Balinese and Javanese Children’s Stories: A Comparative Study on Politeness Strategies

The emerging technology and the advantages of using a global language make the local languages rarely learnt. This situation drives us to lose the noble values of the local languages, that is politeness. This study discusses the politeness strategies in Balinese and Javanese children’s stories and their comparisons. This study employs a qualitative approach with a comparative content analysis design. The primary data source is dialogues contained in collections of Balinese and Javanese children’s stories. The instrument is the researcher (human instrument), assisted by a data analysis table and coding manual. The data collection techniques used were documentation and systematic recording. The data analysis technique focuses on the identification and interpretation of Leech’s Politeness Maxim in folklore dialogue. The maxims of politeness applied in Balinese children’s stories illustrate that polite language can be a character trait that shows self-worth, and on the other hand, it can also be used for specific purposes that may conflict with existing norms. Javanese children’s stories describe politeness as a form of support and, at the same time, a strategy for maintaining relationships. The complexity of maxim application also shows that politeness maxims are not rigid and are highly adaptive to regional language structures.