PARALINGUISTIC MEANS OF EXPRESSING RESPECT IN ENGLISH, RUSSIAN AND UZBEK COMMUNICATION

Abstract

Respect is one of the key values that regulates interpersonal, academic and intercultural communication. In real interaction, respect is expressed not only through words, address forms and polite formulas, but also through paralinguistic means such as intonation, speech tempo, pause, gesture, facial expression, eye contact and interpersonal distance. The present article examines the functional-pragmatic role of paralinguistic means in expressing respect in English, Russian and Uzbek communicative behaviour. The study is based on comparative, pragmatic and discourse-oriented analysis of typical communicative situations, including polite request, clarification, disagreement, teacher-student interaction and communication with elders or higher-status interlocutors. The analysis shows that English communication tends to express respect through indirectness, mitigation and protection of personal autonomy. Russian communication relies more on formal address, controlled intonation and status balance. Uzbek communication gives special importance to age, hierarchy, restrained tone, modest behaviour and culturally appropriate distance. The findings prove that the same polite utterance may be interpreted differently if its paralinguistic form does not correspond to cultural expectations. The article argues that paralinguistic competence should be considered an important part of intercultural and pedagogical communication.