DISCOURSE ANALYSIS ON THE LEGITIMATION STRATEGIES FOUND IN COLUMN ARTICLES: EDUCATION-RELATED ISSUES IN FOCUS

This qualitative corpora-based study examined the legitimation strategies found in the column articles, focusing on education-related issues from various national-based online newspapers in the Philippines. This study aimed to identify the legitimation strategies of Van Leeuwen and Wodak (1999) found in the column articles of various national-based online newspaper companies in the Philippines focusing on education-related issues. The study’s finding demonstrated that the column articles had the four legitimation strategies (Authorization, Moral Evaluation, Rationalization, Mythopoesis) and their sub-categories. Authorization occurs whenever a speaker legitimizes their discourse by referencing an authority. Moral evaluation is, in turn, a process of legitimization by reference to certain value systems that provide the moral justification for an action. Finally, mythopoesis is realized through storytelling. Through legitimation strategies, this study helps in identifying the credibility and validity of the column articles. Authorization and Moral Evaluation were the frequently used legitimation strategies by the columnists. This means that columnists are keen on establishing credibility, expertise, and ethical justification for their viewpoints on education-related issues. Using Authorization, by appealing to authoritative figures, research findings, or established practices, helps in language learning and teaching to validate one's opinions. On the other hand, through using moral evaluation, the usage of ethical principles, moral judgements, or values helps one to justify their stance on a certain topic, which is a great aid in language learning and teaching. Keywords: Legitimation Strategies, Column Articles, Education-Related Issues, Authorization, Moral Evaluation, Rationalization, Mythopoesis