A Study of Politeness Strategies in Persuasive English Business Letters from the Perspective of Londo’s AIDA Formula

Abstract

Based on Leech’s Politeness Principle and Brown and Levinson’s Face Theory, this paper tends to explore how Politeness Principle and relative politeness strategies are used in persuasive English business letters. Londo’s AIDA formula is adopted to help to account for the manifestations of politeness as well to demonstrate the importance of Politeness Principle and the relative strategies we should take in writing English business letters. The study provides a descriptive analysis and finds out that the you-attitude plays a significant role in persuasive letters, for it provides the goodwill and positive involvement necessary for effective communication, if used appropriately. In addition, the AIDA formula serves as a guideline of successful persuasive letters. This paper also shows that the purpose of employing politeness strategies is to establish, maintain, or consolidate social solidarity, which is of particular significance for business letters writings. It is suggested that writers of persuasive business letters should take cultural influences into consideration in multinational corporations and international business activities and it is hoped that this paper can provide some implications for pedagogical application as well.