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Speech Acts theories have been a considerable revolution in the developments of pragmatics as a discipline. However, pragmatics cannot be fully studied without taking in consideration discourse analysis, since they are closely linked with each other. Undoubtedly, political discourse has been a major domain of language use that has attracted the interests of researchers for a long while. This is because political discourse is a complex human activity that deserves critical study, particularly because of its central place in the organization and management of society. This study investigates the role of language in the communication and interpretation of intentions by examining a selected political speech as some piece of discourse with specific goals. Since the politician`s speech is mainly concerned with persuading or making the others believe what you are saying, the Speech Acts play the most important role. It presents and documents some of the significant illocutionary acts that convey the intentions of speakers in political speeches. Firstly, we will provide the theoretical explanation of the two main theories concerning Speech acts, Austin andSearlès ones. Secondly, we will try to analyze the first EdiRamàs victorious political speech after the general elections held in Albania in June 2013 concerning Speech Acts and their categorizations.
The study investigates the role of language in the communication and interpretation of intentions by examining selected political speeches of John Kerry in Presidential Campaign in 2004 and George Bush- Inaugural address in 2001 since they have the same purposes as pieces of discourse with specific goals. Hence, the study focused on the pragmatic functions of locution, illocutionary and perlocutionary acts of the speeches. Twenty sentences were selected from the two speeches. The findings show that the overall relative frequency percentages for the selected speeches are: commissive 40%, assertive 35%, directive 20%, and expressive 5%. The results show that Kerry relied more on sentences that performed commissive acts than other speech acts since he committed to some future actions, and he promised to make the world fit the words. Bush used sentences with assertive acts more than other speech acts since the assertive has a truth value which can only enhance the effect of the asserted proposition. Hence, the data are characterized by a preponderance of commissive, assertive and directive acts that are mostly used as mobilization strategies, especially in political campaigns, where it is essential for candidates to persuade their listeners to win elections. Politicians communicate directly with the general public in order to convince them of their programs or ideas. Usually, the speakers would promote about their self and talk about their potency to be a good leader with all their goals to convince the hearer. In this area, the speech act analysis of the political speeches provides the understanding that political leaders perform various acts through their speeches. The revelation of the dominance of Speech Acts is a reflection of the purpose of political speeches which are to influence, persuade, impress, convince, and even to deceive the populace. Keywords: Speech Acts Theory, Political Discourse, Political Speeches.
Athens Journal of Humanities & Arts
Exploring the Significance of Context in Meaning: Speech Act Features of Performative Political- Speeches of President Umaru Musa Yar᾽Adua2020 •
Political speeches, no doubt, have been object and subject of diverse linguistic and non-linguistic analyses for decades. Apparently, communication is the most vital tool in politicking within and outside Nigeria as politicians vehemently trade in various discourses and arguments through fliers, pamphlets, manifestoes, public statements and speeches. In fact, political speeches are occasioned by different contexts or situations. Hence, the research portrays context as an integral part in speaker᾽s intention and hearer᾽s interpretation. Specifically, performative political-speeches are selected to explore the significance of the context in negotiating pragmatic meaning through the frame work of Speech Act Theory. The data are drawn from two speeches of Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar᾽Adua based on periodisation (2008-2009). The Speech Act analysis of these action political discourses provides the understanding that political leaders employ unique speech act types which are mainly assertive when delivering performative political speeches. The reason for this is premised on the fact that the speeches are performative and delivered by a President in a democratic government. The study, therefore, recommends a contrastive analysis of performative and ceremonial political speeches of the President or other political leaders to further demonstrate the influence of context on speech act patterns.
Theory and Practice in Language Studies
A Pragmatic Analysis of Victory and Inaugural Speeches of President Umaru Musa Yar"Adua2012 •
The study was conducted to identify the speech acts features of President Umaru Yar'Adua's Victory and Inaugural Speeches. Hence, the study focused on the pragmatic functions of locution, illocutionary and perlocutionary acts of the speeches. This was done with a view to determine the global pattern of pragmatic moves of the selected political speeches. The data were drawn from the Victory speech and Inaugural Speech and analyzed following the Speech Act theory of Austin (1962) and Searle (1969). The tabular presentations of the analysis were drawn showing the relative frequencies of the speech acts and percentages. Twenty (20) sentences were obtained from the speeches, from which forty(40) speech acts (direct and indirect illocutionary acts) were obtained. The findings showed that the Overall Relative Frequency Percentages (ORFPs) for the selected speeches of Umaru Musa Yar'Adua were: assertive-60%, directive-35%, expressive-15%, verdictive-40%, commisive-30%, and declarative-20%. These ORFPs results showed that Umaru Musa Yar'Adua relied more on sentences that performed assertive acts than other speech acts. He used the sentences that were vindictive and directive to assert his authority and exercise his power as the President. Sentences that were expressive had the least ORFP; hence, it was observed that the President exploited less of sentences which were meant for indicating the sincerity of his intentions. The Speech Act analysis of the political discourses of Umaru Musa Yar'Adua provided the understanding that political leaders in Nigeria perform various acts through their speeches. These speech acts assist in the understanding and interpretation of the messages in their speeches.
Language use cannot be characterized in terms of grammar alone; neither can meaning be adequately described in terms of formal grammatic description alone. That is why language use should be viewed from pragmatic perspective; which is the aspect of linguistics concerned with what people use language for, and how contextual factors interact with linguistic resource in the interpretation of speeches and utterances. The work uses Speech Act theory in analyzing President Olusegun Obasanjo’s speech on imposition of state of emergency in Plateau State Nigeria. The paper argues that president Obasanjo exploited the rich domain of pragmatics in his speech delivery to quell the incessant violence in Plateau. The result shows that the president’s speech is adjudged felicitous, and he utilized declarative illocutionary act to back up his words with action. Through this means social justice was achieved, albeit temporarily.
The fundamental role of legislators is to make laws which would bring about positive changes in the lives of the electorates whom they represent. Consequently, it is expected that every legislator's utterances are made with the intention to bring about a " change in the existing state of affairs " in the country. One linguistic theory which has demonstrated that speaking is acting is Speech Act Theory. This theory states that speakers perform three communicative acts: locutionary, illocutionary and performative acts. Illocutionary acts could be performed either implicitly or explicity. Therefore, using Speech Act Theory, this study sets out to identify and explain the various illocutionary acts performed by Nigerian legislators during bill debates. The data for the analysis were taken from Nigeria Senate Hansard of the 6 th National Assembly. The study is constrained by the fact that the Hansard which is a verbatim recordings of the senate official interactions is devoid of phonological and other non-verbal pragmatic clues. The study reveals that Nigerian legislators perform mostly four types of explicit illocutionary acts – representative, affective, effective and conditional acts. The study concludes that the speakers' utterances are characterized by two levels: surface and deep levels. The surface level of the locution is the act of representative, affective, effective and conditional and the deep level is the act of persuading the other senators to accept the speaker's view on the topic of discussion.
2019 •
Political language is overtly different in intention and context from any other language use. The current paper aims at examining contextually and intentionally the current president of Zimbabwe, Commander Dambudzo’s speech. It draws on the speech act theory as propounded by Austin (1962) and Searle (1969) to analyse the utterances produced by the politician to his people in order to decode the messages conveyed. In the main, the results unveil that such intentions as thanking, instructing, commanding, requesting, etc; cover the entire speech of the president and therefore, fit with the context in which it is delivered.
This research deals with the types of illocutionary acts in Donald Trump's Inaugural Speech. The research concerns with illocutionary act produced by Donald Trumps as a President of American. The aim of this research was to analyze the types of illocutionary speech act which was dominantly used in that speech. This research applied descriptive qualitative method and speech act theory by Yule. There were 63 utterances and the percentage of utterances were Representative 46%, Expressive 11%, Directive 16%, Commissive 12,7%, and Declarative 14,3%. The result showed that Donald Trump assert to the audience about the nation will be. It is found that Trump's speech acts in his speech are intended as statement of fact and assertion. Disscussion of hopes implied in Trump's speech acts. As seen on the table above, it can be seen that Trump hoped that his audiences would be persuaded to act
—This study tried to investigate pragmatic competence in Iran's 2013 presidential election candidates. The data were collected from the recorded video of a live TV program at the Fararu news source by sampling the third debate. At first, the researchers employed Austin's (1962) and Searle's (1975) theory to extract types of speech act strategies used by the candidates. Then, the study used the Pearson chi-square formula to examine the frequency of speech acts types. Moreover, the present study compared types of locutionary, illocutionery, and perlocutionary speech acts used by candidates with the poll outcomes issued by press media, in order to achieve the assumption that speech acts might have a great effect on election's outcomes. It found three kinds of locutionary acts: declarative, imperative and interrogative. Also, tt found five kinds of illocutionary acts used by some candidates: declarative, representative, directive, expressive, and commissive. Consequently, the candidates were almost equally in using locutionary acts, but they were permanently different in illocutionary acts. Finally, tn terms of perlocutionary acts, the candidates were mostly intended to get the hearers know by their assertion, explanation, clarification, argumentation, etc.
Vision: Journal of Language and Foreign Language Learning
An Analysis of Speech Act Used in London Has Fallen MovieThe most significant thing in speech act is the message that the speaker wants to convey. It means when using language is produces not only a sentence but also perform an action. The aims of the research are (i) to find out the kinds of speech act used in London Has Fallen Movie (ii) to find out the way of speech act and the classifications of illocutionary act used in London Has Fallen Movie. This research uses descriptive qualitative research. This research figures out the kinds of speech act and the classifications of the illocutionary act used in London Has Fallen Movie. The result of the research shows that: (i) there are 76 utterances of speech act used in London Has Fallen Movie which is the most dominant is illocutionary act consist of 37 utterances. (ii) there are 99 utterances of the classifications of the illocutionary act, and the most dominant categories are directive with 32 utterances and expressive with 23 utterances.
Beder Scientific Journal of Education Sciences ( BJES).
Improving quality teaching in teacher education programs2017 •
Politologiske Studier
Security as Justification An Analysis of Deng Xiaoping's Speech to the Martial Law Troops in Beijing on the Ninth of June 19892003 •
2018 •
Rilale-Uac. Volume 1, Numero 1
ANALYSIS OF SPEECH ACTS IN DONALD TRUMP’S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH.2019 •
Zakie Asidiky
THE SPEECH ACTS IN THE CLAUSES WRITTEN ON FOUR COVER STORIES IN NEWSWEEKLY WEBSITE: A PRAGMATIC APPROACH2016 •
Lodz Papers in Pragmatics
Speech acts and the autonomy of linguistic pragmatics2009 •
Advances in swearing research. New languages and new contexts
Swearing in Persian A new perspective on swearing as a speech act2017 •
Macagno, F. & Walton, D. (2017). Interpreting Straw Man Argumentation. The pragmatics of Quotation and Reporting. Amsterdam: Springer. ISBN: 978-3-319-62544-7.
Interpreting Straw Man Argumentation. The pragmatics of Quotation and Reporting. Amsterdam: Springer. ISBN: 978-3-319-62544-7.2017 •
2018 •