STRATEGIC ASPECT OF ENGLISH POLITICAL DISCOURSE

Authors
S.A. Abrahamyan
Affiliation
Yervan State University
Выпуск 31 и 32
Pages
9-21

The article discusses a strategic aspect of English political discourse. The aim of communicative acts of political discourse is to influence the audience and to induce it to some actions which correspond to the aims and intentions of the sender of the message. For political discourse, the main goal of which is to influence the addressee, the perlocutive act is the main one in the structure of the speech act. It represents a purposeful influence on the thoughts and actions of the recipient and provokes the change in the interlocutor's consciousness and certain reaction (amazement, discontent, fear, anger, etc.). The model "friend - enemy" / "we - they" is the basic semantic opposition in political discourse with corresponding positive and negative value implications and connotations and lies in the basis of its linguopragmatic strategies and tactics. Correspondingly, political discourse is characterized by two opposing function:  on the one hand, it secures continuity of social development by means of cooperation strategy directed towards consolidation of social and political forces and  reaching  consent and compromises, and, on the other hand, it opposes and divides the society on "friends" and "foes" implementing the strategies of confrontation and conflict. Modern political discourse, which is becoming less tolerant and more aggressive, not only reflects mentioned social practices, but also influences them. Nevertheless, though strategies and tactics of speech influence explicitly or implicitly represent varieties of coercive influence on the recipient, which contradicts the cooperation principle and maxims of effective communication, everyday communicative practice is the only way to avoid coercion, reach mutual understanding and compromise. 

For citation

Abrahamyan, S. A. (2018). Strategic aspect of English political discourse. Issues of Applied Linguistics, 32&31, 9-21. doi: https://doi.org/10.25076/vpl.31.32.01 

This artiсle is available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.