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Tag: Discourse & Pragmatics

  • Negative evaluative nouns far outnumber positive ones in movie dialogue

    What the study found

    The study found a strong imbalance between negative and positive evaluative nouns in English movie dialogue, with far more negative forms than positive ones. It also found that several suffixes, including -y/-ie, -ling, -er, and -o, were productive in forming these nouns.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that evaluative nouns are recurrent elements in cinematic dialogue and contribute to character construction and interactional dynamics. They also say the study adds to research on evaluative morphology and discourse analysis by combining lexicographic and corpus-based approaches, and may inform film studies, translation, and applied linguistics.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers examined evaluative nouns in English movie dialogue. They selected 176 lexemes with explicit evaluative marking from authoritative dictionaries and analyzed them in The Movie Corpus using a frequency threshold of at least 10 occurrences, combining lexicographic analysis with corpus-based methods.

    What worked and what didn't

    The analysis identified 84 negative evaluative nouns and 8 positive ones, showing a strong quantitative asymmetry. Morphologically, evaluative meanings were mainly realized through suffixation, and the suffixes -y/-ie, -ling, -er, and -o showed high productivity; these suffixes could express either negative or positive meaning depending on context.

    What to keep in mind

    The abstract does not describe limitations in detail. The study focused on English movie dialogue and on evaluative nouns with explicit evaluative marking, so its scope is limited to that dataset and selection criteria.

    • The study found far more negative evaluative nouns than positive ones in English movie dialogue.
    • 84 negative evaluative nouns were identified, compared with 8 positive ones.
    • Suffixation was the main way evaluative meanings were formed.
    • The suffixes -y/-ie, -ling, -er, and -o were highly productive in the dataset.
    • These suffixes could carry either negative or positive meaning depending on context.

  • Newspaper speech acts frame U.S. immigration discourse differently

    What the study found

    The study found that U.S. newspaper coverage of immigration uses speech acts, meaning kinds of communicative actions such as statements, requests, promises, and acknowledgments, to shape narratives and public opinion. It also found differences between liberal and conservative outlets in how immigrants are portrayed.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that media discourse has a powerful role in shaping perceptions of immigration. The study suggests that speech acts are not only descriptive language but also tools for ideological persuasion and public opinion formation.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers analyzed 20 articles from five major U.S. newspapers: The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, New York Post, and New York Daily News. They used a mixed-methods approach, combining line-by-line coding with sentiment analysis, and grouped illocutionary acts into constatives, directives, commissives, and acknowledgments.

    What worked and what didn't

    Constatives were often used to establish ideological viewpoints through selective presentation of information. Directives were used to motivate or influence readers, while commissives and acknowledgments were linked to emotional connection or ideological stance; liberal outlets typically portrayed immigrants positively and encouraged inclusive conversations, whereas conservative outlets more often generated fear and urgency in support of stricter immigration measures.

    What to keep in mind

    The abstract does not describe the study's limitations in detail. The analysis is based on 20 newspaper articles, so the findings are limited to the material included in this sample.

    • The study examined immigration coverage in five major U.S. newspapers.
    • It used speech act theory and sentiment analysis to analyze 20 articles.
    • Constatives were used to present ideological viewpoints through selective information.
    • Liberal outlets tended to portray immigrants positively and encourage inclusion.
    • Conservative outlets more often emphasized fear and urgency for stricter immigration measures.
  • Regional patterns appear in routine Aviation English communication

    Regional patterns appear in routine Aviation English communication

    What the study found

    The study found that routine air traffic control communication is more complex than a fully standardized system. It suggests that, in addition to the standardized phraseology used for routine circumstances and plain Aviation English used for unusual situations, there are patterns of regional differences in language use that point to regional Aviation Englishes.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that these findings have implications for World Englishes, English for Specific Purposes, and Applied Linguistics, as well as the connections among them. They suggest that Aviation English should be understood with more attention to regional variation, not only standardization.

    What the researchers tested

    The article discusses standardization and variation in Aviation English by analyzing the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). It also includes a case study of non-prescribed greetings in routine air traffic control communication at two international airports.

    What worked and what didn't

    The discussion and case study together suggest that non-prescribed greetings in routine communication vary by region. The abstract does not report a comparison of which forms worked better or any experimental success or failure beyond identifying regional patterns.

    What to keep in mind

    The abstract does not provide detailed results from the case study, such as the exact greetings observed or the airports studied. It also does not describe limitations in the available summary.

    • Routine air traffic control communication is described as more complex than simple standardization.
    • The article distinguishes standardized phraseology from plain Aviation English.
    • A case study at two international airports found patterns of regional differences in non-prescribed greetings.
    • The findings suggest regional Aviation Englishes may exist.
    • The authors say the work has implications for World Englishes, English for Specific Purposes, and Applied Linguistics.

  • 3MT slides use mostly non-specialized images and support speech

    What the study found

    The study found that Three Minute Thesis (3MT) slides in this sample mostly used non-specialized or less-specialized images, such as popular imagery, photographs, and illustrations. It also found that the images and words on the slides generally worked with the spoken presentation to help a non-specialist audience understand the content.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors say this adds to knowledge about the visual features of the 3MT genre and about academic communication for non-specialists. They also note pedagogical implications for postgraduate students and instructors preparing academic presentations for non-specialist audiences.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers analyzed a corpus of 50 slides taken from 3MT presentations delivered by PhD students in electrical and computer engineering. They focused on multimodality, examining the types of images used on the single static slide and how the slide text and images related to the accompanying speech.

    What worked and what didn't

    The findings indicate that presenters recontextualized specialized scientific knowledge visually through mostly non-specialized or less-specialized images. The study also found that the images and words on each slide either concurred with or complemented the speech across all rhetorical moves of the presentation.

    What to keep in mind

    The study is based on 50 slides from 3MT presentations by PhD students in electrical and computer engineering, so the scope is limited to this sample. The abstract does not describe additional limitations beyond this.

    • The sample included 50 slides from 3MT talks by PhD students in electrical and computer engineering.
    • Most slides used non-specialized or less-specialized images, including popular imagery, photographs, and illustrations.
    • The slide words and images generally worked with the speech to support a non-specialist audience's comprehension.
    • Images and words either concurred with or complemented the speech across all rhetorical moves.
    • The authors say the study adds to knowledge of the 3MT genre and academic communication for non-specialists.

  • Review maps content specialists’ approaches to writing-for-publication instruction

    What the study found

    The review found that content specialists’ curriculum-embedded instruction on writing for publication for graduate students can be described in terms of their attitudes, the theoretical ideas they used, and their teaching practices. It also found that the reviewed studies offer insights for designing and implementing support for graduate student publishing.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors say the findings are useful for language and content specialists who design pedagogical interventions aimed at improving graduate students’ publishing success. They also conclude that the review can help foster collaboration between language and content teachers in supporting students as scholarly writers.

    What the researchers tested

    The paper used a qualitative synthesis of 39 peer-reviewed reports. It reviewed English-medium literature on content teachers’ curriculum-embedded instruction on writing for publication for graduate students, focusing on teachers’ perspectives and their instructional practices.

    What worked and what didn't

    The review reported two main areas of evidence: content specialists’ attitudes and theoretical insights, and their teaching practices, including the pedagogical texts they used and how they managed limited course time. The abstract does not describe which specific practices were more effective or which were less effective.

    What to keep in mind

    The summary is based on 39 peer-reviewed reports in English-medium literature, so the review reflects that scope. The abstract does not describe detailed limitations, specific study settings, or comparative effectiveness outcomes.

    • The article reviews curriculum-embedded writing-for-publication instruction for graduate students.
    • It synthesizes 39 peer-reviewed reports in English-medium literature.
    • The review focuses on content specialists’ perspectives, including attitudes and theoretical ideas.
    • It also examines instructional practices such as pedagogical texts and management of limited course time.
    • The authors say the findings may help language and content specialists collaborate more effectively.

  • Dissertation metadiscourse differed by discipline in some features

    What the study found

    The study found that dissertation writers in applied linguistics and sociology used most metadiscourse items in similar ways, but they differed significantly in their use of evidentials, code glosses, and self-mentions. Metadiscourse refers to language that helps organize text and show the writer’s stance toward the research and reader.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that the findings highlight the situated nature of metadiscourse and show preferred patterns of metadiscoursal use in applied linguistics and sociology dissertation discussion chapters. In other words, the study suggests that these rhetorical choices are shaped by discipline.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers used Hyland’s 2019 metadiscourse model to analyze a corpus of 20 dissertation discussion chapters from two social science disciplines: applied linguistics and sociology. They compared how writers in the two groups used metadiscourse in these chapters.

    What worked and what didn't

    Most metadiscoursal items were appropriated similarly by the two groups. However, significant differences appeared in evidentials, code glosses, and self-mentions, with p < .05.

    What to keep in mind

    The available summary does not describe limitations in detail. The findings are based on a small corpus of 20 dissertation discussion chapters from only two disciplines, so the study’s scope is limited to that sample.

    • The study compared metadiscourse use in dissertation discussion chapters from applied linguistics and sociology.
    • Most metadiscourse items were used similarly across the two disciplines.
    • Significant differences were found in evidentials, code glosses, and self-mentions.
    • The analysis used Hyland’s 2019 metadiscourse model.
    • The authors say the findings highlight the situated nature of metadiscourse.

  • Hot war tourism is framed through liminal experience

    What the study found

    The study found a three-phase experiential structure in hot war tourism: crossing into liminality, dwelling in liminality, and retrospective liminality. It also identified four connected dimensions of this experience: spatiality, self, otherness, and reflexivity.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that unpacking the dynamics of hot war tourism advances knowledge of liminal experience in tourism. They also say the study contributes methodologically by offering a transferable approach for the critical analysis of multimodal discourse in tourism research.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers used Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA), a method for examining how meaning is made through language, images, and other forms of communication, through the theoretical lens of liminality. They examined how hot war tourism is framed and how these framings intersect with wider socio-cultural and ideological structures.

    What worked and what didn't

    The analysis showed that vloggers' personal narratives are shaped not only by embodied encounters but also by platform algorithms, cultural expectations, and prevailing geopolitical narratives. The abstract does not describe any failed approach, comparative test, or negative result.

    What to keep in mind

    The summary provided does not describe sample size, data sources, or specific limits of the analysis. It also does not state how broadly the findings apply beyond the studied case of hot war tourism vlogs.

    • A three-phase liminal structure was identified: crossing into, dwelling in, and reflecting back on the experience.
    • Four dimensions shaped the framing of hot war tourism: spatiality, self, otherness, and reflexivity.
    • Vlog narratives were influenced by embodied encounters, platform algorithms, cultural expectations, and geopolitical narratives.
    • The authors say the study adds to knowledge of liminal experience in tourism.
    • The authors also present MCDA as a transferable approach for tourism discourse analysis.