Expressing stance: A cross-linguistic study of effective and epistemic stance marking in Chinese and English opinion reports

Abstract

In expressing opinions, we use epistemic and effective stance marking strategies to understand and influence reality. This study conducted a cross-linguistic analysis of effective and epistemic stance marking in Chinese and English, based on 20 oral and 20 written opinion reports elicited on the topics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), acupuncture, and vaccines. We found that 1) most Chinese speakers selected the topic of TCM and supported its effectiveness, while most English speakers selected and supported the topic of vaccines. 2) In the selection of stance categories, the Chinese native speakers tended to use effective stance markers significantly more than the English in both spoken and written reports, reflecting a striving for control over the realization of events, whereas the English native speakers primarily used epistemic stance markers significantly more than the Chinese in spoken language, reflecting their controlling for knowledge of reality and information credibility. 3) Chinese generally manifests greater subjectivity and more inclusive intersubjectivity, while English displays a higher degree of exclusive intersubjectivity, often reflected in the frequent use of IRE markers. 4) Spoken language in both Chinese and English demonstrates stronger subjectivity and flexibility than written language. 5) The differences in topic choice, level of support, and stance marker preferences between the Chinese and the English native speakers may be attributed to cultural/emotional distance. This study can provide novel theoretical and methodological perspectives for investigating cross-linguistic and cross-cultural differences between languages, and shed light on disparities between spoken and written discourse.