Adapting Grice's maxims in the teaching of writing

• R. White ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Reading

     University of Reading

     Reino Unido

     
• Localización: ELT journal: An international journal for teachers of English to speakers of other languages, ISSN 0951-0893, Vol. 55, Nº 1, 2001, págs. 62-69
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Grice's maxims, which define the conditions for efficient spoken communication, can be adapted to the teaching of writing by providing both teachers and writers with a way of understanding successful and unsuccessful written correspondence in mono- and cross-cultural settings. Cultural differences in writer-reader expectations are revealed in a survey of lay readers' responses to a sample letter which show that, while there are individual differences in the way these maxims are interpreted, readers expect clarity, brevity, and sincerity, and writing which fails to meet these expectations will be unfavourably received. Also discussed are the issues of contrastive rhetoric, and ways of helping writers to position themselves in relation to their real or imagined reader.