Exploring the Patterns of Evaluative Language in Applied Linguistics Blurbs: A Rhetorical Structure Analysis

Abstract

This study explored the patterns of evaluative language in applied linguistics blurbs to see how attitude is reflected in these advertising texts. Following a qualitative approach, the study was informed by pragmatic and discourse-semantic perspectives in exploring the overall structuring of blurbs. Findings indicated that blurbs are frequently charged with appreciation as a category of attitude in the appraisal framework. Graduation as another element in the appraisal framework was also found to be employed both as intensification and quantification. With respect to the communicative settings of blurbs, it was found that blurbs are mainly constructed monologically. Meanwhile, results also showed that blurbs are logogenetically constructed due to the interpersonally prosodic flow of attitudinal resources across the whole components of blurbs. The study concluded that blurbs are logogenetically constructed by means of the monologic pressure of attitudinal resources for increasing the impact of persuasion as the primary tool of advertising discourse in blurbs.

Keywords

• appraisal
• prosody
• logogenecy
• dialogic and monologic positionings