Gricean Principles in a FL class

This paper introduces the maxims of cooperation – Gricean Principles – and their relevance in the FL classroom. The idea stems from the fact that this pragmatic theme underlies any verbal interaction in both its modes, spoken and written. It is argued that FL learners need both structural and pragmatic awareness. Being CP sensitive, a FL learner is likely to overcome much of the pragmatic failure which may lead to communication breakdown.