The role of systematic functional linguistics in establishing evaluation theory and its application in computing sentiment and opinion analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61856/jr1pef16Keywords:
Systemic Functional Linguistics, Interpersonal Function, Appraisal Theory, Affect System, Computational SystemsAbstract
This research paper aims to shed light on the foundations of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), which stems from the functional linguistic theory developed by linguist Michael Halliday. Halliday viewed language as a vital and powerful tool that serves various social purposes. Language, according to his approach, can be analyzed through its social and communicative functions across three main levels: the experiential, the textual, and the interpersonal functions. Each of these serves as a key to understanding how language is employed to construct multiple meanings. This paper further explores the role of Systemic Functional Linguistics, especially through the interpersonal function, in the emergence of a new theory that expands the scope of the interpersonal function within SFL. Developed by Jim Martin and Peter White, this theory, known as Appraisal Theory, aims to understand and delineate how language conveys emotional values and judgments. Appraisal Theory is based on three primary systems: Affect, which focuses on how individuals express their feelings and attitudes; Appreciation, which is dedicated to evaluating objects and events; and Judgment, which centers on assessing people’s behaviors. The paper also highlights the significant impact of Appraisal Theory across various fields of knowledge, particularly in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP), which has leveraged the Affect system to develop computational models capable of analyzing and automatically evaluating opinions and sentiments. Additionally, it points to some Arabic-language research efforts that have relied on Appraisal Theory to enhance the role of Arabic in expressing deep opinions and sentiments through computational systems that assist in evaluating such opinions and sentiments written in Arabic
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