Abstract: Conflict talks are common in female college students’ daily life, which exerts a negative  influence on female college students’ interpersonal communication. Based on the theoretical framework of Face Theory, this paper collects data from questionnaire survey conducted in Nanjing Xiaozhuang University and aims at analyzing three speech acts in conflict talk initiation among female college students: criticism, insult and complaint, and three causes for female college students to engender conflict talks in interpersonal communication: different personalities, different living habits and different values. And this paper also suggests three politeness strategies for female college students to manage conflict talks: positive politeness strategies, negative politeness strategies and off-record politeness strategies. The paper ends with a hope to enhance female college students’ understanding of conflict talks to establish a good interpersonal relationship as well as a harmonious campus.

Key words: female college students; Face Theory; conflict talk initiation

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction1

2. Literature Review 1

3. Theoretical Framework: Face Theory.2

4. Methodology.3

4.1 Research Questions

4.2 Subjects

   4.3 Instruments  

   4.4 Data Collection and Analysis

5. Results and Discussion 4

5.1 Language Features in Conflict Talk Initiation 

5.1.1 Criticism

5.1.2 Insult

5.1.3 Complaint 

5.2 Causes of Conflict Talk Initiation

5.2.1 Different Living Habits

5.2.2 Different Personalities

5.2.3 Different Values

5.3 Politeness Strategies to Manage Conflict Talks

5.3.1 Positive Politeness Strategies

5.3.2 Negative Politeness Strategies

5.3.3 Off-record Politeness Strategies

6. Conclusion13

Bibliography.15

Appendix16

Acknowledgements17