Language of Persuasion: An Analysis of the Inaugural Speeches of Presidents Jonathan and Buhari
Chapter One
Purpose of the Study
This research in the field of discourse analysis will analyze an aspect that concerns the influence of language on the articulation of attitudes and perceptions and persuade the people to take certain actions. This research aims to identify the linguistic features of the selected inaugural speeches, identify the lexical choices made and recognize the semantic and pragmatic implications. It will also attempt to analyze the rhetorical strategies employed in the speeches to persuade the audience.
CHAPTER TWO
Review of Related Scholarship
The Concept of Language and Perception
So many linguists have over time, drawn conclusions from their findings in different areas concerning language and offered their contributions to this field of study by way of definitions and concepts. Since this research is primarily in the field of discourse analysis which is the study of language use, we would try to define language by drawing from different sources. Radford (21), views the concept of language as the mirror of the mind and through its study, we reach a better understanding of how the human mind produces and processes language. This is just as Nnamdi-Eruchalu (1) agrees that language is an indispensable tool used by members of a speech community to communicate their thoughts to one another while Sapir (8), defines language as a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires which captures all aspects of human thoughts and endeavours.
The power of language in influencing the thoughts of members of a society and transforming the society is noteworthy as Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf tried to explain with the theory of determinism (Yule, 269). Language determinism refers to the notion developed by Benjamin Lee Whorf that a language determines certain nonlinguistic processes, that is, influences the way a person thinks (Carroll, 379). Whorf posits that language carves up a reality and words have the power to influence thought processes. Sapir quoted in Fromkin et al, posits that humans are very much at the mercy of the particular language that has become the medium of expression for their society and language predispose certain choices of interpretation.
For this research, the focus will be in the political sphere. In this sphere, political power is negotiated by the use of linguistic and nonlinguistic elements amongst others and whoever can make use of these elements to create ideologies that are perceived as better, gains political control. Language could be a binding factor or a destructive element in any attempted human endeavour, the more reason religious leaders, teachers, politicians and all those that truly understand the place of language in the formation of the thoughts of a group use it to achieve the desired aim.
Politicians wish to create certain ideologies that will further their political aim and give them the power they seek or help them maintain an already existing one. In a democratic setting, politicians can only achieve this by negotiating power through linguistic and nonlinguistic means.
Therefore, politicians are involved in a lot of events where they have to speak to convince the people that they are best fit to occupy the available positions of power. As Onwujekwe (2) notes that language plays an important conceptual function because it is an instrument by which the manipulative intents of politicians become known and these are revealed in the use of rhetorical strategies and devices to achieve persuasiveness.
Language and Politics
Language and politics here implies how language is used to achieve political ends. This area also sheds light on the ways language can be used to create and reinforce certain value systems, focusing on the role of discourse in shaping the beliefs which affect people’s behaviours, motivations, desires and fears and in establishing certain ideologies as ‘common sense’.
Ruth Wodak (n. pag.) outlines that political discourse includes apart from speeches, televised press conferences, broadcast and televised interviews with politicians, snippets on the internet or in reports on political events in the press. She also notes that political discourse can be confronted in slogans, leaflets and advertisement of political parties, organizations or interest groups and adds that we encounter political discourse even when we pass by halls and events where political ideas are articulated. (n. pag.)
The question that has continued to puzzle the mind then is what politics is and what it is not; what should be grouped as political or politics. This question brings us to what exactly politics is and what has been said about it. Chilton (qttd in Kamalu, 71) contends that “At the heart of what we call ‘politics’ is the attempt to get others to ‘share a common view’ about what is useful-harmful, good-evil, just-unjust.” Politics as a word has been perceived by different people. On one hand, it is a byword for bargaining, crafty behavior, compromise and scheming for advantage whether merited or unmerited as Chinwuba (8) notes.
Due to this seeming use of language to mislead the people, Jones and Warring in Onwujekwe (2) places the language of politics between deception and persuasion (rhetoric) just as Crystal quoted in ScholasticaChinwuba (8) says “politics is the world of the half-truth…” On the other hand, Ali Mazrui declares that ‘politics is an activity at the centre of which a distinct class of people called politicians concerned with direct interactions between politics or leadership and their followers, oratory and skill of articulation and persuasion assume importance (96).
Chapter Three
Research Methodology
Research Design
This research is a qualitative and analytical as it seeks to establish language use in the politics, with focus on the inaugurals of Presidents of Nigeria. This research is designed to observe and describe the strategies employed in their inaugural speeches to persuade the people.
Population and Sample
The sample population of the study comprises the Presidents of Nigeria which was further limited to Presidents who delivered inaugural speeches as democratically elected leaders. The sampling technique used in this study is the non-probability method which was further narrowed to a purposive sampling technique after which two inaugural speeches delivered on 29th May 2011 and 2015 by President Goodluck Jonathan and President MuhammaduBuhari were chosen out of the four inaugural speeches of democratically elected Presidents of Nigeria to achieve a comprehensive study and for want of time.
Chapter Four
Pathos
These include affective devices that arouse emotion and may incite action in hearers. They include salutations, balanced sentences, triads, use of pronouns and figures of speech that touch the emotions of the people and urge them to forge a united front for the success of the new government. They are calculated to leave a deep effect and impression on the mind.
Salutation: This is any form of a signal in which the receiver of the salutation is being acknowledged, respected or thanked. The first few lines of the inaugural is dedicated to salutations and compliments.
Chapter Five
Discussion of Findings
Question 1: What lexical and grammatical choices are made in the two speeches?
The research discovered that certain literary devices which reflect lexical and grammatical choices were chosen to persuade the listeners. The use of pronouns, metaphors, vocatives, promises, allusions are all evident of the choices made by the speakers. They both made use of salutations and endearments to enhance the persuasiveness of the speeches.
Question 2: How do these choices constitute to the meaning conveyed in the speeches?
The use of the plural personal pronouns, we, our and us whenever it has nothing to do with the personal decision or life of the speaker is endearing the speaker to the listener and a swift change to singular personal pronoun I and me depicts a strong will power.
Vocatives used in the speeches make the people feel elated and desire to work with the new administration. By using promises, the speakers assure their listeners of a better future which they expect from the new government. Salutations constitute a major factor of the lifestyle of Nigerians and by its ample use, every member of the listener group is acknowledged.
Question 3: What persuasive strategies were employed for the speeches to convince their audience?
The three Aristotelian appeals were used in the speeches though the appeal to ethos (speaker’s credibility) and logos were used sparingly. The speeches used the appeal to logos to state facts and reasons to support their arguments. Appeal to ethos which is the credibility of the speaker was also made use of to show how credible the new Presidents were. Both speeches used this appeal to state a claim to the legitimacy of their positions as president of the country.
Appeal to pathos was mostly used in both speeches to urge the listeners to forge a united front for the success of the new government. Through the use of analogy, allusions, metaphor, promises, salutations, balanced and short sentences, the speakers aroused the emotion of listeners to convince them.
Question 4: How do these persuasive strategies reflect ethical or unethical appeals / logical fallacies?
Though psychological persuasion was undertaken by the speakers to the listeners but in doing so, certain fallacies were also made like making a statement of opinion sound like an accepted fact (hasty generalization) and not following the sequence and process of arguing
Conclusion
Linguistic strategies employed in their inaugurals serve different purposes of thanking and acknowledging all who contributed to their successful election into office, stating their objectives and plans for the country, promising the people of a better future, assuring the people of the pedigree and capabilities of the president, entreating international support and giving a blueprint of the stance of his administration. It was discovered that both inaugural speeches began with salutations, discussed current problems relating to the country alongside possible solutions and ended with a final note of a promise of better days ahead. This research demonstrated also that in trying to convince the people, certain illogical statements were delivered which may be persuasive or psychologically convincing. Through the high use of promises, acknowledgement/salutations, vocatives, pronouns and other devices that will arouse the emotion of the hearers, stating facts and expressions of pedigree and expertise, certain communal values and experiences are drawn and the inaugural speaker assures of his plans to restructure and build a stable country bedeviled by an array of problems. Amongst the three strategies in the Aristotelean Model of rhetoric in the inaugurals, the research discovered that the speeches employed a high use of emotional appeals in persuading the people.
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