The Inverse Application of the Informativeness Principle and Oral English Instruction

S. C. Levinson's (1983) informativeness principle declares that a speaker's conversation contribution should be "as informative as is required for the current purposes of the exchange." The inverse application of the principle is to make one's speech more informative than required. The aim of such application in oral English teaching is to make students talk more & go into detail in their narration, descriptions, or arguments, the necessity of which is called on by some cases in daily communications. Scheme theory sheds light on this possibility, & teaching materials also contribute to such application. The inverse application of the informativeness principle can lead to an increase in students' interest in oral practice, which, in turn, brings about an increase in their oral ability. 6 References. Adapted from the source document