The Theoretical Research Of Conversational Implicature In China

Conversational implicature refers to a speakers use of implicature to reach a vague expression of language. It was first put forward by the American philosopher H.P Grice and its core content lies in the co-operative principle and the accurate application of co-operative principle to reach Conversational Implicature. The theory of Conversational Implicature is at the heart of the field of Pragmatics and plays an important role in the use of language especially in regard to social intercourse. The theory of Conversational Implicature began with Grice's "classical theory" and then developed under Levinson's influence into a new theory. In China the theory of Conversational implicature has become a very important area of study, and many scholars in the field of linguistics have been attracted to the study of it. There has been many articles and books published focusing on this area of research, including many by prominent linguistic scholars, but it was in the 1990's that research into this theory reached its peak. This essay attempts to provide a broad summary of the research regarding Conversational Implicature theory in China and through this summary the author hopes to provide an indicator of the current state of research into this area and drawing on his conclusions make some tentative predictions about the further development of the theory and future research trends.This essay is divided into four parts. The thesis statement introduces the reasons why I choose this topic and gives a basic outline of my research findings. The first part introduces the theory of Conversational implicature to the essay and tracks the process of the introduction of this theory into China from abroad. The second section exclusively focuses on the theoretical research of conversational implicature in China. Due to the many insufficiencies with Grice's co-operative principle, Chinese linguists have continuously looked for ways to improve on the theory, to revise it and replace it with a more advanced theory. The third part of the essay provides an introduction to...