INTRODUCTION
Rationale
The rising concern over plastic straws has made them a focal point in environmental discussions, with approximately 91% of plastic not being recycled and contributing to landfills and oceans On average, individuals use 1.6 straws daily, leading to an annual disposal of around 8.5 billion straws, which adds to the 150 million tons of plastic in our oceans In response, various municipalities and corporations are taking steps to reduce plastic straw usage, while numerous media outlets are raising public awareness through reports and documentaries The effectiveness of these reports hinges on their ability to convey the significance of the issue and the skill of the reporters in engaging the audience.
Appraisal Theory, developed by linguists James Martin and Peter White in the 1980s and 1990s, posits that our emotional responses are derived from our evaluations of events This theory suggests that our appraisals lead to specific affective reactions, shaping how we perceive situations According to Martin & White (2005), the Appraisal Theory framework provides a unique approach to understanding how language is utilized to express evaluations, adopt stances, and manage interpersonal relationships Consequently, it serves as a valuable tool for analyzing attitudes and interpersonal meanings across various discourses, including literature, advertisements, speeches, news, and academic texts.
There have been some studies carried out, employing the Appraisal Theory as a theoretical framework In respect of English literary works, Liu
In recent years, various studies have explored the application of Appraisal Theory in different contexts, highlighting its significance in understanding evaluative language For instance, a case study by (2013) examined the use of evaluative language in high-rated versus low-rated English argumentative essays by EFL students in China Hadidi & Mohammadbagheri-Parvin (2015) conducted an attitudinal analysis of F Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," while Xiaolin Liu (2010) applied Appraisal Theory in teaching to enhance student outcomes Vo Duy Duc (2011) investigated journalistic voices in English-Vietnamese hard news reports through the lens of Appraisal Theory, and Nguyen Thi Thu Hien (2016) researched social attitudes in news reports regarding President Obama's visit Despite the extensive application of Appraisal Theory across various genres, a notable gap exists in contrastive studies of attitudinal resources in English and Vietnamese news reports concerning plastic straws This gap motivates the current research on the attitudinal aspects of news reports about plastic straws.
“A Contrastive Study of Attitudinal resources in English and Vietnamese News
Aim and objectives
This study investigates the attitudinal resources in English and Vietnamese news reports regarding plastic straws, aiming to identify the similarities and differences in how authors from both languages express their attitudes on this issue.
For the aforementioned aim to be fulfilled, the research concentrated on the following objectives:
- To identify the Attitudinal resources in English and Vietnamese news reports on plastic straws and their occurrence to reveal the choice of language of evaluation in the reports;
- To discuss the similarities and discrepancies regarding the Attitudinal resource in English and Vietnamese news reports on plastic straws.
Research questions
The study addresses itself to answering the two following questions:
1 Which Attitudinal resources are used and how often are they used in English and Vietnamese news reports on plastic straws? luan van tot nghiep download luanvanfull moi nhat z z @gmail.com Luan van thac si
2 What are the similarities and differences of the Attitudinal resources in English news reports and those in Vietnamese news reports on plastic straws?
Scope of the study
Though the Appraisal Theory is composed of three domains, precisely
This study examines the attitudinal resources of Affect, Judgment, and Appreciation, highlighting their importance in understanding attitudes related to engagement and graduation The research utilizes a dataset comprising 10 news reports authored by English writers and another 10 by Vietnamese authors, all focused on plastic straws and sourced from reputable websites.
Significance of the study
This study aims to enhance the understanding and interpretation of attitudinal values from both theoretical and practical perspectives It emphasizes the importance of Appraisal Theory as a framework for analyzing evaluative language By exploring the attitudinal values expressed in English and Vietnamese news reports, this research offers a fresh approach for readers interested in evaluative language Furthermore, it serves as a valuable resource for Vietnamese teachers and learners of English, providing practical implications for improving English-speaking skills in both classroom settings and everyday communication.
Organization of the study
This study consists of five main chapters, as follows:
Chapter 1, Introduction, outlines the rationale, aims, and objectives of the study, along with the research questions and scope It highlights the significance of the research and provides an overview of the study's organization.
Chapter 2, Literature Review, explores Appraisal Theory, highlighting its sub-systems: Attitude, Engagement, and Graduation, with a particular focus on Attitudinal aspects Additionally, it provides a succinct overview of prior research relevant to the topics being examined.
Chapter 3, Research Methodology, discusses research methods of research, comprising data collection, data analysis, the reliability and validity of the research
Chapter 4, Findings and Discussion presents the analysis and results of the study, focusing on the attitudinal resources and their frequency in news reports about plastic straws The study highlights both the similarities and differences among three sub-types of attitude.
English and Vietnamese news reports on plastic straws are revealed and discussed
Chapter 5 presents a summary of the research findings, highlights implications for English teaching and learning, and addresses the limitations of the study It also offers recommendations for future research endeavors.
This chapter outlines the foundational elements of the thesis, beginning with the rationale and progressing through the study's aim, objectives, research questions, scope, significance, and organization Essentially, Chapter 1 provides a comprehensive overview of the subsequent chapters, establishing a clear research framework.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Appraisal Theory
2.1.1 An overview of Appraisal Theory
Appraisal Theory was put forward by a group of researchers led by Professor James Martin of the Linguistics Department at University of Sydney in the 1900s (Ruo-mei, 2016)
J.R Martin & David Rose (2003) indicate that Appraisal is a system of interpersonal meanings We use the resources of Appraisal for negotiating our social relationships, by telling our listeners or readers how we feel about things and people
Appraisal Theory, as noted by Martin & White (2005), is a specific framework for analyzing language that helps in expressing attitudes, judgments, and opinions This theory explores how speakers and writers convey their perspectives to engage with like-minded individuals while distancing themselves from those with differing views, thereby shaping interpersonal relationships and textual identities.
Appraisal Theory, as highlighted by Martin (2000), examines how speakers and writers convey their attitudes, judgments, and emotional responses both explicitly and implicitly in texts This theory is utilized to analyze discourse resources that help negotiate social relationships by expressing feelings about relevant individuals or subjects.
Appraisal Theory provides a framework for evaluating people, events, objects, and processes through language Its primary purpose is to assist writers and speakers in expressing positive or negative assessments of the subjects and situations addressed in their texts (Martin & White, 2005, p 2).
According to Martin & David Rose (2004), appraisal serves as a system of interpersonal meaning that helps structure our social relationships They emphasize that the resources of appraisal are employed to communicate our feelings and attitudes towards people and things, thereby keeping our listeners or readers informed.
Meanwhile, according to Richards & Schmidt (2010, p 30), Appraisal
The developing theory of appraisal within discourse and conversation analysis focuses on how attitudes like certainty, emotional responses, social evaluations, and intensity are expressed Appraisal can be conveyed through specific lexical items or entire clauses.
Appraisal Theory can be considered “a framework for investigating the mechanisms language employs in the evaluation and adaptation of stances adopted by discourse producers” (Hadidi & Mohammadbagheri-Parvin, 2015, p 131)
Martin & White (2005, p 34-35) introduce the outline of Appraisal framework which is divided into three groups of evaluation resources, namely
Engagement, Gradation, and Attitude are key components of appraisal systems Attitude focuses on our emotional responses, behavioral judgments, and evaluations, while Engagement addresses the sourcing of attitudes and the interplay of voices in discourse Gradation, on the other hand, pertains to the amplification of feelings and the blurring of categories An overview of these systems is illustrated in Figure 2.1.
Figure 2 1 An overview of Appraisal resources
Engagement, as defined by Martin & White (2005), involves the linguistic tools that speakers and writers use to express their stance on the values referenced in a text and towards their audience It consists of two sub-types: Monogloss and others.
Heterogloss While Monogloss relates to factual information (single voice), Hetergloss gets involved in multiple voices which consist of Contract and
FOCUS sharpen soften luan van tot nghiep download luanvanfull moi nhat z z @gmail.com Luan van thac si
In discussions about contracts, the speaker often shares personal opinions alongside others' perspectives Similarly, when expanding on a topic, the speaker introduces a current proposition that represents just one of many possible viewpoints, fostering an inclusive dialogue and inviting additional participants into the conversation The concept of Contract also encompasses elements of Disclaim, which includes denying and countering arguments.
Proclaim (Concur, Pronounce, and Endorse), Expand consists of Entertain
(internal voice of speaker) and Attribute (external sources)
2.1.3 Graduation Graduation is defined as the one that “attends to grading phenomena whereby feelings are amplified and categories blurred” (Martin & White,
2005, p 35) It is divided into two categories, namely Force and Focus
According to Martin & White (2005), Force encompasses evaluations of both intensity and quantity, manifested through Intensification and Quantification Intensification specifically measures the degree of intensity by scaling qualities or processes, which can be achieved through methods such as Isolating (up-scaling or down-scaling), Infusing, or Repetition.
Force values are typically gradable, but Focus is an exception Focus pertains to class membership and indicates the strength of that membership The two key elements of Focus are Sharpen, which enhances membership, and Soften, which diminishes it.
It is irrefutable that a thorough analysis may be obtained by utilizing
Engagement and graduation are used to identify sources and levels of evaluation, but they do not significantly contribute to the objectives of this study and are therefore not analyzed.
The Attitude appraisal system is crucial for understanding evaluative language in English and Vietnamese news reports about plastic straws This article will provide a comprehensive overview of the subtypes of Attitude, serving as a framework to analyze the significance of attitudinal resources in this context.
Attitude is one of the three sub-systems of the Appraisal Theory
Attitude, as defined by Martin & White (2005, p 35), encompasses our feelings, emotional reactions, behavioral judgments, and evaluations of various subjects Essentially, it serves as a tool for speakers and writers to convey their perspectives, express both positive and negative emotional responses towards participants, and provide assessments of different matters.
The Appraisal sub-system of Attitude encompasses three key semantic areas: emotion, ethics, and aesthetics These areas are expressed through various clusters of grammatical structures, particularly adjectives.
Application of Appraisal Theory in discourse analysis
In the light of Appraisal Theory, a productive theoretical framework, a lot of scientific investigations have been conducted in different discourses like English literary works, news discourse, academic and narrative discourse
By drawing Appraisal Theory as an analytical framework, Painter
In 2003, a study investigated the development of children's resources for expressing emotional and moral evaluations, focusing on the interaction between implicit and explicit attitudinal construal in mother-child conversations The research highlighted the significance of Attitude in language development, concluding that expressions of Affect are gradable even in their pre-lexical forms Additionally, it emphasized the importance of differentiating Affect into institutionalized forms.
Judgment and Appreciation may involve semiotic moves that encourage reflective awareness of the meaning system itself
Xiaolin Liu (2010) explored the application of Appraisal Theory in college English reading instruction, aiming to address challenges in English reading education in China The study revealed that utilizing Appraisal Theory significantly enhances students' reading comprehension, allowing for a deeper understanding of reading materials.
Appraisal Theory serves as a valuable strategy for enhancing critical thinking skills It offers Chinese English teachers a fresh perspective on teaching reading in English.
A study by Xinghua Liu and Thompson (2009) examined the attitude choices of a Chinese undergraduate when writing essays in both English and Chinese The findings revealed that the Chinese essay contained fewer affect and judgment items, indicating a tendency to avoid direct ethical or moral evaluations and personal emotional disclosures This approach, aimed at face-saving and self-protection, reflects a cultural practice in Chinese language and rhetoric that prioritizes social harmony.
Xinghua Liu (2013) advanced Appraisal Theory through a case study examining evaluative language in high- and low-rated English argumentative essays by two Chinese university EFL students The findings revealed that the high-rated essay effectively utilized appraisal values to enhance the authorial voice and engage readers The study emphasizes the importance of teaching EFL/ESL writing from an interpersonal perspective and highlights the need to explain the use of evaluative language by EFL/ESL students through both linguistic and socio-cultural lenses.
An attitudinal analysis of F Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby" was conducted by Hadidi & Mohammadbagheri-Parvin (2015), focusing on discursive, linguistic, and stylistic elements through the Appraisal framework, specifically the Attitude subsystem The study revealed that attitudinal resources were organized in a predictable sequence of Appreciation, Judgment, and Affect Furthermore, the analysis indicated that the use of Attitude was stylistically reflective of the characters and the context within the novel.
Pascual & Unger (2010) investigated Appraisal in research genres, revealing that most proposals exhibit high levels of Heteroglossia Their findings indicate that authors primarily utilize Engagement resources to invite rather than challenge the perspectives of their colleagues, suggesting an effort to engage a diverse audience.
Li (2016) utilized the Appraisal Theory to examine various English song discourses, focusing on the division of Attitudinal resources The analysis seeks to uncover language features within English song discourse, aiding readers in comprehending the emotions conveyed by the author This exploration highlights the importance of attitude meaning in fostering interpersonal relationships between the author and the audience.
Vo Duy Duc (2011) conducted a comparative analysis of the stylistic, structural, and ideological characteristics of English and Vietnamese business news reporting, utilizing a specific analytical framework.
Appraisal Theory developed by Martin and White (2005) as an analytical tool
The study investigated whether business hard news reporting in English and Vietnamese shared the same voice system The findings revealed that both languages generally exhibited a similar structure and operated with the same reporter voice However, significant differences were noted in how key social groups were represented, reflecting the distinct ideologies embedded in each language.
Additionally, Appraisal Theory was also applied to examine the social attitudes in news reports towards an important event Nguyen Thi Thu Hien
(2016) carried out a research to uncover the social attitudes in news reports towards President Obama‟s visit to Vietnam The research claimed that
Appraisal Theory serves as an effective tool for analyzing Vietnamese language discourse, uncovering various aspects of sentiment, including the appraisers, the objects of appraisal, and the biases of both appraisers and writers The analysis reveals that appraisers convey their attitudes towards five appraisal objects in diverse ways, predominantly expressing positive feelings, emotions, or judgments Furthermore, appraisers tend to focus on their own emotions and evaluations related to Obama's visit rather than the behaviors of individuals The findings indicate a tendency among appraisers to adopt a cautious stance, often refraining from expressing their opinions.
Numerous master's theses have explored attitudinal resources through the lens of Appraisal Theory, utilizing a diverse range of discourses These include English advertising slogans (Nguyen Thi Minh Ngan, 2017), judges' comments (Nguyen Thanh Tri, 2018; Le Huu Loc, 2019), product advertisements (Pham Thi Thuy Ngoc, 2017), love song lyrics (Nguyen Thi Ngan, 2018), and film reviews (Vo Thuy Trieu, 2019; Phan Thi Thanh Hoa, 2017).
Previous studies have demonstrated a diverse range of research utilizing Appraisal Theory However, its application to analyze Attitudinal resources in English and Vietnamese news reports on plastic straws remains uncommon This study aims to explore evaluative language through the examination of news reports.
Chapter 2 provides a comprehensive overview of Appraisal Theory, which serves as the foundational theoretical framework for this study It discusses three key groups of evaluative resources: Engagement, Attitude, and Gradation.
However, since the research concentrates on appraisers‟ attitude, only Attitude was analyzed in this study A detailed description of the three sub-types:
The article discusses Affect, Judgment, and Appreciation, along with a concise review of prior studies utilizing Appraisal Theory to highlight existing research gaps.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
This study utilized a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative analyses The qualitative component focused on examining attitudinal resources through English and Vietnamese news reports Subsequently, the quantitative analysis assessed the frequency of Affect, Judgment, Appreciation, and their sub-types within these reports This quantitative aspect was crucial in revealing the prevalence of attitudinal resources identified in the analysis.
The analysis and synthesis techniques were effectively combined during the examination process The analytical approach helped identify and isolate specific elements for focus, while the synthetic approach emphasized the interconnections among these components.
To achieve the study's objectives, a combination of methods was employed, including descriptive, inductive, comparative, and contrast techniques The descriptive method provided a clear depiction of Affect, Judgment, and Appreciation, while the inductive method facilitated the synthesis of findings and conclusions Additionally, comparative and contrast methods highlighted the similarities and differences in the Attitudinal resources found in English and Vietnamese news reports on plastic straws.
Data Collection
This study analyzed ten English and ten Vietnamese news reports on plastic straws, sourced from reputable online national newspapers such as Thanhnien, Tuoitre, Vietnamnet, TuanVietnam, and Vnexpress, as well as international outlets like National Geographic, The Guardian, Global News, and Reuters The reports varied in length from 799 to 1815 words and were examined for their evaluative language, adhering to specific standards of lexical meaning and grammatical structures.
English news reports on plastic straws were listed as follows
1 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/banning-plastic-straws-will-not- be enough-fight-clean-oceans
2 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/25/plastic-straw-ban- california-people-with-disabilities
3 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/19/trump-plastic-straws
4 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/style/plastic-straw-alternatives
5 https://www.nps.gov/articles/straw-free
6 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-starbucks-straws/starbucks-to-phase- out-plastic-straws-as-opposition-to-them-grows
7.https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/22/opinions/plastic-straws-ban-opinion
8 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/plastic-straws-clog-ocean-hurt- fish-now-there-s-growing
9 https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/plastic-straws-are-little- but-they-are-part-of-a-huge-problem
10 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-environment-canada-plastics/plastic- straws-and-bags-no-more-canada-aims-to-clean-up-its-act
The following websites were about Vietnamese news reports on plastic straws
1 https://vnexpress.net/khong-dung-ly-ong-hut-nhua-y-nghia-hay-chay-theo- phong-trao luan van tot nghiep download luanvanfull moi nhat z z @gmail.com Luan van thac si
2 https://phapluat.tuoitrethudo.com.vn/ong-hut-giay-tot-hon-ong-hut-nhua- nhung-co-thuc-su-vi-moi-truong
3 https://tuoitre.vn/ong-hut-co-tui-giay-co-bao-ve-moi-truong-nhieu-nhu- ban-nghi
4 https://tuoitre.vn/31-quan-ca-phe-o-da-nang-noi-khong-voi-do-nhua
5 http://khampha.vn/khoa-hoc-cong-nghe/ong-hut-nhua-co-phai-la-ke-thu- that-su-cua-hanh-tinh-nay
6 https://baodautu.vn/nestle-milo-ra-mat-ong-hut-giay-cho-san-pham-milo- bua-sang-khuyen-khich-thoi-quen-tieu-dung-xanh
7 https://tuoitre.vn/ong-hut-nhua-ke-giet-nguoi-tham-lang
8 https://tuoitre.vn/trao-luu-khong-dung-ong-hut-nhua-cua-gioi-tre-viet
9 https://www.nhandan.com.vn/baothoinay/baothoinay- xahoi/item/42696602-xu-huong-tieu-dung-xanh
10 https://baobihuuco.com/tai-sao-ong-hut-nhua-dang-dan-bi-cam-tren-the-gioi
Data Analysis
The Attitude system in Appraisal Theory served as the theoretical framework for data analysis, where data from English news reports (E1 to E321) and Vietnamese news reports (V1 to V317) were manually encoded The analysis focused on Attitudinal resources, including Affect, Judgment, and Appreciation, along with their sub-categories, across twenty news reports Quantitative methods were employed to determine the frequency of these resources, revealing the evaluative language used and highlighting the similarities and differences in Attitudinal resources between English and Vietnamese news reports.
Research procedures
There were specific steps followed by the author, presented as follows: luan van tot nghiep download luanvanfull moi nhat z z @gmail.com Luan van thac si
This article focuses on the collection of ten English and ten Vietnamese news reports regarding plastic straws from various online national and international newspapers The reports are categorized into two distinct groups: English news reports on plastic straws and Vietnamese news reports on plastic straws.
- encoding EPSNRs from E1 to E321 and VPSNRs from V1 to V317;
- analyzing the Attitudinal resources in the corpus of VPSNRs andEPSNRs;
- giving out the frequencies / percentage of occurrence of the resources;
- carrying out a contrastive analysis to uncover the similarities and differences in terms of the language of evaluation in both languages;
- evaluating and discussing the comparison results to indicate research findings;
- putting forwards implications for teaching and learning English;
Reliability and validity in the research
The reliability was secured because Appraisal Theory by Martin and
This study is grounded in the framework established by White (2005) Data collection was conducted using credible and reputable sources, including Thanhnien, Tuoitre, Vietnamnet, TuanVietnam, Vnexpress, National Geographic, The Guardian, Global News, and Reuters.
The research data demonstrated validity by meeting essential standard criteria and confirmed its originality, as it had not been previously used in any studies related to Attitudinal resources.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
The overall usage of the Attitude resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs 28 4.2 Affect resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
The investigation into the 20 news reports grouped into the two corpora
Attitudinal resources are utilized in both English and Vietnamese Positive Sentiment Narrative Resources (EPSNRs and VPSNRs) An overview of the distribution of attitudinal values in these resources is presented in Table 4.1.
Table 4 1 Attitude sub-types in EPSNRs and VPSNRs Sub-categories of
As can be seen in Table 4.1, the findings reveal that there are totally
The analysis reveals 321 attitudinal values in English Plastic Straw Narrative Reports (EPSNRs) and 317 in Vietnamese Plastic Straw Narrative Reports (VPSNRs), with all three subtypes of Attitude—Affect, Judgement, and Appreciation—identified Notably, Appreciation is the most prevalent subtype in both languages, comprising 42.7% in EPSNRs and 57.7% in VPSNRs, indicating a strong preference among writers for evaluating the use and properties of plastic straws Additionally, English writers exhibit a greater focus on Judgement, with 29% in EPSNRs compared to 17.1% in VPSNRs, while Affect instances are slightly more frequent in EPSNRs than in VPSNRs.
Affect employed in EPSNRs is 28.3 % while that in VPSNRs is 25.2% The following are examples of the three Attitudinal resources including Affect, Judgment, and Appreciation found in English and Vietnamese
Both English and Vietnamese data reveal similarities in how emotional expressions related to straws are conveyed by individuals and companies, as evidenced in [V294].
Trong chuyến công tác tại Đà Nẵng, tôi đã ghé thăm một quán cà phê trên đường Ông Ích Khiêm và ấn tượng nhất với việc sử dụng ống hút tre tại đây.
It can be seen that ấn tượng nhất in [V294] is utilized to express the writer‟s support towards bamboo straws
Both English and Vietnamese authors utilize Judgment to convey their efforts in combating plastic straws, as illustrated in examples [E297] and [V252].
[E297] More and more restaurants are trying [+Judg-Cap] to stop using plastic straws
Nhiều doanh nghiệp đã đầu tư nghiên cứu để phát triển sản phẩm ống hút “xanh” và “sạch”, nhằm xây dựng thương hiệu gắn liền với phát triển bền vững.
Restaurants are making efforts to eliminate plastic straws, as indicated by the term "trying." Additionally, the Vietnamese writer highlights the initiatives taken by some businesses to introduce environmentally friendly straws in response to social demand.
The analysis of EPSNRs and VPSNRs reveals the challenges faced by both consumers and entrepreneurs regarding the properties of plastic straws This issue is highlighted in studies [E200], [E205], and [V295].
[E200] Even for those consumers who recycle plastic items, a straw is so small [-App-Val]
[E205] So it’s really challenging [-App-Comp] in our existing sortation system to be able to sort it out
[V295] Mấy trăm triệu cái ống hút này được sản xuất bằng nhựa hỗn tạp, kích thước nhỏ [-App-Val]
In the examples [E200] and [V295], the size of the straws is identified as a significant issue, highlighted by the terms "small" and "nhỏ." Additionally, the challenges mentioned in [E205] point to the difficulties that straws create within the sortation system.
To sum up, English and Vietnamese writers are most likely to apply
The reports show that both groups of writers evaluate phenomena, but there are notable differences in their use of Affect and Judgment Specifically, Judgment appears in EPSNRs nearly twice as often as in VPSNRs, while Vietnamese writers favor Affect over Judgment in their writing A detailed analysis of the frequency of each sub-type in EPSNRs and VPSNRs will be provided in the subsequent sections.
4.2 Affect resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
4.2.1 Sub-types of Affect resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
According to Martin & White (2005, pp 48-51), affect is categorized into four sub-types: Un/Happiness, Dis/Inclination, In/Security, and Dis/Satisfaction The Un/Happiness dimension encompasses emotions such as happiness and sadness In/Security pertains to feelings of peace and anxiety in relation to our interactions with others Lastly, Dis/Satisfaction reflects our sense of achievement or frustration concerning our activities, whether as participants or spectators.
Dis/Inclination is concerned with how the speaker is inclined or disinclined to something Figure 4.1 below serves to present the distribution of the Affect values in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
Figure 4 1 Sub-types of Affect resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
From Figure 4.1, there is a similarity in employing four sub-types of
Affect between English and Vietnamese writers It is clear that Dis/Inclination is the most widely used Affect resources which is favored by English and
Vietnamese writers dominate the statistics, comprising 68.1% and 52.5% of the total In second place, In/Security accounts for 16.5% in EPSNRs with 15 instances and 31.3% in VPSNRs with 25 cases Dis/Satisfaction ranks third in both EPSNRs at 12.1% and VPSNRs at 11.2%, reflecting a similar number of occurrences.
Un/Happiness is the least common among the four sub-categories of Affect, with only 3 out of 91 instances in EPSNRs and 4 out of 80 instances in
Dis/Inclination Un/Happiness In/Security Dis/Satisfaction
EPSNRs VPSNRs luan van tot nghiep download luanvanfull moi nhat z z @gmail.com Luan van thac si
VPSNRs reflect a significant focus among both English and Vietnamese writers on public attitudes towards the social issue of plastic straws Additionally, these writers tend to refrain from expressing emotions such as happiness or sadness in their work Examples of affective resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs illustrate this trend.
[E31] The biggest force to get companies to shift their offerings, many advocates agree [+Aff-Sat], could come from individuals who cut their use of disposable plastics
Tôi không đồng tình với phong trào chống ống hút nhựa, cho rằng đây chỉ là sự bắt chước từ phương Tây Thay vào đó, chúng ta nên tiếp tục sử dụng túi nilon và cốc nhựa dùng một lần.
English and Vietnamese data reveal a similarity in the use of Affect resources regarding individual feelings towards plastic straws The term "agree" in [E31] reflects the support from advocates who believe that societal habit changes could lead companies to cease providing plastic straws Conversely, the phrase "phản đối" in [V9] signifies opposition to the anti-plastic straws movement Although these viewpoints are contradictory, both "agree" and "phản đối" are verbs, indicating that writers in both English and Vietnamese contexts tend to use verbs to convey Affect values.
The following instances can be considered the situations in which English writers use verbs to reflect Affect values, thereby expressing the emotions of the society towards plastic straws
[E140] as you start committing [+Aff-Sec] to reducing your use of single plastics
[E237] Activists believe [+Aff-Inc] the anti-straw push can advance more rapidly luan van tot nghiep download luanvanfull moi nhat z z @gmail.com Luan van thac si
[E118] with some customers complaining [-Aff-Sat] about paper straws [E151] What consumers can do is screaming [-Aff-Hap] about plastic straws
Judgement resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
Judgment, as described by Martin & White (2005), involves our attitudes towards behaviors that we either admire or criticize It focuses on the resources used to assess actions based on normative principles, allowing for a positive or negative evaluation of human behavior in relation to an individual's actions or dispositions.
Judgment is divided into two broad categories, namely Social Esteem and Social Sanction
4.3.1 Social Esteem and Social Sanction Social Esteem assesses people‟s conduct from the perspectives of social ethics and the standard of appropriateness It is a semantic system which refers to one‟s emotional responses or reactions Social Esteem tends to be luan van tot nghiep download luanvanfull moi nhat z z @gmail.com Luan van thac si policed in the oral culture, through chat, gossip, jokes and stories of various kinds - with humor often having a critical role to play (Eggins & Slade 1997) Meanwhile, Social Sanction is defined by Martin & White (2005) in the sense that is often codified in writing, as edicts, decrees, rules, regulations and laws about how to behave with penalties and punishments as levers against those not complying with the code Social Sanction assesses people conduct based on legal or religious rules
The use of Judgment in EPSNRs and VPSNRs is presented in Figure 4.3
Figure 4 3 Social Esteem and Social Sanction in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
As indicated in Figure 4.3, both Social Esteem and Social Sanction resources can be found in the two corpora It is apparent that the proportion of
Social Esteem is much higher than Social Sanction in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
Specifically, in EPSNRs, there are 68 instances of Social Esteem, accounting for 73.1% and 25 instances out of 68 Judgment resources are Social Sanction
Similarly, the number of Social Esteem is twice as much as that of Social
Sanction with 36 instances and 18 instances respectively Social Esteem
EPSNRs and VPSNRs can be demonstrated more clearly in the following examples
Social Sanction luan van tot nghiep download luanvanfull moi nhat z z @gmail.com Luan van thac si
[E295] you can try reusable straws made of bamboo, metal and glass
It can be seen that can in [E295] is applied to show the consumers‟ capability to replace detrimental straws with better alternatives such as bamboo, metal and glass straws
Both EPSNRs and VPSNRs also see the occurrence of Social Sanction, which can be made clearer in [E297]
[E297] To be honest as a dad, it’s tough to try to explain plastic straws problem to my kids
To be honest in [E297] expresses the honesty of the speaker who feels it is hard to reveal the real information about plastic straws to his children
The evaluation of Judgment resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs is grounded in five specific sub-types: Normality, Capacity, Tenacity, Veracity, and Propriety.
The specific distribution of the Social Esteem and Social Sanction is indicated in Table 4.3
Table 4 3 Sub-types of Judgment resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
Table 4.3 reveals a notable variation in the distribution of five specific sub-types of Judgment values Capacity leads with a significant 39 instances, representing 41.9% of the total Following Capacity, Tenacity accounts for 23.7%, while Propriety also plays a role in the overall distribution.
In the analysis of VPSNRs, Tenacity leads with 24.2% from 13 instances, followed closely by Capacity at 22.2% with 12 instances Both Normality and Propriety each account for 20.3% with 11 instances, while Veracity has the lowest representation at 5.4% with 7 instances Notably, the proportions of some sub-types are similar, highlighting a balanced distribution among the categories.
Both English and Vietnamese writers demonstrate a shared perspective on normality, highlighting the prevalence of plastic straw usage among consumers and businesses, as evidenced in sources [E85] and [V169].
[E85] Trump was oddly reasonable [-Judg-Nor] about plastic straws
[V169] Ai cũng muốn mình dẫn đầu xu thế, hoặc ít nhất là không bị lỗi thời
[+Judg-Nor] khi mọi người xung quanh ai cũng hưởng ứng phong trào
The term "oddly" in [E85] highlights a paradox where the current President of the United States expresses interest in plastic straws, seemingly enjoying something harmful In contrast, the phrase "không bị lỗi thời" in [V169] reflects the public's desire to align with the growing social trend against plastic straws.
Capacity is also found in both English and Vietnamese data to show what can be done in the struggle against plastic straws Take the following instances as examples
[E174] we can [+Judg-Cap] reduce our consumption in half or more
[V163] Người người nhà nhà cùng nhau [+Judg-Cap] tham gia phong trào tẩy chay để trả lại môi trường trong sạch cho hành tinh
The term "can" in [E174] highlights the individual efforts to reduce plastic straw consumption, while "cùng nhau" in [V163] underscores the strength of collective action in uniting society to eliminate plastic straws.
In terms of Tenacity, both English and Vietnamese writers tend to apply the Judgment resource in their writing, which can be illustrated in [E317] and [V270]
[E317] Also, federal and provincial authorities will [+Judg-Ten] work together
Chúng tôi tại V270 cam kết không ngừng nghiên cứu và phát triển những sáng kiến mới, theo lời ông Ali Abbas, Giám đốc ngành hàng MILO và sữa của Công ty Nestlé Việt Nam.
Both English and Vietnamese writers frequently use modulations of inclination, such as "will" and "sẽ," to express the determination of authorities and the public in the effort to eliminate plastic straws and seek more sustainable products.
Veracity can be found in English and Vietnamese data, which is exemplified in [E135] and [V307]
Tôi cố gắng không sử dụng quá một ống hút mỗi ngày Lối sống truyền thống thực sự rất văn minh vì nó không gây ô nhiễm môi trường, thể hiện tinh thần sống xanh.
Both Vietnamese and English writers employ elements of veracity in their work The term "honestly" in [E135] assesses an individual's honesty while highlighting consumers' genuine efforts to avoid plastic straws Conversely, "quả thật" suggests that traditional lifestyles can be perceived as modern, as they have not harmed the environment.
Propriety is evident in both EPSNRs and VPSNRs through the modulation of obligations, as illustrated by the example: "We should take steps to reduce our consumption of plastic straws."
Cách hiệu quả nhất để giảm ô nhiễm từ ống hút nhựa là uống trực tiếp đồ uống từ ly, thay vì sử dụng ống hút, dù là ống hút nhựa hay giấy.
The term "should" in [E132] highlights the responsibility of individuals to address the issues related to plastic straws, while "nên" in [V93] suggests a practical solution for readers to contribute to environmental protection.
4.3.2 Positive and Negative Judgment resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
Appreciation resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
Appreciation is a key attitudinal resource that evaluates the value of various entities, including natural phenomena and semiosis, as noted by Martin and White (2005, p 36) It involves assessing artifacts, events, and states of affairs based on aesthetic qualities and social valuation systems.
4.4.1 Sub-types of Appreciation resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
According to Martin & White (2005), Appreciation consists of three key components: Reaction, which refers to the emotional impact that something has on the reader or listener.
Composition (the texture of something) and Valuation (social value of something) Figure 4.5 gives the distribution of Appreciation types in
Figure 4 5 Sub-types of Appreciation resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
The analysis in Figure 4.5 reveals that Valuation is the most prevalent type of Appreciation in both EPSNRs and VPSNRs, accounting for 64.2% and 90.1%, respectively Reaction follows as the second most common type, representing 19.7% in EPSNRs and 6.6% in VPSNRs Lastly, Composition is the least utilized Appreciation value, with 16.1% in EPSNRs and only 3.3% in VPSNRs.
Reaction Appreciation is found in both English and Vietnamese data, which can be seen in [V41] and [E2]
[V41] Ước tính có khoảng 5 triệu chiếc ống hút nhựa bị vứt bỏ mỗi ngày tại
Mỹ Con số trở nên khủng khiếp [-App-Reac] hơn khi nhân với số quốc gia sử dụng ống hút nhựa trên toàn cầu
[E2] Straw bans alone - which have been criticized [-App-Reac] for not truly reducing waste - will barely dent the flood of plastic spewing into the
Valuation Composition Reaction luan van tot nghiep download luanvanfull moi nhat z z @gmail.com Luan van thac si environment each year
Writers in both languages exhibit distinct reactions to the issue of plastic straws The term "khủng khiếp" reflects a negative public sentiment towards the use of plastic straws, highlighting concerns about the harmful impact of these products in everyday life Conversely, the word "criticized" indicates skepticism regarding straw bans, suggesting that such measures are insufficient as a standalone solution for waste reduction, merely serving to limit the quantity of plastic straws entering the environment.
In addition, Composition appears in both EPSNRs and VPSNRs to show the difficulty consumers as well as companies encounter in making efforts to give up using plastic straws
Replacing them posed challenges from a business perspective While bamboo straws are lightweight, compact, convenient, and affordable, they are difficult to clean due to the potential presence of harmful pathogens from the ground where the material is sourced.
The adjective "difficult" in [E120] highlights the challenges businesses encounter when trying to replace plastic straws with alternatives Even with the discovery of substitutes, potential risks, as indicated by "khó khăn" in [V224], remain Notably, while bamboo straws offer certain benefits, they also present drawbacks, particularly concerning the cleaning process.
Valuation considered the most common Appreciation value is used to show characteristics of plastic straws as well as their alternatives
In English, there are some cases in which English writers apply adjectives to express properties of both plastic and straw alternatives
[E162] Plastic straws are bad [-App-Val] luan van tot nghiep download luanvanfull moi nhat z z @gmail.com Luan van thac si
[E202] It’s really small [-App-Val]
[E116] But straw alternatives are not perfect [-App-Val]
The adjectives "bad" and "small" highlight the drawbacks of plastic straws, while the term "perfect" is employed negatively to indicate the shortcomings of alternative straw options.
It is clear that Valuation Appreciation is also deployed in Vietnamese data, which can be shown in the following examples
[V180] tiếp đó, ống hút nhựa là sản phẩm tiện dụng[+App-Val] được dùng hàng triệu lần mỗi ngày
[V205] những chiếc ống hút nhựa được tạo ra với chi phí siêu thấp [+App-Val]
It is apparent that tiện dụng in [V180] and siêu thấp in [V205] are applied to express advantages of plastic straws which help them become more and more popular
4.4.2 Positive and Negative Appreciation resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
Appreciation can manifest as either positive or negative evaluations, allowing writers in different languages to assess objects in both ways The distribution of Positive and Negative Appreciation in EPSNRs and VPSNRs is illustrated in Figure 4.6.
Figure 4 6 Positive and Negative Appreciation resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
Positive Negative luan van tot nghiep download luanvanfull moi nhat z z @gmail.com Luan van thac si
Both Vietnamese and English writers exhibit similar linguistic features, as shown in Figure 4.6 They tend to use Positive Appreciation more frequently than Negative Appreciation in their reports Specifically, the proportion of Positive values in Vietnamese Positive Sentiment Narrative Reports (VPSNRs) is 57.4%, surpassing that found in English Positive Sentiment Narrative Reports (EPSNRs).
54% respectively However, EPSNRs possess a larger number of Negative Appreciation resources with 46% than EPSNRs making up 43%
The following examples show the use of Negative and Positive Appreciation in English data
Plastic straws are often criticized for their environmental impact, yet larger plastic items like plates and wrappers, made from the same material, also contribute significantly to pollution.
[E120] Replacing them was difficult [-App+Comp] from a business standpoint
The adjective "interesting" in [E87] reflects a positive attitude towards plastic straws, highlighting the current U.S president's optimistic viewpoint on the matter Conversely, the term "difficult" in [E120] underscores the challenges businesses face when transitioning away from plastic straws.
In Vietnamese data, Negative and Positive Appreciation resources are also deployed, which can be seen in [V153] [V306] and [V307]
Nhiều cửa hàng mong muốn thay đổi nhưng gặp khó khăn trong việc từ chối đồ nhựa dùng một lần.
[V306] [V307] Lối sống không dùng ống hút nhựa tuy xưa [-App+Val] nhưng quả thật rất văn minh [+App+Val]
The term "khó khăn" in [V153] highlights the challenges faced by food stalls in transitioning from plastic straws to alternative products Additionally, the words "xưa" and "văn minh" are used positively to describe a lifestyle that, while appearing traditional, is actually civilized, as it reflects a commitment to avoiding plastic straws for environmental and health reasons.
4.4.3 Explicit and Implicit Appreciation resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs
Evaluating inanimate objects, much like assessing human behavior, can be done explicitly or implicitly In the context of Appreciation, both Explicit and Implicit values are present in EPSNRs and VPSNRs The table below illustrates the distribution of Explicit and Implicit Appreciation across both languages.
Table 4 5 Explicit and Implicit Appreciation resources in EPSNRs and VPSNRs Types of Appreciation
Both English and Vietnamese writers tend to use more Explicit Appreciation than Implicit Appreciation in their reports In EPSNRs, there are 120 instances of Explicit resources, representing 87.6%, compared to just 17 instances of Implicit values at 12.4% Similarly, in VPSNRs, writers show a preference for explicit evaluations with 167 instances, making up 91.3%, while only 16 instances of Implicit Appreciation values are noted, accounting for 8.7%.
The following examples of Explicit Appreciation serve to illustrate the findings