Human-Computer Etiquette

96 Human–Computer etiquette

that again”). e tutor also avoided direct criticism of learner mis-

takes, e.g., “I didn’t hear the ‘H’ in the word” (instead of “You left the

‘H’ out of the word”), and used tactics to promote a sense of solidar-

ity, for example, “Good, we’re ready to move on” (instead of “Move

on”). Unlike in the virtual factory domain, however, the Arabic tutor

also employed tactics to promote a positive attitude on the part of the

learner, counteracting negative aect (e.g., “Don’t worry, you’ll be able

to say ‘H’ soon”) and playfully exaggerating positive performance (e.g.,

“Are you a native speaker or what?!”).

Although politeness theory describes tutorial interaction at the tac-

tical level, the politeness strategies desc