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Article published In: Language, Context and Text
Vol. 3:2 (2021) ► pp.335–366

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The linguistic construction of business decisions

A systemic functional linguistic perspective

ORCiD logo with link | University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Published online: 15 October 2021
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/langct.20008.sze
Abstract
This paper models analytical tools for identifying the linguistic resources at play in constructing business decision-making in high-scoring undergraduate business reports from a systemic functional linguistic perspective. Drawing on the discourse semantic system of appraisal and coupling theory in systemic functional linguistics, this paper illustrates a process for analysing the linguistic construction of investment opportunities and risks in undergraduate business reports through the ‘coupling’ of different types of discourse semantic meanings. This study has pedagogical implications for making explicit the key language resources critical for constructing business decisions in undergraduate business studies.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Research on business rhetoric
  • 3.Theoretical foundations
    • 3.1SFL: Metafunctions and instantiation
    • 3.2A discourse semantic perspective on “coupling”
    • 3.3The data
  • 4.Construing business decisions at the level of discourse semantics
    • 4.1Evaluating business factors through grammaticalised couplings: Inscribed couplings of attitude and ideation
    • 4.2Recoupling an inscribed coupling: Reinforcing prosodic value
    • 4.3Recoupling an inscribed coupling: Shifting prosodic values
    • 4.4Towards building a typology for couplings and recouplings in business reports
  • 5.The significance of recouplings: Implications for SFL theory and pedagogy
  • Notes
  • References
References (99)
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