This paper studies how Asian English as a lingua franca speakers use self-denigration as a relational strategy (i.e. conducing to interpersonal relationships' management) in talk-in-interaction. The paper uses a conversation analysis protocol to elucidate self-denigration's relational functions and the prosodic and paralinguistic traits that help to attain these. The data state that self-denigration in the ACE corpus tends to happen in informal, non-role-assigning, non-task-focused interactions. It can be a stand-alone item or reply to praise, criticism or neutral utterance. It may work to save, maintain or raise partakers' ‘face’. It may produce shared humour, fostering in-group solidarity. It may show modesty, especially following self- or other-praise.