Language of Persuasion: An Examination of Governor Aliyu Wamakko’s Selected Speeches
Chapter One
Aim and Objectives
This study is aimed at finding the possible application or implication of this language use by Governor Aliyu Makatakarda Wamakko to his success as a political leader.
- It will also try to find out the degree of success Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko speeches serve in his
- The research will identify defects, if any, of the language use of the Governor.
- Identify the techniques used in the speeches to appeal to the audience.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we are going to review some related literature with a view to reflecting on the major aspects of the variables affecting or relating to the most important part of this research. Authors, scholars and intellectuals in this field of language and politics, have introduced and stated the aim and methodology, as well as delimited the study. This chapter seeks to undertake a review of previous researches carried out in this field as they relate to our study.
Language-Politics Relationship
When we ordinarily think of language and politics, many of the situations which readily come to mind are those which we might describe as involving Language as a dependant variable in the relationship. One of the most basic ways in which Language and Politics are related is through a verbal communication system, which is associated with every system which we would call Government. We know of no system of Government which does not involve the use of Language, Language is a pre-requisite upon which all Governmental system are predicted.
O’Barr and O’Barr (1976:5), echo this views
“There are three important categories between language and politics:- (a) Those situations in which Governments intervene in, and attempt to control the communication system itself. (b) Those in which language factors intervene in and thus affect the processes of government and politics. (c) Those in which Language and Politics are in mutual interaction, feeling back upon one another”. (O’Barr &O’Barr19976:5)
Here we can see that Language is a resource in the political process, whether in the hands of individual actors or of Governments, and in which it is used to control, manipulate, and achieve political ends. The most important relationship between Language and Politics is the fact that all these are verbal exchange systems in which the primary business is conducted through discussion, argumentation, discourse, speech making, questioning etc. mostly through written and spoken words.
The Use of Language
Language, which is malleable and variable, is a cultural resource for manipulation of meaning by those who choose to use it. One of the ways in which manipulation is manifested is in the very definition of language. It is commonly believed that the boundaries between Languages are relatively clear-cut and fixed. Those with greater sophistication would argue that Languages are structural entities, which have a life of their own. No matter how people try to change them, they continue in the same direction.
Man is involved in activities and employs Language uniquely to express various fields of endeavor. We notice a general characteristic which underlines the register of those various fields, particularly those of religion, conversation, campaign and politics. The language used in these sectors tends to be predominantly manipulative, informative and persuasive. Boulton (1960:83) tends to subscribe to this view when she remarks that, “language is often used not to communicate, but to deceive. This is often true of political and religious propaganda, is far from unknown in the field of personal life and is exemplified in the world of presenting large-scale commercial advertising”.
Conversational language is the most commonly used kind of English and its variety which is very familiar to the majority of English- speaking people every day. This claim cannot be made of any other variety of English. Politicians use this variety during campaigns because the campaign is something that has to do with conversation, which is used to manipulate and convince the electorate for their votes. According to Crystal and Davy (1969:95), “it is the least ‘marked’ kind of situational influenced English”. Other varieties are clearly restricted to a particular situation, while conversational English has no comparable situational specificity. It is situational speaking, the most neutral kind of English one can find.
CHAPTER THREE
ANALYSIS OF DATA
Introduction
This chapter focuses on the methods adopted in the collection of data. It specifically explicates instrument used in gathering the data as well as the method used to analyze the collected data.
Research Instruments
The method and the tool adopted in this research work include using interpersonal relationships with the Director Protocol, Sokoto state government house to obtain confidential information. The researcher met with the Director personally and obtained some copies of the printed and documented speeches of the Governor. Also some video clips were collected and examined to determine the nature and the type of language used by the Governor.
Method of Data Analysis
A number of statistical methods are usually employed to analyze the collected data for different research purpose. But in the case of this work, the researcher watched some of the electronic version (video clips) of the speeches and read the printed copies of them.
CHAPTER FOUR
Findings
This chapter carefully describes each speech, analyzing words, composition, articulation and oracy of presentation. The purpose is to indicate persuasion and its effect on the audience.
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary
This research work has tried to explore how the Governor of Sokoto uses language of persuasion to woo the attention and interest of his audience. In doing so, it has been realized that the state governor made frequent use of persuasive language in almost all the speeches he delivered.
Similarly, the Governor used to be religiously guided in his utterance. He became religiously sentimental, quoting religious verses and giving reference from Prophetic tradition in order to persuade and convince his audience.
Moreover, from the selected speeches carefully observed and analyzed, it is clearly understood that the Governor is very fond of being in the shoe of his audience. He always consider himself as part of the masses not as someone above their status or better than them in hierarchy. This made the audience believe in him, trust and support anything brought to them by him.
Conclusion
From the foregoing, this piece of work helped us understand the power and wisdom attached to language of persuasion in realizing anything politician needs to achieve from the electorates. This has been
justified from the selected speeches of Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State as political office holder. It has shown the power of the language to captivate, entice, convince and persuade the audience and make them feel ever ready to support his initiatives.
Recommendations
In view of the above research, it is pertinent and paramount to conduct further researches on language of persuasion by examining different speeches delivered by different political office holders in different sector of administration. This will help in exploring more wisdom attached to the language.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Anifowose, R. (1982): Violence and politics in Nigeria, New York: Nork Publication.
- Ball, A. (1978): Language of Modern politics. London Macmillan Education Ltd.
- Bereket H. (1974): The Executive in Africa Governments. Heinemann Educational Books.
- Birk N.P & Birk G.B (1986): “Selection, Slanting, and Charged Language” in Goshgarian G. book
- Bolinger, D. (1980): Language: The low led Weapon. London: Long man.
- Boulton, M. (1960): The Anatomy of Language. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
- Brian, B. (1978): Political Argument. London Routledge and Kegan Paul.
- Crystal D, & D (1969): Investigating English style, Essex Longman group Ltd.
