UMA INVESTIGAÇÃO SOBRE O USO DE RECURSOS DE ENGAJAMENTO EM MODELOS DE TEXTOS-RESPOSTA ELABORADOS PARA A PROVA DE ESCRITA INTEGRADA DO TOEFL iBT

Abstract

The English language has the status of a global language, which extends to the academic field and create several demands ranging from language teaching in several countries to the establishment of the English language register specific for academic purposes. In this scenario, several institutions have prepared proficiency exams that brings the attention of several candidates from different countries. Based on this phenomenon, several materials that aim to prepare the student for this type of exam are being published. This paper aims to investigate the use of engagement resources in text-response models of integrated writing activities collected from the Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test: iBT, Second Edition (PHILLIPS, 2013). The Appraisal Theory (MARTIN; WHITE, 2005), focusing on the Engagement System, functions as the theoretical framework of this paper. The analysis revealed that each of the three types of text proposed by Deborah Phillips (Adds To, Contrast and Contrast) have different lexical-grammatical realizations of the engagement resources. The "Adds To" texts make greater use of Acknowledge resources and display a neutral alignment as to the other dialogical alternatives. In turn, the "Casts Doubt on" type is marked by the major use of the Acknowledge, Distancing and Endorsement resources, constructing an author more aligned with the positions from the Oral Text. The Contrast type, on the other hand, mainly uses the Acknowledge resource, also presenting a neutral alignment about the dialogical alternatives mentioned in the text. The present paper hopes to contribute to the other investigations about the Appraisal Theory, academic writing and English language proficiency exams.