Ren Lijuan
College of Foreign Languages, Guizhou University. Guiyang ,Guizhou 550025
Abstract: As the complement of critical discourse analysis, positive discourse analysis pays more attention to good news with peace and equality rather than bad news with unfairness. Positive discourse analysis is more conducive to establishment of a harmonious society, and more conducive to the friendly relationship between people.
keywords: positive discourse analysis news reports appraisal theory
1. Introduction
Developed by J.R.Martin, PDA inherits and develops critical discourse analysis. Positive discourse analysis is about how to to the things around us that are discontented and make them perfect. Method of analysis in three aspects about positive discourse analysis are discussed. First is multimode, that is, positive discourse analysis not only deals with the function of language symbols but also the function of nonverbal symbols, such as picture and music. Second is multilevel, which is to analyze from various language aspects, such as grammar, phonetics and vocabulary. Last is multifunction, that is to say, positive discourse analysis has conceptual function, interpersonal function and text function.
2. The development of positive discourse analysis
1999, J.R.Martin from the University of Sydney, Australia proposed a new idea of “positive discourse analysis”(PDA) in Positive Discourse Analysis: Solidarity and Change, and then Martin, White and Wodak discuss the content and methods of PDA. As the complement of critical discourse analysis, positive discourse analysis pays more attention to good news with peace and equality rather than bad news with unfairness. In terms of theoretical research, scholars are devotes to the explanation of the theory and the sorting out of theoretical framework. Kress(1996) advocates that discourse analysis should turn “critical reading and analysis and negative behavior to constructive behavior”. The motivation, content and means of positive discourse analysis were expounded after the concept of positive discourse analysis was presented in 1999. Felicitas Macgilchrist pointed out that positive discourse analysis is inevitable, and testified it through examples of news. 2005, Martin＆White systematically explained the “appraisal” of interpersonal meaning in systemic-functional grammar so that positive discourse analysis has a new method to draw on.
The research on positive discourse analysis in China has gradually emerged in recent years, and its time is relatively lagging behind. It is since the proposal of Zhu Yongsheng that the concept and theoretical study of “positive discourse analysis” has gained momentum in China. Positive discourse analysis was first proposed in a national discourse analysis seminar on “Multidimensional Discourse Analysis” held in Shaoxing,Zhejiang province. After that, Huang Huijian, Leng Zhanying and Gu Yueqiu(2007) compared advantages and disadvantages of critical discourse analysis and positive discourse analysis, and explored a more positive approach to discourse analysis. Hu Shilin(2012) researched complement between critical discourse analysis and positive discourse analysis. After that, a great deal of studies on positive discourse analysis combined with appraisal theory.
3. Appraisal theory
In the aspect of corpus selection, positive discourse analysis pays special attention to the selection of site. What is referred to here as locality, does not mean the place where an event takes place, but what a discourse refers to, except in social discourse.With the improvement of appraisal theory, scholars take this theory as the main framework of positive analysis. It mainly studies how to use language to evaluate things, express opinions and indicate positions, and has been favored by scholars. The emergence of appraisal theory can not be separated from discourse analysis. Most of the research results are based on appraisal theory or one of its systems, and the active analysis of phonetic, lexical, grammatical and semantic aspects of various forms of discourse is carried out. Positive discourse analysis from the perspective of image, sound, color and other multimodal is also a hot topic. Some scholars introduce metaphor into multimodal positive discourse analysis, which greatly enriches the research significance of discourse analysis.
Appraisal theory focuses on various attitudes that can be negotiated in discourse, and mainly studies how individuals use language to evaluate things and take positions. Therefore it is especially effective for revealing the author’s attitude in narrative discourse, which is a new development of traditional functional grammar. Appraisal theory system is as set of resources to express attitude through language. As the core part of appraisal theory, attitude refers to the judgement and appreciation of human behaviors, texts/processes and phenomena after being psychologically affected. Attitude expresses feelings about people or things, as a result, the main part of attitude system are affect, judgement and appreciation, while affect is the kernel of attitude and the other two are based on it.
4.The significance of positive discourse analysis on news reports
The essence of news report is to speak with facts. News report is the information formed by reporting ans spreading the objective facts. The characteristics of news report are accuracy, authenticity, simplicity and timeliness, providing information as truthfully as possible.
Firstly, the function of the public opinion on news has a significant impact on social order and people’s social behaviors so as to promote the harmony and stability of the society. As a supplement to critical discourse analysis, positive discourse analysis pays more attention to positive discourse, and is a positive evaluation of world concepts and attitudes.Wrong and negative news and public opinion will have a negative impact on the progress of social civilization.
Secondly, positive discourse analysis is beneficial to the establishment of friendly relationships. The relationship between people need to be maintained. People always like to listen to compliments, while positive discourse analysis focuses on the positive effects of the words. Therefore, positive discourse analysis plays an vital role in the social contact.
Last but not least, the essence of news report is to speak with facts. News report is the information formed by reporting and spreading the objective facts. The characteristics of news report are accuracy, authenticity, simplicity and timeliness, providing information as truthfully as possible. Therefore, positive discourse analysis of news reports is helpful for people to understand the real attitude in news reports, and to expand the influence of news reports and enhance the credibility of news reports.
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作者简介：任丽娟，1998，女，贵州遵义人，硕士研究生，贵州大学外国语学院。