A Comparative Analysis Of The Chinese Legal Code Discourse And The Chinese Legal Educational Discourse Based On The Appraisal Theory

Based on SFL(short for Systematic Functional Linguistics), Martin puts forward genre theory and the Appraisal Theory(or Appraisal System,hereinafter referred to as AT). Based on these respective theories,scholars make a wide and profound research on various discourses. But there are few comparative studies exploring the influence of genre difference on information distribution and the similarities and differences of appraisal resource between two different genres. The thesis puts the periodicity of information distribution and appraisal resource distribution under the framework of AT. Under this framework, the dissertation chooses the Chinese legal code discourse, the Antitrust Law of PRC and the Chinese legal educational discourse, a textbook called Intermediate Accounting Qualification of Economic Law(2015)( hereinafter referred to as Intermediate Economic Law, 2015) as research corpora, and compares the periodicity of information distribution and the appraisal resource between these two discourses by means of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The analysis of generic structures can help readers understand the textual meanings and functions in depth while the analysis of appraisal resource is to make them have a better understanding of the lexical-grammar features of these chosen discourses.It is argued that the above two aspects of analysis are conducive toexploring how the interpersonal meaning and communication goals are realized in the Chinese legal code discourse and the Chinese legal educational discourse respectively. Although there do exist some deficiencies, the current research hopes to provide some references to law making and legal educational discourse compilation as well as language learning. The following is an account of major research findings.First, through a comparative analysis in information distribution about the selected discourses, the thesis finds there are some similarities and differences in information distribution between the Chinese legal code discourse and the Chinese legal educational discourse. As for similarities,the patterns of information distribution are presented as follows in both discourses: Hyper-Theme > Hyper-New > Macro-Theme > Macro-New.As for differences, first of all, the proportions of information distribution are different in either discourse. Besides, the two discourses differ in generic structure pattern. The generic structure pattern of the Chinese legal code discourse is shown like “Generalization ^ Provisions”, while the generic structure pattern of the Chinese legal educational discourse occurs like “Generalization ^ Essence ^ Provisions”. The stages involved in either discourse are considered as the stages or ways of realizing the communicative goals. Through a comparative analysis between these two different generic structure patterns, it is found that generalization and provisions are two obligatory elements, while essence belongs to anoptional element in Antitrust Law of PRC. The study finds that there are titles and contents in these two discourses, but the legal code discourse has no preface. Considering that there are discourses that do not include the stage of “table of contents”, such as Constitution of the United States which transits from title to preamble, overleaping “contents”, the thesis regards “contents” as an optional element. A conclusion that can be drawn is that title is an obligatory element whereas preface/ preamble and contents belong to optional elements.Second, the dissertation discovers that there are some similarities and differences in appraisal resource distribution between the selected corpora through a comparative analysis. In similarities, there are mainly two aspects. In the first place, there is a similarity in the distribution of all appraisal resources between the legal code discourse and the legal educational discourse: Attitude resources take the first place, followed by Engagement resources, then by Graduation resources. In the second place,there is no Affect resource or monogloss in the appraisal resource in both discourses. As for differences, the appraisal resource(including Attitude,Judgement, Appreciation and Gradation resources) are distributed unevenly in specific texts or excerpts. This is related to objectivity,reliability, persuasiveness and purpose of specific texts concerned.In conclusion, according to a comparative analysis between the chosen discourses, the dissertation draws a conclusion that theinformation distribution and the appraisal resource are not only used to realize the interpersonal meaning of the discourses, but the ways to accomplish their communicative goals. For communicative goals vary from discourse to discourse, different genres can lead to different ways of realizing the interpersonal meaning and the communicative goals, which directly explains the similarities and differences between different discourses. Through this comparative analysis of two different genres, the readers can further comprehend the structures and intentions of the discourses and the realization of their interpersonal meaning and communicative goals.