英语商务付款信函中言语行为的语用策略研究

论文摘要

作为商务信函的重要组成部分,付款信函在贸易交往过程中起着十分重要的作用,其本质是通过信函的言语表达促成付款行为的完成。付款信函的目的是向购买者提供商品的有关信息,如商品名称、说明、购买量、包装方式、商品价格、付款方式和交货方式等。商务英语付款信函是买卖双方就买卖的方式进行磋商的形式。在这一信函交往的过程中,卖方向买方介绍产品信息和销售方式,陈述要了解买方经济状况、信誉度以及提出特殊销售要求的原因,买方就对方提供的信息与卖方进行磋商,如要求放宽支付条件、修改付款方式等。成功的商务付款信函要运用各种语言手段,按照一定的语言策略采取不同的言语行为来实现其交际目的。近几十年来,商务信函中的语言使用逐渐受到语言学家们的关注。虽然语言学家、会话分析学家、文体学家都从不同的角度分析商务信函语言的语用特点、语篇特色和文体特点,但将付款信函单独作为研究对象进行讨论并没有多少研究。本文主要以Austin和Searle的言语行为理论为依据,以60篇商务付款信函实例为对象,探讨和分析商务付款信函的言语行为以及相应的语用策略。研究发现：在所收集的60篇商务付款信函中,存在着表述、指令、受约、表情、陈述五种言语行为,其中指令言语行为最多。就语用策略而言,需求陈述、情态动词使用、施为动词使用以及询问准备条件等四种策略最为常见。本研究的结果有助于帮助商务工作者运用恰当的言语行为理论策略,准确撰写商务信函,进而促进贸易的顺利发展,实现贸易双赢的满意结果。

论文目录

• Acknowledgements
• Abstract
• 摘要
• Contents
• List of Tables
• List of Abbreviations
• Chapter One Introduction
• 1.1 Background of the study
• 1.2 Necessity & significance of the study
• 1.3 Objectives of the study
• 1.4 Organization of the thesis
• 1.5 Summary
• Chapter Two Literature Review
• 2.1 Business Letters
• 2.1.1 Definition of the business letters
• 2.1.2 Functions of the business letters
• 2.1.3 Classification of the business letters
• 2.2 Speech Acts
• 2.2.1 Austin's contribution to the speech act theory
• 2.2.2 Searle's development of the speech act theory
• 2.2.2.1 Searle's view of the speech act theory
• 2.2.2.2 Searle's felicity condition on speech acts
• 2.2.2.3 Searle's classification of illocutionary acts
• 2.2.3 Direct vs indirect speech acts
• 2.2.3.1 Direct speech act
• 2.2.3.2 Indirect speech act
• 2.2.3.3 Types of indirect speech acts
• 2.2.3.4 Indirectness and politeness
• 2.3 Business letters and speech act theory relevant studies
• 2.4 Summary
• Chapter Three Methodology
• 3.1 Research questions
• 3.2 Research materials
• 3.3 Data and analysis procedures
• 3.4 Summary
• Chapter Four Results & Disscussion
• 4.1 Speech acts in letters of payments
• 4.2 Pragamatic stragegies in letters of payments
• 4.2.1 Assertives in English business letters of payments
• 4.2.1.1 Being accurate and concrete
• 4.2.1.2 Using passive voice
• 4.2.1.3 Using Arabic figures
• 4.2.1.4 Avoiding using You-Language
• 4.2.1.5 Using abbreviation
• 4.2.2 Dirctives in English business letters of payments
• 4.2.2.1 Sequence of dirctive speech acts
• 4.2.2.2 Directive strategies
• 4.2.2.3 Directive strategies identified in the corpus
• 4.2.3 Commissives in English business letters of payments
• 4.2.4 Declarations in English business letters of payments
• 4.2.5 Expressives in English business letters of payments
• 4.3 Summary
• Chapter Five Conclusion
• 5.1 Major findings of the study
• 5.2 Implications of the study
• 5.3 Limitations of the study and suggestions for further research
• 5.4 Summary
• Bibliography
• Appendix
• Publications