Va tuje darvɑzeǃ Di Maria has been a pest all night: Evaluative language in Persian and English live football commentary

Samir Hassanvandi; Maryam Golchinnezhad

doi:10.13135/1825-263X/6905

Samir Hassanvandi University of Isfahan
Maryam Golchinnezhad University of Isfahan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13135/1825-263X/6905

Abstract

This paper explores the expression of evaluative language in live football commentary in Persian and English. The main focus of this study was to explore differences in the use of evaluation in three different modes of football live commentary provided in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) 2014 final match between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid: live radio commentary (LRC), live TV commentary (LTVC), and live text commentary (LTC). The expressions of evaluative language were analyzed regarding Attitude. Attitude is one of three central components of the appraisal theory (Martin and White, 2005) in language, which is concerned with the use of evaluative language. The study showed that attitudinal resources were prevalent and varied in the extracts analyzed. They were mainly Judgment oriented and negative. The case study was an attempt to contribute to this growing area of research by exploring the live football commentary genre. The mode of live commentary had a crucial role in determining the number of words spoken during the commentary. Also, the commentator’s biased opinion was undeniable, especially in the polarity of the evaluative expressions they used. In each commentary, by nature, there was a predominantly focus on product or process. In LTC, since the commentator is watching the finished action, the focus is entirely product-oriented. LTC also has more frequent use of Affect resources due to the fact that Affect in general deals with evaluating objects and products or how products and performances are valued. In the other two modes of commentaries, given that the commentators are reporting the events happening in the game in real-time and in the spur of moment, the focus is mostly on the process.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Samir Hassanvandi, University of Isfahan

Samir Hassanvandi is a PhD in Translation Studies from the University of Isfahan. He teaches translation and General English courses at the University of Isfahan, Sheikhbahaei University, and Sobhe Sadegh Institute of Higher Education. He also works as the supervisor of the University of Isfahan Language Center (UILC), executive manager of the University of Isfahan Translation and Editing Center (UITEC), and an English teacher at the Iran Language Institute (ILI). He is the co-moderator of the Specialized Webinar Series of Translation and Interpreting Studies at the University of Isfahan. His main research interests are Discourse Analysis, Political Discourses, Audiovisual Translation (AVT), Translation Quality Assessment (TQA), Translation and Literature, and Translation of Quran. He can be reached at:

samir.hvandi@gmail.com

Maryam Golchinnezhad, University of Isfahan

Maryam Golchinnezhad is a PhD candidate in Translation Studies at the University of Isfahan. She teaches at the University of Isfahan Language Center (UILC) as a part-time English Instructor. She is also an English-Persian translator and an adjunct lecturer at Petroleum University of Technology (PUT), Ahwaz and Abadan faculties, and at Sheikhbahaei University. Her research interests focus on Audiovisual Translation (AVT), song translation, discourse analysis as well as multilingualism and translation.

She can be reached at: maryamgolchinnezhad@gmail.com