Implicature use in L2

This thesis investigates how first and second language users comprehend particularized conversational implicature (PCI) in a Gricean framework. Data were collected from 19 native speakers (NSs) and 19 non-native speakers (NNSs) who completed a written dialogue comprehension test. Comprehension accuracy for NNSs was far lower than for NSs. Both groups introspectively reported using Grices maxims and Cooperative Principle as comprehension strategies and showed a preference for implicature-free speech in L2. These findings suggest that Grices theory may be operational.