# A cross-lingual analysis of attitudinal meaning in publicity discourses of Anglo-American and Chinese universities: a psychological insight from the appraisal system

## TL;DR

This study compares how English and Chinese university publicity materials express attitudes, revealing cultural differences in emotional and moral expressions.

## Contribution

It provides a systematic cross-lingual analysis of attitudinal resources in university publicity discourse using the Appraisal System framework.

## Key findings

- English university discourse uses richer emotional expressions to enhance affinity, while Chinese discourse emphasizes objectivity and authority.
- No significant differences were found in the use of Judgment resources between English and Chinese discourses.
- English discourse focuses on moral constraints, whereas Chinese discourse emphasizes legal constraints.

## Abstract

University publicity discourse is pivotal to global communication, embodying institutional values and cultural identities. While linguistic research on its embedded attitudinal meaning abounds, cross-lingual (English-Chinese) comparative exploration—especially systematic analysis of attitudinal resources in such discourses—remains limited, forming the core focus of this study.

Drawing on the Appraisal System (a robust framework in Systemic Functional Linguistics), this research conducted a comparative analysis of English and Chinese university publicity discourse samples. It extracted and categorized attitudinal resources (Affect, Judgment, Appreciation) and compared their distribution and expressive differences via qualitative and quantitative methods.

Significant cross-lingual disparities emerged: English discourse used richer emotional expressions (Affect/Appreciation) to enhance affinity, while Chinese discourse prioritized objectivity and authority with restrained emotions. No notable differences were found in Judgment resources. English discourse emphasized moral constraints, whereas Chinese discourse focused more on legal constraints.

This study uncovers distinct attitudinal meaning patterns across cultural-linguistic contexts, filling cross-lingual research gaps and refining the Appraisal System. Beyond linguistic theory, it offers practical guidance for universities to optimize cross-cultural publicity and boost global communication effectiveness.