A Critical Analysis Of News Reports On Obama's Visit To China From Perspective Of Transitivity

Language is not a transparent medium. It can deliver people's ideology through various ways. In this process, the ideology sometimes is expressed directly and evidently, but sometimes it is conveyed indirectly and implicitly. So, it is necessary for us to expose the ideology hidden in language through analyzing the different forms and structures of language, which is also the task and aim of the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). While doing analysis, Halliday's Systematic Functional Grammar (SFG) provides us with effective analytical tools. Hence, based on the Halliday's transitivity, this paper will do the critical analysis on some news reports. This paper selects 8 pieces of news reports on Obama's Visit to China, 4 fromChina Daily, 4 from New York Times. We will analyze these news reports from the view point of Transitivity to expose the dialectical relationship between language and ideology. In this way, it helps readers to realize the importance of cultivating critical awareness in reading. Chapter one is introduction. In this part, research background, research significance and format of present study are introduced. Chapter two is literature review. We have reviewed some definitions, principles of critical discourse analysis. In addition, we have talked something about the methods and tools of critical analysis and the definition and classification of news. Chapter three introduces the main analytical methods and analytical tools of present study—transitivity. Chapter 4 is case analysis. We have analyzed 8 pieces of news reports on Obama's Visit to China, from China Daily and New York Times respectively. In the analysis process, we have chosen the material process and verbal process as the analysis tools. In this chapter, we have contrasted the numbers of actors in the material process, and analyzed the use of verb. In verbal process, through this qualitative and quantitative analysis, it reveals the ideology hidden behind the news reports, and then illustrates the dialectical relationship between language and ideology. Chapter 5 is conclusion. After summarizing the view points got from practical analysis, this part also has talked the limitations of present study and the importance of cultivating critical awareness in reading.