시제 및 헤지(Hedge) 사용을 기반으로 한 영어 공손 표현에 관한 연구: 한국 대학생들의 인식 및 의사소통 능력을 중심으로 = A Study on English Politeness Expressions Based on the Use of Past Tense and Hedges: With a Focus on Korean College Students’ Perceptions and Communicative Competence

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study examines English polite expressions based on past tense and hedges, and explores Korean university students’ perceptions and communicative competence regarding English politeness, focusing on these two strategies. A survey of 102 students enrolled in English courses at K University investigated their recognition, learning experiences, and use of politeness strategies. While 81.37% acknowledged that politeness exists in English, only 15.69% had studied it independently, and 12.75% had received formal instruction. When identifying polite expressions, only 24.51% and 23.53% could explain the rationale behind using the past tense and hedging strategies, respectively. In production tasks, just 18.63% and 30.39% used hedging when asked to phrase polite versions of “Speak slowly” and “Can you help me?”, respectively, whereas many relied on conventional forms such as Could you... or Would you please.... These findings reveal a clear gap between students’ declarative knowledge of politeness and their ability to apply it in communication. The results highlight the need for targeted instruction in pragmatic competence, particularly in the use of hedging and indirectness through the past tense.