Language Techniques and Literary Devices for National Messaging in President Buhari’s Democracy Day Speech

IF 0.3 0 LANGUAGE & LINGUISTICS
Isaiah Aluya, Samuel Edem
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引用次数: 1

Abstract

That language is used to convey a broad sense of meanings and that the meanings that are conveyed with language are moulded by our immediate social, political and historical conditions are safe assumptions about the efficacy of language. This paper discusses language techniques and literary devices for national messaging to ascertain their functions in national discourse. To achieve this aim, the study examines purposively sampled excerpts from Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari’s Democracy Day speech on June 12, 2019, using insights from practical stylistics. This is to determine whether the language and literary devices have been deployed effectively to the speech’s content. The language and literary devices observed were reference items, to signal solidarity and inclusivity; evidential clauses, to consolidate the argument raised; capitalisation, to foreground the issues discussed; name-calling, to ridicule political opponents; the praise tactic, for self-promotion and positive representation, the blame-game tactic, to evade responsibility and denigrate previous administration; hasty generalisation, to advance personal agenda; and allusion, to draw knowledge from historical events. The study submits that the aforementioned devices, depending on how they are used in communication, can either foster or jeopardise national integration. Consequently, it recommends that national discourses be cautiously constructed using pertinent linguistic and literary devices.
布哈里总统民主日演讲中国家信息传递的语言技巧和文学手段
语言是用来传达广泛意义的,而语言传达的意义是由我们当前的社会、政治和历史条件塑造的,这是对语言功效的安全假设。本文探讨了民族信息传递的语言技巧和文学手段,以确定它们在民族话语中的功能。为了实现这一目标,该研究利用实用文体学的见解,有目的地从尼日利亚总统穆罕默杜·布哈里2019年6月12日的民主日演讲中抽取了一些样本。这是为了确定语言和文学手段是否有效地运用到演讲的内容中。观察到的语言和文学手段是参考项目,表明团结和包容;证据性条款,巩固提出的论点;资本化,以突出讨论的问题;谩骂,嘲笑政治对手;赞扬策略是为了自我推销和正面表现;指责游戏策略是为了逃避责任和诋毁前任政府;草率概括,推进个人议程;还有典故,从历史事件中汲取知识。研究报告指出,上述设备可能促进或危害国家一体化,这取决于它们在通信中的使用方式。因此,委员会建议使用适当的语言和文学手段谨慎地构建民族话语。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
自引率
50.00%
发文量
11
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