Contrasting rhetorical strategies

Abstract This study examines conceptual organization in English, Chinese, and Thai discourse using topic-based analysis (TBA) and given-new progression (GNP). TBA assesses propositional coherence, focusing on how ideas are hierarchically organized, while GNP explores information flow, analyzing how given and new information are connected to achieve conceptual coherence. A dataset of 60 news articles forms the basis of the analysis. Findings reveal shared conceptual coherence across the three languages, attributed to common schematic structures and cognitive strategies. However, differences emerge in progression types: English favors linear, sequential progression, while Chinese and Thai rely more on elaboration and extended progressions, emphasizing depth within central ideas. These variations reflect distinct rhetorical conventions rather than measures of effectiveness. By uncovering universal and language-specific strategies for achieving coherence, this study contributes to the field of contrastive rhetoric, offering valuable insights into cross-linguistic variations in conceptual organization and discourse structuring.