A Study On Evidentiality Of English Argumentative Discourse

Evidentiality refers to the semantic conception that demonstrates the source of information,attitude and credibility in the speaker’s statement.Since the last century,scholars at home and abroad have mainly studied evidentiality based on some perspectives from linguistic typology,cognitive linguistics,pragmatics and systemic function.Evidentiality studies totally concentrate on news discourse,academic discourse,advertising discourse in recent years.There are few studies related to the analysis of argumentative discourse in evidentiality theory.In the context of debate,the different ways or strategies employed by the speaker to express opinions will directly relate to debate success or failure.Consequently,the evidentiality studies in argumentative discourse analysis will provide guidance and reference for the speaker in the choice of language strategies,which can better achieve communicative purposes and enhance the credibility of the speaker’s statement.Based on the theory of evidentiality,this thesis takes the televised debate involving Sino-US trade issue between Chinese anchor Liu Xin and American anchor Reagan in May 2019 as the data source.By reviewing relevant literatures in evidentiality studies,the study combines Chen Zheng’s classification of evidentiality and her viewpoints involving the issue of credibility in evidentiality studies with the factor of speaker’s identity that perspective stems from linguistics and sociology.Hence,this thesis concentrates on discussing the following issues:(1)What characteristics of the evidentiality in the argumentative discourse between Chinese and American anchors are demonstrated? How is the evidential distributed?(2)What are the differences and similarities of evidentiality about the evidential choice in two anchors’ argumentative discourses?(3)Whether the factor of identity can influence the choice of evidential types in argumentative discourse? If so,what is the relationship between the speaker’s identity and evidential types?By combining the evidentiality theory with the quantitative method and the qualitative method in two anchors’ argumentative discourses,there are some findings of this study in the followings:First,different evidential types belonging to the shared information source and individuals information source are employed by two anchors to enrich expressions in their argumentative discourses.Second,in the distribution of information source,the shared information source occupies more than half the proportion in two anchors’ argumentative discourses.In the distribution of evidential type,a similar frequency of distribution in B.S.evidentials and I.S.evidentials are demonstrated in two anchors’ argumentative discourses.However,some significant differences are demonstrated in their discourses in the distribution of I.I.evidentials.Third,the factor of speaker’s identity can influence the distribution of evidential type and the credibility of evidentiality in two anchors’ argumentative discourses.Under the influence on the factor of speaker’s identity,the main purpose of the speaker is to enhance the identity consolidation demand in the context of debate.Therefore,the different selections of evidentiality employed by the speaker can demonstrate different degrees of identity consolidation demand in his/her statement.Based on the above findings,this thesis thinks that the speaker shouldn’t merely concentrate on the persuasive function of evidentiality,the function of identity consolidation demand should be considered into the discourse analysis in evidentiality studies.In addition,more evidential types which belong to the shared information should be used by the speaker to strengthen the faith and support of the hear toward his/her statement.Only in this way,can the speaker better achieve the target of discourse construction in the context of debate.By exploring the phenomenon of evidentiality in the argumentative discourse,this thesis investigates the functions of evidentiality and the issue of credibility of evidentiality in two anchors’ argumentative discourses based on the factor of speaker’s identity and Chen Zheng’s viewpoint toward the theory of evidentiality.In addition,this study has certain instructional significance for helping the speaker to recognize how to appropriately employ evidentiality strategies and better achieve the function of identity consolidation in the debate.