A Comparative Analysis Of Appraisal Attitude Resources Between Chinese And Foreign Key University Instructions

Appraisal Theory is first proposed by J.R.Martin and his fellows in1990s, extending anddeveloping Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics as well as a complement. AppraisalTheory includes three sub-systems: Affect, Judgement and Appreciation. It has exuberantvitality and strong application ability and studies how people use language to evaluate thevalue of things or phenomena, to express their own attitude, and positions.Through literature review analysis, it has been found that little research has been done onthe combination of attitude resources in Appraisal Theory with university instructions.University introductions, as the most preferred way of publicity, have a direct influence on itsimage. How to make full use of the charming of language to keep a positive image of auniversity concerns the prospect of a university.With a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis, this study has obtained thefollowing findings. Firstly, the nature of all attitudinal resources employed in CUI and FUI ismainly positive. Both CUI and FUI are rich in attitudinal resources and all the threesubsystems can be found in details. Secondly, in these two kinds of university introductions,appreciation takes up the highest frequency, then followed by judgement. Affect takes up thelowest frequency because it concerns with people’s emotional feelings, thus it avoids beingtoo personalized or too subjective. In CUI, the subcategory of security takes up the largestproportion, which relates to its preference of introducing historical origin. While in FUI,inclination has the largest proportion, which relates to its desire of being the world’s best.Thus, it is necessary for Chinese universities to enhance their fame to the world-top level. Asfor judgement, the frequency of social esteem has far outnumbered the frequency of socialsanction. Capacity, in particular ranks the highest, as it concerns the comprehensive abilityand academic achievements. As for appreciation, valuation has the largest proportion, becauseit concerns the contribution one makes to the society and human beings. And reaction takesthe second largest proportion. Thirdly, all kinds of resources that describe the history,environment, fame, faculty, and academic contribution are used to construct the attitudinalposition and offer readers the general situation as well as manipulating readers’ attitude.Generally speaking, affect, judgement and appreciation resources are employed to achieveemotional, ethical and aesthetical resonance with readers as well as getting readers’recognition in order to let them make better choice. It has theoretical significance as well as practical importance. As for theoreticalsignificance, it serves as an evidence to prove that Appraisal Theory is useful and applicablein analyzing various kinds of discourse. As for practical importance, it can be helpful forreaders to enhance their ability of recognition and understanding to public materials.