Academic Evaluation within the Applied Linguistics response Article: An Analysis of Writer Mediated Praise and Criticism as Rhetorical strategies

Abstract

The present dissertation deals with the analysis of rhetorical strategies of evaluation used in the "response" article in the field of applied linguistics. Based on a genre approach to discourse, our study shows how writers favour specific linguistic and rhetorical resources to produce critical comments in relation to another author's work. The results of this investigation show that patterns of praise and criticism are balanced within the genre of the "response" article to create a specific kind of interaction with the author of the reviewed text. Second, findings also reval that devices such as hedging, boosting and certain types of stance bundles are employed to convey the writer's deference, assertiveness and personal tone of comments. More specifically, the role and distribution of these devices is seen to vary in connection with different contexts of evaluation, ranging from positive to negative choices. In addition, our analysis emphasises the highly personal and controversial tone of the "response" article aimed at creating debate. Finally, our study suggests that the actual discourse context, the writer's preferences and the norms favoured within an academic community create a complex interplay of features that influences the subtlety of writer's critical comments.