Contents

Acknowledgements

Abstract

摘要

Chapter One Introduction-1

1.1 Background and Significance of the Study-1

1.2 Structure of the Study-2

Chapter Two Literature Review-3

2.1 Previous Studies on Vague Language and Cross-cultural Business Negotiation-3

2.2 Pragmatics and Pragmatic Vagueness-4

2.3 Two Major Principles of Pragmatics-5

Chapter Three Vague Language in Cross-cultural Business Negotiation-8

3.1 Definition of Cross-cultural Business Negotiation-8

3.2 Realization of Vagueness in Cross-cultural Business Negotiation-8

3.2.1 Lexical Level-8

3.2.2 Syntactical Level-9

3.2.3 Contextual Level-9

3.3 Pragmatic Functions of Vague Language in Cross-cultural Business Negotiation-9

  3.3.1 Appropriateness-9

  3.3.2 Politeness-10

  3.3.3 Flexibility-10

  3.3.4 Persuasiveness-10

Chapter Four Conclusion-12

4.1 Summary of the Study-12

4.2 Limitations and Suggestions for the Further Studies-13

References-14

Abstract

Vagueness, being one of the natures of language, draws the attention of scholars, who usually devote themselves to the studies of vagueness from four aspects, i.e. philosophy, semantics, psychology and pragmatics. However, language employed in cross-cultural business negotiations is believed to be accurate rather than vague and uncertain for the complexity of cross-cultural business negotiation. In this circumstance, people tend to neglect the phenomenon of vague language, which is very common in cross-cultural business negotiations.

This paper makes a study on pragmatic vagueness in cross-cultural business negotiations from the perspective of pragmatics. It analyzes by examples the application of Grice’s Cooperative Principle and Leech’s Politeness Principle in pragmatic vagueness, and the pragmatic functions of vague language in cross-cultural business negotiation, revealing that vague language is employed to achieve four communicative purposes in negotiation, i.e. appropriateness, politeness, flexibility and persuasiveness. Hopefully the paper is enlightening and helpful for negotiators. 

Key words: vague language  cross-cultural business negotiation  pragmatic function  pragmatic vagueness