Positive Discourse Analysis Of English Political Speeches From The Appraisal System Perspective

Critical Discourse Analysis(CDA)and Positive Discourse Analysis(PDA)are two main research perspectives with regard to discourse analysis.As a newly-developed viewpoint of discourse analysis,PDA functions positively in viewing discourses as having constructive functions in social development.It also advocates actively facing and solving problems,thus is believed as making up the shortcoming of CDA which attach importance only to the unequal power relationship implied in the discourses.In addition,the Appraisal Theory provides further supplement and extension of the interpersonal metafunction proposed by M.A.K.Halliday in his Systemic Functional Linguistics(SFL),which opens a new path for discourse studies with regard to the interpersonal meaning.The Appraisal Theory is normally applied to the analysis of attitudes,stances and positions conveyed through the variety of appraisal resources in the discourse.Accordingly,this paper employs Appraisal System(AS)as the analytical framework,chooses 11 English political speeches related to the USA presidential election,and conducts an investigation and analysis on the values included in the discourses from the PDA point of view.In line with the subsystems and subcategories of AS,Systemic Coder—a statistical software—is employed in this study to mark and calculate some particular features of appraisal resources in the target texts,on the basis of which corresponding interpretations of the data statistics are provided.Specifically speaking,the functions and positive meanings displayed by values of affect,judgment and appreciation in conveying the political speech addressers' emotions and feelings are firstly explored,with discussing both positive and negative attitude resources.Next,the engagement resources are analyzed in view of its two subcategories,namely,dialogic contraction and dialogic expansion.Furthermore,this paper also investigates how addressers up-scale or down-scale certain appraisal values in their speeches through the employment of graduation resources.The positively constructive angle of discourse analysis is attached with much emphasis throughout the overall analysis of the three appraisal subsystems.Besides,with systematically analyzing the distribution features of various resources,the positive functions of political speech discourses which play a constructive role in national stability and social development are summarized in the conclusion part.As indicated in the research,a large quantity of appraisal resources are involved in political speech discourses.In terms of the attitude system,values of appreciation are employed most frequently.Besides,the values focusing on positivism and optimism are strongly emphasized through plenty of positive attitude resources,which build up full confidence for the public in striving to advance towards the expected new life.Within the engagement system,political speech addressers are inclined to dialogically expand their propositions with some external voices,by means of which their own positions may be well presented.Meanwhile,such expansion resources also help to show respect to the will of all audiences who probably hold diverse stances,and who would further be convinced.What's more,the addressers' great attention to the interpersonal meanings conveyed is indicated by the high frequency of modality in the engagement system.In addition,as far as the graduation system is concerned,resources of force account for a larger proportion than the focus values,and hence with the up-scaling graduation some positive attitudinal meanings are highlighted and intensified.By reference to the positive analysis in the above aspects,several positive functions of English political speeches are thus testified,which are specifically performed from perspectives as promoting positive and love-centered values towards the country and the family,encouraging the public to take actively part in constructing a better world,and effectively easing the potential conflicts and thus pursuing the solidarity among the political competitors.