Beyond Surfaces and Depths
An SFL Analysis of Fine Gradations of Meaning in Undergraduates’ Writing About Literature
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21560637 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ruth Li (0000-0002-6242-5755, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 85-119 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Written Communication (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0741-0883 • E-ISSN: 1552-8472 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/07410883241286899 |
| OpenAlex | W4403899047 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 24 |
Students are expected to interpret the complexities and nuances of literary texts yet might struggle with interpreting texts in ways that are valued in literary studies. Examining students’ language choices can support instructors and students with developing concrete, explicit understandings of the ways language creates meanings in discourse. This study draws on the Appraisal framework within Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to analyze essays from two introductory writing about literature courses. Findings illustrate that more proficient writers interpret possible significances using Appreciation and Engagement resources and construe subtle shades of significance using Graduation resources. This linguistic analysis illustrates the ways abstract qualities of literary interpretation including nuance can be seen in students’ specific language choices. By exposing the fine-grained elements of meaning in students’ writing, this study creates pathways toward stimulating students’ and instructors’ metalinguistic awareness of how specific language choices create disciplinarily-valued qualities of writing
Discourse analysis · Epistemology · Higher education · Linguistics · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Political science · Sociology · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Education and Critical Thinking Development · Literacy, Media, and Education · Philosophy · Psychology
Language, Context, and Text
Linguistic Markers of Stance in Early and Advanced Academic Writing
Beyond Exchange
Humanistic Knowledge-Making and the Rhetoric of Literary Criticism
Sharing the Tacit Rhetorical Knowledge of the Literary Scholar
Reacting in literary studies
The Role of Metalanguage in Supporting Academic Language Development
Language Poetry and the Lyric Subject
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |