ed in o
u ns3.
4. DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
The opening sequences in he de e ence sys em show he
occu ence o business g ee ings common in se ice encoun e s
(Ebswo h e al. 1996). All o hem a e s uc u ed as ull adjacency
pai s, which sugges s ha g ee ings a e well-lea n s uc u es. As
opposed o he Ame ican English con e sa ions, whe e in e locu o s
only used one g ee ing and in some cases did no espond o i , in he
in e language da a speake s p oduce he second pai -elemen and e en
ollow he i s g ee ing by ano he one in he same u n, a possible
ans e om hei na i e language:

(1) A: [1] Good mo ning si , how can I help you?
U: [2] Hello; my name is:: seño Smi h (.) I would: like o isi Se ille and
I ha e my i s ime in he ci y
(2) U: [1] Good mo ning,
A: [2] Good mo ning, madam, how can I help you?,
U: [3] Yeah, I (.) will like o isi Se ille eh (.) in he summe and I (.) wan
some in o ma ion abou he ci y.
(3) A: [1] Good mo ning madam how may I help you,
U: [2] eh Good mo ning eh I would like o isi Se ille in sp ing eh (-) a
weekend
(4) U: [1] eh: hello; good mo ning?
A: [2] ah good mo ning;
U: [3] eh: I am I eh: I am a e i ed pe son and I would like o: isi Se ille:
<<bu I ha e ne e been he e>>eh: could you: help me please??
A: [4] Oh g ea ? eh: when would you like o come?
In he i s h ee examples, agen s use de e en ial o ms o
add ess use s, a nega i e-poli eness s a egy ha enables hem o
acknowledge he use s’ powe and show social dis ance, as well as o
a end o hei quali y and iden i y ace. Agen s also o e help in a
i ualis ic way and by means o nega i e poli eness, pe cep ible in he
modal e bs, show conce n o use s’ sociali y igh s and in e ac ional
goals. Al hough his o e does no appea in he ou h example, by
lis ening a en i ely he agen also shows de e ence o he use and
conce n o his quali y and iden i y ace.
In hei u ns, use s iden i y hemsel es in (1) and (4) o make
clea hei social ole and s a us and unde line he social dis ance hey
pe cei e. They eso o wha seems an o - eco d s a egy in (1) and
(3) o insinua e hei in e ac ional goals and compensa e o he
unlikely imposi ion o hei subsequen eques s o in o ma ion. In
con as , his s a egy is ollowed by a non- ed essed explici
pe o ma i e in (2) and an indi ec ques ion ed essed wi h nega i e
poli eness in (4). These make mani es he use s’ in en ions and u n
he p e ious s a egy in o a posi i e-poli eness s a egy ha consis s o
gi ing easons. Also, in (4) he use a oids a possible h ea o his
quali y ace by speeding up his acknowledgemen ha he had ne e
been o he ci y be o e.
In h ee o he con e sa ions in he hie a chical sys em (5, 6, 7),
use s g ee i s and begin in e ac ion, showing hus hei legi ima e
powe , while in (8) i is he agen ha g ee s i s . Conscious o use s’
powe , agen s espond o hei g ee ings in he i s h ee examples
wi h wo g ee ings and i ual o e s o help, hus a ending o bo h he
use s’ and hei own quali y and iden i y aces. In (8) he use
esponds o he agen ’s g ee ing wi h wo g ee ings oo. I is
no ewo hy ha only in (6) does he agen selec he nega i e-
poli eness s a egy consis ing o being de e en ial o show he
awa eness o bo h he la e ’s powe and hei hie a chical dis ance.
Besides, in (7) he use unexpec edly g ee s he agen in an in o mal
way in his second u n, maybe o lessen dis ance:
(5) U: [1] Hello
A: [2] Hello good a e noon how can I help you??
U: [3] yes, eh: I am a e y impo an No wegian (.) ou ope a o and: I
wan o: include Se ille? In a package ou ; you a e?
(6) U: [1] hello good mo ning (.) my name is: (.) John Ca ey and (.) I come
om eh (.) No way Packaged Tou s eh I (.) I would like o: o ha e eh so-
some in o ma ion abou Se-Se ille
A: [2] hello good mo ning si ; eh so you come you come om No way
Packaged Tou s and you like in o ma ion om Se ille? Tha ’s igh , eh
<< i s o all I would like o ell you […]>>
(7) U: [1] Hello
A: [2] Hello, good mo ning How Could I help you?
U: [3] Hi, I wo k o a No wegian packaged ou and I would like o isi
Se ille and wha can I do in Se ille.
(8) A: [1] Good mo ning?
U: [2] Hello good mo ning?
A: [3] How can I help you?
U: [4] I’m I wo k o a ou ope a o eh in: No No way and I need some
in o ma ion o eh: my agency o know wha oppo uni ies we ha e eh i
we come o Spain o Se ille and I would eh like o know all he
oppo uni ies please;
Use s iden i y hemsel es a e he o e o help in (5), (7) and
(8), while in (6) he use does so in he same u n as he g ee ing.
These iden i ica ions make explici hei social ole and s a us and
emphasise social dis ance. While in (5), (7) and (8) iden i ica ions a e
a he succinc and only con ain basic in o ma ion, in (6) he
iden i ica ion is longe and includes pe sonal in o ma ion, maybe o
compensa e o an excessi e hie a chical dis ance and o c ea e a
ela i ely iendlie a mosphe e.
When in oducing his eques o in o ma ion, in (5) he use
chooses a bald on- eco d s a egy, an unmi iga ed impe a i e, because
o his powe . In con as , in (6) and (7) use s ed ess hei eques s by
means o nega i e-poli eness s a egies, namely condi ionals. Finally,
in (8) he use o mula es his eques as a need-s a emen , al hough he
also eso s o condi ionals. These enable use s o show conce n o
hei in e locu o s and a oid challenging appo h ough bald on-
eco d s a egies, which could ha e been in e p e ed as unduly ude
and o e -imposi i e. The desi e o main ain appo may unde lie he
use o he i s pe son plu al p onoun in (8), which enables he use o
dilu e his agency.
The only example ha includes he esponse o he eques is (6),
whe e i appea s in he agen ’s i s u n. Al hough he agen in his
example eso s o nega i e poli eness – he de e en ial o m o
add ess– she combines i wi h a posi i e-poli eness s a egy, epea ing
wha he use has jus said. Thus, she shows awa eness o he use ’s
desi es, seeks ag eemen wi h him and pe haps some p oximi y, as he
implici ly sugges s ha hey sha e a common in e ac ional goal. When
gi ing in o ma ion, he agen akes a long u n o show he expe
powe and o a end o he own quali y ace.
Finally, in wo o he con e sa ions in he solida i y sys em, use s
begin in e ac ion. While in (9) he use p oduces wo g ee ings, in (10)
he use simply p oduces one be o e con inuing wi h an iden i ica ion
ha con eys pe sonal in o ma ion. Responding o he i s u n, in (9)
he agen g ee s de e en ially, which could seem inapp op ia e o his
sys em, as bo h in e locu o s a e young. Howe e , by doing so he
agen seems o p o ec his own quali y ace as in o me by implying
ha he is a se ious p o essional. In con as , in (10) he agen does no
p oduce a second g ee ing, p obably because o he low dis ance. In
he o he wo con e sa ions, agen s begin wi h a business g ee ing
(11) and ano he double g ee ing (12). As in (10), in (11) he agen
ollows his g ee ing by an iden i ica ion, while in (12) he use does
no espond wi h a second g ee ing:
(9) U: [1] Hello good mo ning,
A: [2] Hello good mo ning si , can I help you?
U: [3] I would like o go o Se ille eh can you ecommend: any hing
please?
A: [4] Su e do you li do you wan eh o go o museum o cen e his o
his o ic?? o Se ille? Wha ype o ou ism do you wan (.) o do i ?
(10) U: [1] Hello? I’m an E asmus s uden and: and I’m s udying in Mad id and
I would like o:: some in o ma ion abou eh (.) wha (.) eh can (.) wha
can I do in: Se ille, eh can you help me please?
A: [2] eh: ok well, le me see, (.) eh:: i s o all eh:: you can […]
(11) A: [1] ehh (.) Good mo ning, <<how can I help you>>?,
U: [2] hello, mm I’m 27 yea s old and I wan o go o Se ille can you ell
me some hing???
A: [3] Ok ehh is you i s ime in Se ille?,
U: [4] Yes
A: [5] Ok a e you going wi h you iends?,
U: [6] Yes
A: [7] How many people?
U: [8] eh: wen y: wen y iends and me.
(12) A: [1] Hello, good mo ning,
U: [2] eh… I would like o know… eh… wha places a e in e es ing in he
ci y
A: [3] o cou se… eh… I would eh… gi e you… a li le explana ion ok?
Eh: wha a e you seeking o ? [To]
U: [4] [monumen s, museums] ?
In (9), he eques o in o ma ion is made in a con en ionally
indi ec way wi h an illocu iona y o ce indica ing de ice (IFID). I is
p e aced by a wan -s a emen ed essed by nega i e poli eness, which
ac s as a whole as a posi i e-poli eness s a egy amoun ing o he
easons o he eques . In (10) and (11), he eques s appea in bo h
use s’ i s u ns a e iden i ica ions, in oduced by wan -s a emen s.
While in (10) his s a emen is mi iga ed wi h nega i e poli eness, in
(11) i goes bald-on- he- eco d. As o he eques s, hey a e made in a
con en ionally indi ec way and in (10) wi h an IFID, oo. This
indica es use s’ pe cep ion o he sys em whe e in e ac ion akes place