EVALUATIVE LANGUAGE IN STUDENTS’ REVIEW WRITINGS: AN APPRAISAL APPROACH

Abstract

This study explores student review writings, employing the schematic organization framework by Gerot and Wignell (1995) and appraisal theory by Martin and White (2005). These frameworks analyze language choices to determine the speaker's feelings, the intensity of these feelings, and their sources by observing the use of attitude, engagement, and graduation. The primary aim is to observe how students’ review writings are schematically organized and to identify the appraisal items used within the clauses. The data were collected from fifth-semester students at Universitas Dian Nuswantoro, selected through purposive sampling. A qualitative method was used for analysis, identifying 236 clauses, of which 180 met the evaluative criteria. It is worth noting that one clause encompasses all appraisal systems, with the possibility of having more than one item observed in attitude clauses. Overall, 661 appraisal items were identified, distributed as 15% in the orientation section and 85% in the evaluation section. Of these, attitude comprised 33.89%, engagement 33.59%, and graduation 32.53% of the total appraising items. Most attitude items used were positive, indicating a favorable orientation towards the subjects reviewed, particularly within the appreciation of value. However, the findings also revealed negative items, primarily used to criticize certain aspects of the subjects. The students predominantly employed monoglossic features rather than heteroglossic ones, showing a preference for avoiding dialogistic expansion or contraction. Their attitudinal lexes are prominent, demonstrating a focus on evaluative language in their reviews. In summary, this research provides insights into the evaluative language choices of students, revealing a predominance of positive appraisals and a preference for monoglossic expression. It is hoped that future research will incorporate interdisciplinary fields to expand this area of study and widen existing knowledge. Keywords: appraisal system, attitude, engagement, graduation, schematic structure