Abstract This paper presents findings from a systemic-functional investigation of the causal language used in high- and low-graded essays (HGEs and LGEs) in a university-level CLIL course on the topic of International Relations. The essay task-type, referred to here as the Concept Application assignment, requires writers to apply concepts, such as “Security Dilemma” or “Balance of Power”, to explain a present-day or historical situation. Comparisons are made between HGEs and LGEs in frequencies of different causal resources and their realizations as well as their patterns of use in different discourse stages of the essays. Key findings include a greater reliance in high-graded essays on Abstract Causality (e.g., consequence), resources for assessing causality (e.g., a major impact), Internal Verbs for reasoning and drawing conclusions based on evidence (explain, interpret) and a coupling of Determining Relations verbs with other word classes such as modals (e.g., may cause). Also noted was a preference in high graded essays for Internal Verb in the beginning and final stages of the essays. Pedagogical implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.

中文翻译：

---

在国际关系中应用概念：高低分概念应用论文中因果解释的语言

摘要 本文介绍了对国际关系主题的大学级 CLIL 课程中高低分论文（HGE 和 LGE）中使用的因果语言进行的系统功能调查的结果。论文任务类型，在此称为概念应用作业，要求作者应用诸如“安全困境”或“权力平衡”之类的概念来解释当今或历史情况。比较了HGEs和LGEs在不同因果资源的频率及其实现以及它们在论文不同话语阶段的使用模式。主要发现包括更多地依赖关于抽象因果关系的高分论文（例如，后果），评估因果关系的资源（例如，主要影响），基于证据（解释、解释）和确定关系动词与其他词类（例如模态）的耦合（例如，可能导致）推理和得出结论的内部动词。还注意到在论文的开始和最后阶段，高分论文偏爱内部动词。讨论了进一步研究的教学意义和建议。