The Analysis of Context and Politeness Strategies in Business Letter.doc

毕业论文(设计)B.A. Thesis The Analysis of Context and Politeness Strategies in Business Letter B.A. Candidate: Lin YingpingAdvisor: Meng Fanyi Foreign Language DepartmentJiaying UniversityMay 22, 2008AcknowledgementsI would like to express my thanks to my family who always give me encouragement and help both on my study and life. I wish to express my thanks and appreciation to my tutor, Mr. Meng Fanyi, whose careful reading and suggestions have been invaluable to me throughout my thesis writing. My thanks should also be given to all the teachers who have taught me my B.A courses. Without their enthusiasm and support, this work would not have been possible. I am also grateful to my classmates and roommates for their psychological support and encouragement. I would not do well without them. Abstract Business letter acts as an important role in our daily life, which is retrained by some rules. Context and politeness are the most important factors. The utterance comes from the context, the context restrains the words. Business letter acts as a special means of written communication between the two parties who may have different cultures, which should be pay special attention to. It is indispensable for both side to choose effective writing strategies and languages in gaining advantages over others. By resorting to the politeness strategies in different context, we can reveal the significance pragmatics of politeness. A polite and courtesy letter can help to make the trade go on smoothly, while a letter without politeness can not only lead to the failure of the business but also destroy the image which the company had built up. Thus, an appropriate language is totally necessary. Different contexts embody different politeness scales. In terms of linguistic expressions of politeness mainly used in three kinds of context, there are making contact, negotiation, in conflict. The explication of politeness strategies used in business letters proves that the strategies of politeness languages can increase the possibility of success in business. Therefore, the pragmatic strategy of politeness language can somewhat guide business theoretically and practically.Key Words: business letter politeness context politeness strategies 摘 要 商贸英语函电在我们商务交流中有着重要的作用。信函的写作,受一些因素的制约,而礼貌和语境是两个最重要的因素.语言产生于语境，语境又制约了语言的使用。商业信函的交际双方是商家，他们一般处于不同的国家，他们的关系有别于一般的商人朋友关系，这种关系在交际双方都是值得注意的。所以，如何使用语言战略和语言在交流中取得优势是必不可少的。礼貌战略在信函中有着巨大的影响。根据不同语境条件下，礼貌原则的使用，使我们充分理解礼貌所起的作用。一封谦逊有礼的信函不仅能使公司的交易顺利进行，还能为公司建立一个良好的企业形象。而一封没有礼貌的信函可能导致交易的失败，甚至还能破坏建立起来的企业形象。不同的语言表达方式体现出不同的礼貌程度差异，就信函礼貌原则在不同语境中的使用，主要表现在取得联系，洽谈和解决纠纷中。礼貌语用策略在信函中的使用有着非常重要的作用，证明了礼貌语用原则在商业交流中增加了交易成功的机率。关键词：商业信函 礼貌 语境 礼貌策略Contents Acknowledgements.iAbstract (English).iiAbstract (Chinese).iiiContents.iv1. Introduction. 12. Introduction of a business letter .2 2.1 Business letter: special activities in business communication.22.2 The functions of letters in business communication.22.3 The characteristic of business letter3 2.3.1 You attitude language.4 2.3.2 Positive words.4 2.3.3 Compliment words.53. Context in business letter .5 3.1 The definition of context .63.2 The functions of context.73.3 The context in the business letter.83.4 The cognitive environment in a business letter.94. The politeness principles in the business letter.104.1 The politeness and context.124.2 Politeness in letters.134.3 The politeness principles applied in different kinds of business letters.175. The pragmatics of politeness principle in business letters.185.1 The polite strategies in the letters of making contact.195.2 The polite strategies in negotiation.215.3 The polite strategies in conflict.226. Conclusion.23References.25xxvii The Analysis of Context and Politeness Strategies in Business Letter 1. Introduction The business letter is the prime means among the corporations to keep in touch with its customers; the customers can form their impression and attitude of the firm from the tone and the quality of the letters it sends out. So the duties of a business letter writer are far more than merely putting the message in correct English and correct form. He should see to it that the message is likely to achieve the purpose for which it is written.It is indeed worthwhile to study how to write an effective business letter. In the communication between the buyers and the sellers by business letters, some words and expressions are harmful to others pride that mean word or expression show no respect or consideration to others, which threaten the desire to keep on the mutual business. Therefore, it is necessary for the companies to create a friendly and cooperative situation through some appropriate word strategies and tactics. Among them, politeness can work as the most effective strategy, which is a way of “yield twice the result with half the effort”.It is no doubt that the companies should take advantages of the effects of politeness principles. Politeness is a most important factor of choosing what kind of languages should be used and what kind of approaches to arrange the letter. Politeness consists of not only in using polite phrases, such as your kind enquiring, your esteemed order, your kindhearted, but in showing consideration for your correspondences. Keep in mind that the person we are writing to, see things in different contexts: from seeing their points of views and visualizing them in their attitudes and seeing their problems and difficulties and expressing our ideas in terms of contexts. Each business letter communicates in two distinct ways. Though the explication of politeness and its language strategies, we attempt to improve human communicative competence, human trust, and research into in strict quality of business communication.2. Introduction of a business letterCommunication is the key to all interpersonal relationship whether in organizations such as corporations, governmental departments, schools and universities and services organizations or in the individuals private and family life. The word “communication” comes from Latin word “communist”, which means “common” in English (Burton, 1984:4). When one communicates, he is trying to transmit and inform some information and attitudes to others.2.1 Business letter: special activities in business communication.There is not an exception of the communication in business activities, with the popularity of Email, business letter writing is experiencing a rebirth. Millions of business communications are conducted through fax or Email in order to save time, as the buyers and the sellers need to negotiate with each other. They should follow the trade rules and meanwhile maintain their own benefits. They need to use the letters to persuade their counterparts to make the business go on smoothly. Business letter is as a specific kind of business activities in maintaining the business relationship.2.2 The functions of business letter in business communicationWith development of economy, writing of business letters is an important way for communicating. The business letters are passing through every detail of business communication, such as establishing business relationship, quotation, sales letters, offers and counter-offers, order accepting and rejections, sales confirmation and purchase contract, payment, packing, transportation and insurance, complaint, claim and settlement and so on. By sending letters to each other, we can change information, contact with business partners, negotiate and solve the problems existed in trading.2.3 The characteristics of business letterA business letter is a formal letter. Its structure is complete, which consists of the following components: letterhead (information of the company); reference No; date; address; situation; caption; subjects; complimentary close; signature; enclose, etc.A lot of business professional words are used in the letters, such as inquiring, offer, quote, quotationall these words are formal and seriously. Apart from that, a lot of polite expressions can be found in every business letter, such as please, thank, kindly, appreciate, be kind enough, be obliged/grateful to, sincerely. Not only that, multitudes of courtesy sentences can also be founded in letters.2.3.1 You-attitude languageThe main function of business letter is to seek response from the reader. To achieve this goal, the fore most rules for a writer of business letters are consideration for the reader. You attitude is often used in business letters, based on the principle of consideration, which focus on “you” (the reader) instead of “I” or “we” (the writer).(1) We are dealing with your order and will send it without further delay.(2) Your order is being dealt with and will be sent without further delay.Instead of saying the sentence (1), the sentence (2) is usually founded in business letters. You attitude looks at things from the readers point of view. Focus on what the reader receiver can do, not on what the writer himself has done.2.3.2 Positive wordsPositive words preserve the receivers self-worth and build future business relationship. Positive words are often used in business letters as it helps to seek agreement between the writer and the reader and arouse the positive response from the reader. Positive words include the words that carry positive meanings like thank, pleased, glad, assure, available, provide etc. expressing sincerity, courtesy, for example:1) Please accept our sincere thanks for our pleasant association together during the past year. Your orders have been most welcome and your many acts of cooperation are appreciated.The positive words and expressions like “please”, “sincere thanks”, “pleasant” “association”, “welcomes” and “appreciates” show the writers attempt to seek agreement and notice and the readers interests, wants and needs.2.3.3 Compliment wordsCompliment is one of the positive effects on interpersonal relations during the business communication. The writer can make the reader feel good and respected by saying something pleasant to him. For example:We appreciate the external quality of your production and the way in which you have handled our enquiry. We would like to take this opportunity to conclude some transactions with you. But Im afraid the price you quoted is not competitive enough. We would, therefore, suggest that you make some allowance, say 10% on your quoted prices to enable us to introduce your products to our customers. If, however, you cannot do so, then we shall have no alternative but to leave the business. In this letter, some compliments are given to the reader, the writer first give some compliments in the products high quality and the way they handle, and then with the appearance of the word “but” reader will realize that the bad message will be given. Although the message is presented, with the mitigating of the compliments just before the bad message, then the bad effect of the message will be reduced.3. Context in business lettersThough the quick development of electronic technology, the means of international letter has changed greatly, but no matter how it changes, the components are still business-letter formats. Therefore, to understand the writing style in business letters is a key point in writing a successful business letter, which facilitates to step into trade purposes, as a courtesy and descent business letter can help to set up a favorable business image for the company and do business. Business letters concerned about cross-culture among different countries. The writers should pay special attention to the different cultures when wrote a business letter. As far as topics in cross-culture are concerned, what are written are not daily conversational trifles, but are actually related to problematic points, controversial issues, consequential events, sharp conflicts, and deadlock, ect. (胡庚申，2004：95). And these topics are often in close connection with corporational interests, economics gains or lose, technology transfer, intellectual properties, and so on. Therefore, both the writers and the readers in this categorized context should be stressed by the expressions used in terms of communication. Writing business letters are confined by many factors, the context is the most important one. The contexts give the writers a real business environment and a suitable choice in communicating.3.1 The definition of contextMany researchers have studied context. .Malinowski introduced the notion of situation of context, meaning by this “environment of the text” (Halliday, 1989:6) Hymes considers a context a constructed of 16 components in 8 “categories”: act situation, participants, ends, act sequence, key (manner or spirit), instrumentalities, norms and genres (namely speaking). Halliday states that context as a level of language concerned with the relationship between form and extra-textual features of the situation (i.e., field, tenor mode). Gillian Brown concentrates on three interrelated aspects of contexts: a) the external physical context within which the dialogue takes places, which is concerned with parameters of the place and time of utterance; b) the social context of the situation, which is concerned with who the participants are and their purposes in the interacting; c) the discourse itself what language has been produced, how it has been understood by the participants who relate their own information about the world of the task. (胡庚申，2004:181 )Context is the surrounding where an utterance is. It told that what had happened and what will happen later. It plays an important role in the process of utterance interpretation. Like “like father”, can you get the meaning? It is the movie Gone with the Wind: “Rett and Scarlett want to be there again, and have their conversation. In their conversation, their daughter rode a horse and asked them to see she was jump up the defense. At that time, Scarlett said: “Stop her Rhett! They are like pas eyes?” and then: “Like father”, after she say that sentence, she falls senseless. At that time, the audience would know the meaning of the “like father” in a certain context, if we do not have the context, we do not know the meaning of “like father”.3.2 The functions of contextAs words usually has more than one meaning due to the change and the development of society, science and technology. It is impossible to have a clear and correct comprehension. If we understand the words isolated, then the same words used in different situation, time, space might have different effects on peoples comprehension. Meaning is determined by the context. It is more likely that people will have a misunderstanding and misinterpretation without the help of the context, especially in the process of concerning with the cross culture communication. It has to be clarified is: the reader, the writer, the time and the situation.The different situation in different occupation, the language used is different. A communicative context could serve as a constraint of language used for a speaker, and the interpretation of utterance meaning for a listener. And as a communicative force, utterance could, in turn, manipulate and even reconstruct new context favorable for achieving the communicative goal. (胡庚申, 2004:202)“I am sorry to hear about your grandma”.This is a console word to the listener whose grandmother has just been passed away. The listener can get the speakers sympathy and concern from the context. But we should pay attention to, if the context is that, the speakers grandmother was just hurt a little, and with not danger to her life. Then, the speaker was restricted by the context, then the words cannot be used in this situation. Since context could influence utterance, and utterance could influence context, the functions interactive to each other between context and utterance could be taken not only as the relation between context and utterance but also as the interactive features between them. A boy at home must call his mother (who is a teacher): mum, but at school, he must call: Mrs. So we must make it clear: “who speaks what to whom when where and why?”3.3 The context in the business letterThe business letter is an important communicative way, which may have different cultures between the two parties. Each daily communication has its context. According to Hallidays definition of the context, the context in the business letter should be founded:The tenor of discourse: the corporations in different cultures. Bu