Discourse Analysis Of The Queen's Christmas Speech Based On Evaluation Theory

Christmas is the most important festival in western countries,and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II usually gives a speech which will include events that have occurred at home and abroad.In the speech,Her Majesty will express her own political and social opinions.The constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom makes the Queen special.Queen Elizabeth II has great influence both at home and abroad even without much political power.In the year 2005,Martin and White formally constructed the Appraisal Theory.As a development of Systemic Functional Grammar,the Appraisal Theory aims to discuss the attitude,engagement,and graduation through lexis in discourse.Since the presentation of the Appraisal Theory,linguistic scholars has researched and improved the theory gradually,especially with its application in various valid discourses.The application of the Appraisal Theory in discourses can make readers comprehend the interpersonal meaning deeply,help writers express their feelings or opinions more clearly which leads to readers' resonance,and avoids conflicts with readers efficiently.The thesis aims to discuss the appraisal resources which include attitude,engagement and graduation resources of the Christmas Speech from 1996 to 2015.Through the explanation of attitude,engagement and graduation in the speech,we can see the way the Queen Elizabeth II influences the UK and the world.Through this kind of analysis,we can gain a grasp on the Queen's subtle influences on English and the Commonwealth people,her mediation on England's diplomatic relations with other countries,her furtherance of world peace and development.Moreover,it gives English learners a unique lesson in how to learn and use English words in proper ways,how to make effective communication in English.