Judge’s Persuasive Language in a Chinese Civil Case
A SFL Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/lhs.v10i3.29300Keywords:
elaboration, genre, interference, mediation, persuasion, register, suggestionAbstract
This paper looks into the linguistic forces of persuasion of the woman judge in a Chinese civil trial. The judge was mediating the conflicts of the two parties in a local court. The two parties were in strong disagreement over compensation and the price for purchasing the bungalow of the plaintiff. She was successful in solving the conflicts. This paper approaches the mediation of persuasion from the Systemic Functional model, and examines the generic features in the context of culture and register features in the context of situation. The analysis of genre finds that she uses the strategy of interference, elaboration and suggestion/proposal to fulfill her solution. The analysis of register finds that she employs proper linguistic tactics in the changing context of situation. Her proper tactics instantiates her strategy and the coupling of the two contribute to the successful mediation. One implication this paper draws is that one’s attitude changes the others’ attitude.
References
Halliday, M. A. K. (1973) Exploration in the Functions of Language. London: Edward Arnold.
Halliday, M. A. K. (1985/1994) An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London: Edward Arnold.
Halliday, M. A. K. (1997) Linguistics as Metaphor. In J. J. Webster (Ed.) On Language and Linguistics, Volume 3 in the Collected Works of M. A. K. Halliday, 248–270. London/New York: Continuum, 2003. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/cilt.154.03hal
Halliday, M. A. K. (2004) An Introduction to Functional Grammar (3rd edn, revised by C. M. I. M. Matthiessen). London: Edward Arnold.
Halliday, M. A. K. and Hasan, R. (1976) Cohesion in English. London: Longman.
Larson, C. U. (2004) Persuasion: Reception and responsibility (10th edn). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth of Thomson Learning.
Martin, J. R. and Rose, D. (2003/2007) Working with Discourse: Meaning Beyond the Clause. London: Continuum.
Martin, J. R. and White, P. (2005) The Language of Evaluation: Appraisal in English. London: Palgrave.
Martin, J. R. (1992) English Text: System and Structure. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/z.59
Martin, J. R. (1997/2012) Register and genre: Modelling social context in functional linguistics – Narrative genres. Discourse Analysis: Proceedings of First International Conference on Discourse Analysis, 305–344. E. R. Pedro (Ed.). Colibri/Portuguese Linguistics Association. In Z. Wang (Ed.) Genre Studies: Volume 3 in the Collected Works of J. R. Martin, 187–221. Shanghai Jiaotong University Press.
Martin, J. R. (2000) Beyond exchange: Appraisal systems in English. In S. Hunston and G. Thompson (Eds) Evaluation in Text: Authorial Stance and the Construction of Discourse, 142–175. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Martin, J. R. (2009) Realisation, instantiation and individuation: some thoughts on identity in youth justice conferencing. In Z. Wang (Ed.) Forensic Linguistics, Volume 8 in the Collected Works of J. R. Martin, 75–101. Shanghai: Shanghai Jiaotong University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s0102-44502009000300002
Martin, J. R. (2010) Semantic variation – modelling realisation, instantiation and individuation in social semiosis. In Z. Wang (Ed.) Forensic Linguistics, Volume 8 in the Collected Works of J. R. Martin, 7–39. Shanghai: Shanghai Jiaotong University Press.
Mulholland, J. (1994) Handbook of Persuasive Tactics: A Practical Language Guide. London and New York: Routledge. http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203420768
Perloff, R. M. (2010) Dynamics of Persuasion: Communicationa and Attitudes in 21st Century (4th edn). New York: Routledge.
Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S. Leech, G. and Svartvik, J. (1972) A Grammar of Contemporary English. London: Longman.
Rank, H. (1976) Teaching about public persuasion. In D. Dieterich (Ed.) Teaching and Doublespeak. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
Shannon, C. E. and Weaver, W. (1949) The Mathematical Theory of Communication. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Wang, Z. (2011). Construal of attitude and interpersonal harmony. Talk at Peking University on 16 December 2011.
Wang, Z. (2012) Modeling personalized meaning. Paper presented at the 39th International Systemic Functional Congress, 16–20 July 2012, Sydney, Australia.
