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Critical Discourse Analysis In Obama Speech

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Recommended: The relation ship between society and language

Obama’s Speech on Racism: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Husain Abdulhay
Department of English Language Translation, Payame Noor University, Iran husainabdolhay@yahoo.com Abstract
Language as a means of communication is scrupulously dealt with nowadays in all disciplines from language studies to politics by dint of critical discourse analysis to get into the way of dissecting all forms of speech acts for illuminating and informing its users of the power and influence encrypted in the words. Discourse is entitled to meticulous consideration as much as a political decision does. Society members need to hearken and peruse something they can identify with. With panorama of CDA, hinged upon Van Dijk’s analytical framework of micro and macro-strategies, …show more content…

In addition, the external function or purpose is not determined unless the context and participant are taken into account (i.e., all the pertaining situational, social and cultural factors) in which a fraction of discourse appears (Marianne Celce-murcia & Elite Olshtain, 2000). Cook (1989 regards discourse as “the language in use” (p. 6). According to Firth (1930) speech is produced in a social situation nurtured and nourished by cultural context. Carter and Nunan propound (2001) that “Discourse analysts deal with speeches( i.e. sequences of words written or spoken in certain situations) rather than with sentences (sequence of words conforming , or not, to the rules of grammar for the construction of phrase , clauses, etc.) ” (p. …show more content…

CDA has helped uncloak ideological intention and identification hidden between the lines imposed or indited by parties.

Research Questions
The research question posed to ignite moving on to finding an answer for was as follows:
How were race and racism represented in Obama’s oratorical discourse?

Significance of the study
The current study is hoped to lend hand to cautioning institutionally the discourses used to address the issue of race. It will command the attention of instructions to deal with the issue of race more diligently and even act in a certain way by helping alleviating the subject of racism incorporating ethnic studies courses in educational programs. With this in mind that how the instructions and their powers mold the thought, discourse and rhetoric of the societies, and that how the powerful figures play a role in quenching or fanning the flames will assist to move toward the edifying the discourse used by potent

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