Speaking Part 1

1. According to you, are you a polite person?

I do think I’m a polite person. I treat other people nicely and patiently, and I do not insult anyone unless they truly deserve it. Also, I properly apologize when I make mistakes and I show my gratitude when other people help me.

2. Do you think people should be polite? Why is being polite important?

People should always be polite because it shows that they have good manners and it helps them earn others’ respect. Being polite is like having good social skills – it can help one widen their social network, and this can positively influence one’s private and professional life.

3. How do people in your culture show good manners towards others?

Showing good manners is when a junior properly greets a senior and talks to him/her politely with sufficient and correct honorifics. Politeness also shows during a meal, when people need to wish the others to have a nice meal and when the younger ones have to wait for the older ones to finish before cleaning the table.

4. Have there been any changes in politeness in the past few decades?

I always have this feeling that people start being less and less polite to each other as time passes. Maybe one of the reasons lies in the etiquette and codes of conduct that have gradually changed over time. In the past, it was very important to behave according to one’s social class, and those of a lower rank had to obey those of a higher one. But today’s society is different – you need to work hard to earn somebody’s respect.

5. Who taught you to be polite?

This may sound weird but my friends actually taught me to be polite. I wasn’t a very nice person when I was a kid, and my parents often scolded me for being rude to elders. One day, I remember watching one of my friends talking really nicely and politely to a senior. She was praised, and so I started imitating her. My parents were really surprised when I changed my attitude, and they gave me some sweets as I was “being a good kid”. I have been showing my politeness to everyone ever since.

Vocabulary

• Insult: speak to or treat with disrespect or scornful abuse
  Eg: She was insulted by her nephew
• Having good social skills: skills we use to communicate and interact with each other
  Eg: He is having good social skills
• Etiquette: the customary code of polite behaviour in society 
  Eg: Her etiquette is the best in the whole group 
• Codes of Conduct: set of rules outlining the norms
  Eg: “Please read the code of conduct”.