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15 - Appraisal

from Part II - Discourse Analysis within SFL

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 May 2019

By
Susan Hood
Edited by
Geoff Thompson ,
Wendy L. Bowcher ,
Lise Fontaine  and
David Schönthal
Geoff Thompson
Affiliation:
University of Liverpool
Wendy L. Bowcher
Affiliation:
Sun Yat-Sen University, China
Lise Fontaine
Affiliation:
Cardiff University
David Schönthal
Affiliation:
Cardiff University
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Summary

The chapter begins with a general introduction to appraisal as the theorization of evaluative meaning in Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). Appraisal is located metafunctionally and stratally in the architecture of SFL as one of the systems of interpersonal meaning at the stratum of discourse semantics. Appraisal is firstly explored from the perspective of realization, as system and sub-systems of interpersonal meaning choices. The sub-systems of appraisal, namely attitude, graduation, and engagement, are explained and exemplified in these terms. In each case elaborated networks of meaning choices constitute points of reference for the interpretation of patterns of linguistic choices instantiated in texts. Such studies foreground the persuasive and affiliating functions of texts. While it is impossible to provide anywhere near a comprehensive account of the existing literature, the second part of the chapter aims to survey a number of the diverse fields of research that draw on the system of appraisal, including first language development, and studies discourses of education, media, law, and literature. Current research directions exploring appraisal in studies of identity, in multimodal discourses, and in languages other than English, language typology, and translation are also discussed.
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The Cambridge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics , pp. 382 - 409
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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