LANGUAGE IN INDIA

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Volume 21:7 July 2021
ISSN 1930-2940

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The Use of Appraisal Approach for Critical Discourse Analysis of
Nezha Movie Reviews Found in IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes Websites

Yue Li, M.A. ELT

Abstract

The focus of this study was to analyze the movie reviews of the movie Nezha using the appraisal theory for Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The aim was to reveal movie goers’ attitudes towards Chinese culture through their comments found on the two websites, IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. (IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10627720/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 , Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10627720/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 )

Appraisal theory is focusing on the interpersonal meta-function. This is the reason why this was chosen to understand the implicit meaning of language beyond discourse. The whole study used qualitative data using content analysis. Three research objectives helped as underpinnings in this study. 1) To identify the viewers’ attitudes for the movie Nezha as represented in the IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes movie reviews; 2) To determine the functions of engagement for the movie Nezha found in IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes website’s movie reviews; 3) To understand the use of graduation in the movie Nezha’s movie reviews found in IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes websites. There were 205 comments collected from IMDb and Rotten tomatoes. These were collected using the three checklists.

The findings of research question one indicated that movie reviewers’ attitudes represented in IMDb and Rotten tomatoes websites were both positive and negative. These were shown from different lexical elements they used it may be explicit or implicit. The findings also showed that within the ATTITUDE system, the different sub-system found, such as, AFFECT was comprised of 21%, APPRECIATION 50% and JUDGEMENT 29%, among others, positive attitude was more dominant, and these were expressed explicitly. As for the research question 2, monoglossic and heteroglossic of engagement were used not just to show their authorial voices but to also strengthen their point of view by using other sources and voices to support how they found the movie Nezha. Lastly, the findings for the research question 3, showed that by illustrating their attitude, graduation were used such as the use of ‘force’ and ‘focus’ by using different grammatical items. These items are used to soften or intensify the meaning of discourses under study. This study implies that, language and culture could not be separated, thus respecting people’s opinion or ideologies are vital to be interculturally connected. Therefore, cultivating a critical thinking consciousness is a necessity especially in the area of ELT, so that students will be mindful of how they will be using ‘words’ regardless of the people that will be interacting with.

Keywords: Appraisal Theory, Discourse, Critical Discourse Analysis, Systemic Function Linguistic, Language, Nezha, Movie Reviews, Attitude, Opinion, Critical Thinking

Introduction

This study is focusing on the analysis of reviewers’ comments on the movie Nezha. The comments were selected from the internet comments websites, IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes.

Movie reviews are a kind of discourse based on the movie. What makes it special is that movie reviewers use a lot of critical expressions which reflect their attitudes. Therefore, the language they used has research value and significant in how language can be understood by readers.

Nezha caused a lot of discussion in China and received great acclamation, when this was released in foreign countries. Nezha had interesting narrative and cultural characteristics. Linguistically, it had unique language expressions and culturally, this represents a rich Chinese culture to the world.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Yue Li, M.A. ELT
Assumption University, Thailand
yueli.lisa.7@gmail.com
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