Appraisal (discourse analysis)

In discourse analysis, applied linguistics and related fields appraisal refers to the ways that writers or speakers express approval or disapproval for things or ideas. Language users build relationships with their interlocutors by expressing such positions. This notion is closely related to the idea of stance in linguistics and anthropology.

J.R. Martin and P.R.R. White's approach to appraisal in systemic functional linguistics regionalised the concept into three interacting domains: 'attitude', 'engagement' and 'graduation'.