| The thesis aims to conduct a pragmatic analysis of vague language in business negotiation. It is a qualitative study based on the theoretical framework developed from American Grice's Conversational Implicature Theory.Vague language is widely used in various business communications. First of all, it can be divided into two basic types: (1) non-deliberate use when people are unable to be more precise; and (2) deliberate use when people are reluctant to be more precise. This thesis focuses on the deliberate use of vague language by the negotiator to help him fulfill certain communicative intentions. In this study, vague language is used by businessman as an important skill in business negotiation. They apply conversational implicature in their business negotiation, consciously or unconsciously. So the author will do a pragmatic analysis to prove how vague language function in the business negotiation to practice the conversational implicature theory. The author classifies vagueness into deictics, hedges, general wording, understatement and metalanguage in the lexical level; indirectness and meaning inconsistency in the sentential level. And another way above the levels of lexis and sentence: shift of topic. Vague language, as a strategy of self-defense, has these pragmatic functions in oral business negotiation: to strengthen the flexibility of language expression; to show politeness and avoid direct conflict and to elevate the own status and protect the own interest from losing.Although some limitations can not be avoided in the data collected in this thesis, the present study has nonetheless its significance, such as to help the speaker better realize his communicative intentions or the hearer to better understand the intended meaning during the business negotiation. Good master of many skills of business negotiation is helpful to improve the quality of business negotiation, protect own interest as possible and achieve the aim of business negotiation. |
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