Chapter One Introduction
1.1Research Significance
Currently, China has been undergoing rapid global economic integration andphenomenal growth in international trade and investment. Overseas enterprises andbusinessmen in increasing number seek to start and maintain business relations withChinese suppliers and customers. Meanwhile, the wide spread of internet over the lastdecade has tremendously improved the efficiency of business communication acrossnations, and people involved in the worldwide business area today depend more and moreon English business correspondence.English business correspondence is composed in English on the purpose of globalbusiness inquiry, business negotiation, sample and purchase order confirmation,commodity inspection and customs declaration, compliant on quality and transportation soon and so forth. Broadly speaking, the functions of a piece of English businesscorrespondence may be said to be to ask for or to convey information, to make or to acceptan offer; to deal with matters concerning negotiation of business (Gan, 1996, p.1). In themeantime, clarity, conciseness and courtesy as the three principles of businesscorrespondence construction are confirmed by Gan (ibid) and C.B. Zhang (2001) .However, it is quite often to see that a great amount of business correspondence isill-organized, redundant, indistinct and impolite, which greatly inhibits the efficiency ofbusiness activity proceeding and the establishment of enterprises’ images.
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1.2Research Questions
This research is conducted in order to analyze and demonstrate the mental operations inthe on-line construction of English business correspondence through the explanation of anew CDS model on the basis of the CDS model put forward by Langacker in 2001.This research aims at solving three questions.Firstly, what is the new CDS model and how does it work in the on-line Englishbusiness correspondence construction?Secondly, what are the specific phases in the on-line construction of a particular pieceof English business correspondence?Thirdly, does the model apply to all types of English business correspondence?
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1.3Research Methodology
The methodology adopted in this research is introspection with case analysis. The English business correspondence in this thesis mainly refers to the correspondence acrossnations to deal with a specific business activity, and the samples for case analysis areobtained from international companies engaged in the industries of chemicals,pharmaceuticals and stationeries in Ningbo and Shanghai.In order to secure the confidentiality of the correspondence in this thesis, the contactmeans including the company name, address, telephone number, fax number and so on arerevised, while the contents remain the same. In order to conduct a more thorough analysisof the cases, the new CDS model will be discussed in terms of mappings and othercognitive operations involved in the stages of activating, updating and extending theproposition. Meanwhile, concrete explanation of each stage in the on-line construction of aparticular piece of English business correspondence will be manifested.
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Chapter Two Literature Review
2.1. Previous Studies on Mental Space Theory
In this part, the definition of mental space will be introduced and the development ofthe mental space theory will be generalized and reviewed.According to Fauconnier (2008, p.16), mental spaces built up in any discourse arerepresented as structured, incrementable sets with elements and relations holding betweenthem, such that new elements can be added to them and new relations established betweentheir elements. Coulson (2010, p.21) points out that mental spaces which are created topresent discourse concerning various factive (and non-factive) contexts can be thought ofas temporary containers for relevant information about a particular domain. As aconsequence, the production of language is reflective of the operations among mentalspaces. In other words, mental spaces are not an organic part of language itself, but theyplay a significant role in assisting people to set up different relations among the spacesduring the process of language production (Zhu, 2005, p.148).
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2.2 Previous Studies on Current Discourse Space Theory
In this part, the definition of current discourse space will be introduced and thedevelopment of the current discourse space theory will be generalized and reviewed.Langacker (2001, p.144) defines the current discourse space as a mental spacecomprising the speech event, the speaker and hearer, their interaction, and the immediatecircumstances which include the time and place of the speech and relations construed asbeing shared by the speaker and hearer as a basis for communication at a given moment inthe flow of discourse.On the basis of his previous introduction and application of cognitive grammar in1987, 1990 and 1991, the CDS theory is created, fully explained and expounded byLangacker (2001, 2008, 2012) respectively, during which he keeps arguing that alllinguistic units are abstracted from usage events which stand for the actual instances of language use. Meanwhile, he holds that discourse is not only a combination of words,clauses and sentences, but also a meaningful integration of spaces and their forms, andspaces are mental structures that represent the reality. In order to better illustrate his pointof view, he puts forward a cognitive model, namely, the current discourse space model. Themodel consists of a large frame, namely, the current discourse space and three attentionalframes, namely, minus frame, zero or focus frame and plus frame demonstrated in Figure2.2.2. The focus frame enclosed by heavy lines is the frame currently being acted on.
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Chapter ThreeA CDS Model of On-Line English Business....... 15
3.1 Description of the New CDS Model....... 15
3.2 Mappings in Three Stages....... 18
3.2.1 Activating the Proposition....... 20
3.2.2 Updating the Proposition ....... 22
3.2.3 Extending the proposition ....... 25
3.2.4 Inner Relations of the Three Stages....... 28
3.3 Summary....... 29
Chapter Four Process of On-Line English Business....... 32
4.1 Phases of On-Line Construction....... 32
4.2 Case Analysis of the Working Mechanism....... 36
4.2.1 Exchanging Information....... 36
4.2.2 Making or Accepting an Offer....... 39
4.2.3 Dealing with Business Negotiation....... 43
4.3 Summary....... 46
Chapter Five Conclusion....... 48
5.1 Major Findings....... 48
5.2 Theoretical and Practical Implications of the Study ....... 49
5.3 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Study....... 50
Chapter Four Process of On-Line English Business Correspondence Construction
4.1 Phases of On-Line Construction
Generally speaking, a piece of English business correspondence is composed ofseveral principle parts: the correspondence head, the message, the complimentary close andthe addresser’s signature. The phases of the new CDS model in the on-line Englishbusiness correspondence construction refer to the on-line construction of the principle parts,which are demonstrated in the below paragraphs with respective steps. These steps arepartially mentioned by researchers such as Bhatia (2004), Z.H. Shang (2008) etc.The correspondence head and the salutation are demonstrated in the commencementof the correspondence. The gist of the message is presented through the phase of tacklingthe current business activity, and the others are manifested in the phase of soliciting aresponse and ending politely. Each phase below occurs in each frame of the currentdiscourse space, and proceeds in a prospective and retrospective fashion, during whichmapping serves as the connector in the on-line construction.
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Conclusion
Taking a cognitive approach, this thesis carries out a study on the on-line Englishbusiness correspondence construction. The major findings of this thesis include thefollowing four aspects.Firstly, the new CDS model including three frames, namely, the previous frame, thefocus frame and the prospective frame reflects the proceeding of business activities anddemonstrates how a proposition is activated, updated and extended in the three stages.Activating the proposition includes the mappings of the background of the current businesscorrespondence which results in the activation of a latent proposition. Updating theproposition constructs a specific target situation of the current correspondence duringwhich the roles of the important business elements in the activated proposition are definedand supplemented through mappings. Extending the proposition includes expressing andreinforcing an anticipation related to the current business activity which may lead to theactivation of a new proposition.Secondly, mappings in the three stages during the on-line construction of Englishbusiness correspondence operate across spaces in a prospective manner and facilitate theestablishment of roles in the proposition according to the abstract business schema. In otherwords, the proposition defines the scope of mappings, while mappings help outline theproposition by identifying the seller, the buyer, and the potential relationship between themin the first stage, construct and update the business situation of the proposition by linkingthe significant business elements in the second stage, extend it in the last one by connecting the business anticipation and supplementing the identity of the buyer or the seller.
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References (omitted)