Application of Grices’ Cooperative Principle in Business English Correspondence

Abstract

In 1967, Grice, a famous American linguistic philosopher came up with the Cooperative Principle in his speech at Harvard University .Grice thinks that in the course of  communication, the both sides is likely to appear to follow a certain principle intentionally or unintentionally in order to achieve the goal of communication successfully. At present, China's foreign economic exchanges with foreign countries are increasingly frequent, and the Cooperative Principle is widely applied in different kinds of business exchanges between China and foreign countries. Business English Correspondence is the most frequently used form of communication in international business transactions, and also to develop the basis and tool for foreign trade and associated business activities. The four principles of the Cooperative Principle are widely embodied in Business English Correspondence. This paper analyzes the functions and applications of the Cooperative Principle in Business English Correspondence with specific examples.

This thesis can be divided into three parts, the first part introduces the definition and the four principles of Cooperative Principle; the second part discusses the definition, language ,characteristics and “5C” principle of Business English Correspondence; the third part focuses on the analysis of the application of the four principles of Cooperative Principle in Business English Correspondence. Finally, it concludes the guiding role of Cooperative Principle in Business English Correspondence.

Key Words: Cooperative Principle; Business English Correspondence; Four Principles