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ArticleInterdisciplinary Studies of Translation http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/tfll.2026.01.012

Constructing Cultural Values through Language: An Analysis of Attitudinal Resources in Food Culture Discourse in Chinese EFL Textbooks

Junqi Xiao

Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, Fujian, China.

*Corresponding author: Junqi Xiao

Published: January 31, 2026

Abstract

This study explores how evaluative language in the Chinese high school English textbooks constructs the cultural values under the theme of food culture. Based on the Appraisal Theory, especially its attitude system which encompasses affect, judgment, and appreciation, this research carries out a qualitative analysis of 54 food culture texts selected from the mainstream textbook series in China. Data is managed and annotated by using the UAM corpus tool, and the analysis concentrates on how different attitude resources are employed to construct interpersonal meaning and project various cultural value orientations. The research results show that these attitude resources do not function alone but interact with each other to construct 3 overall cultural value orientations: the Chinese traditional values centered on family connections and auspicious symbols, the Western values emphasizing practicality and inheritance, and the cross-cultural values promoting openness and respect. This research also provides implications for teaching, that is, teachers can make use of this analysis framework to enhance students' key cultural awareness. This might enable teachers and students to no longer merely be passive receivers of cultural information but to more precisely understand how language actively shapes cultural values within textbooks and beyond the textbook scopes.

Keyword

Appraisal Theory, Attitude System, Food Culture Discourse, Cultural Values

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Copyright

© 2026 by the author(s).
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not modified or adapted.
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How to cite this paper

Constructing Cultural Values through Language: An Analysis of Attitudinal Resources in Food Culture Discourse in Chinese EFL Textbooks

How to cite this paper: Junqi Xiao. (2026). Constructing Cultural Values through Language: An Analysis of Attitudinal Resources in Food Culture Discourse in Chinese EFL Textbooks. Translation and Foreign Language Learning2(1), 66-74.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/tfll.2026.01.012