Convergence in the Rhetorical Pattern of Directness and Indirectness in Chinese and U.S. Business Letters

Journal of Business and Technical Communication Jan 2010

Convergence in the Rhetorical Pattern of Directness and Indirectness in Chinese and U.S. Business Letters

Junhua Wang University of Minnesota, Duluth

Abstract

This article examines rhetorical patterns in claim letters from two universities, one in China and one in the United States, to see whether these patterns are convergent. A genre-based textual analysis of the claim letters, written by two different cultural groups of participants, found that both groups of letters display a similar rhetorical preference for directness and indirectness. The author explores how local contextual factors have contributed to these groups of participants’ preference for similar rhetorical patterns and calls for the integration of contextual factors in intercultural rhetoric research, practice, and pedagogy.

Journal: Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published: 2010-01-01
DOI: 10.1177/1050651909346933
Open Access: Closed
Topics: genre theory

Citation Context

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