The Contrastive Analysis Of Modality Value In Native And Non-native News Reports

Palmer (1986:16) argues,"Modality is concerned with subjective characteristics of an utterance, and it could even be further argued that the subjectivity is an essential criterion for modality. Modality could, that is to say, be defined as the grammaticalization of speaker's subjective attitudes and opinion". Modality is known as the semantic gradients between negative and positive pole. Thus, each modal expression is located on a strong - weak semantic continuum. The closer the modal expression approaches, the positive ends, the stronger its sense is. This is the value attached to each modal expression. Thus, I attempt to bridge the relationship between the modality values and modality expressions in the context of news reports. Although quite a lot of linguists have already done the analysis of the modality in the news reporting (Tai Weiguo, 2004, Xinbin, 2000, Yang Xueyan, 2001), previous studies on modality mainly concentrate on modal expressions and orientations. The study on modality values is relatively rare. Through consulting the main periodicals concerning the modality value, there is only one paper–情态动词的量值取向(Wei Benli, 2005:4). Actually, modality value is quite a difficult problem to most English learners. In accordance with experiences, I find it difficult for most students to grasp the modality. When they express their ideas, students might confuse with the modality values. At the same time, lots of teachers also confront with the problems– how to teach modality. Therefore, these problems get me the inspiration to carry out the present study. In this sense, exploring the role of modality values in native and non-native English news reports is really meaningful and could be helpful to non-native English students.Mainly based on the theoretical framework of Halliday's theory of modality, the thesis ventures to investigate the modality value on the native and nonnative news reports. Each modal expression is attached to certain modality values. By counting the occurrence frequency of the expressions, the proportion of each value can be calculated; furthermore, values of the native and non-native news reporting can be detected and composed. In order to achieve this goal, ten samples were respectively selected from the native and non-native English news reporting on ShenzhouVI. Some comparisons and statistics are made in the course of analysis: how is each modal value realized in the news reporting? What modal value is native and non-native English news reporting inclined to take? Why do the native and nonnative writers take the different modality value inclination?We reach the conclusions that the use of modality values by nonnative English speakers is more affluent than by the native English ones. As to the modality value, the nonnative speakers tend to use the high value, while native speakers are inclined to use the median value. The writer analyzed this phenomenon in the following aspects and explained the reasons: political orientation, cultural value, thinking pattern, media inclination and mother tongue interference. Thus, the contrastive analyses on modality value by native and nonnative English speakers will be carried out with an expected effect of providing some enlightenment to both English teachers and language learners in English.