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Australian Review of Applied Linguistics: Online-First Articles

Writing to evaluate

A synthesis of appraisal studies at different levels of EAP writing

| Hong Kong Metropolitan University
ORCID logo | Guangdong University of Finance
Evaluative language is crucial in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing, particularly in expressing authorial stance and supporting arguments. Among various linguistic frameworks, appraisal in Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) has been extensively used to map and assess evaluative linguistic features. Since its inception in the early 1990s, appraisal has been widely applied to EAP writing studies. This synthesis reviews EAP writing studies using the appraisal framework published over the past decades, synthesizing 69 publications. We developed coding schemes based on research questions, focusing on learner levels, subjects studied, text type, and generated findings. Our findings indicate that appraisal has been applied by EAP writers at different levels to perform a range of functions in their writing. However, previous studies show that there is a lack of longitudinal study of appraisal resources used by EAP writers at different levels. We recommend systematic and explicit instruction in the use of appraisal resources in EAP writing. Based on our findings, we offer pedagogical suggestions for EAP writing and teaching, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of EAP instruction and the quality of student writing.
Keywords: appraisal, evaluation, synthesis, EAP writing, academic writing
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical framework
  • 3.Methodology
  • 4.Research context and design
  • 5.Findings of appraisal research on EAP writings by writers from different levels
    • 5.1Secondary level
    • 5.2Undergraduate level
    • 5.3Master’s level
    • 5.4PhD level
    • 5.5Expert level
  • 6.Pedagogical implications and future research directions
    • 6.1Pedagogical implications
    • 6.2Future research directions
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Declaration of contributions from generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process
  • References
Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at [email protected].

Published online: 19 July 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.24027.xua
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