1、AcknowledgementsIf there is no careful guidance and precious suggestions from all the professorsand my classmates, the study couldnt be successfully achieved.First, I will express a million thanks to my supervisor, Professor Wu Qiong forher constructive suggestions, attentive corrections, and creati
2、ve inspiration in theprocess of my thesis writing all the time. If no her meticulous guidance, this studycould not be finished finally.Second, I shall thank Associate Professor Zhao Tianshu and Bai Zhigang fortheir generous assistances. Their valuable suggestions made my thesis moresystematic and lo
3、gical.Next, honest appreciation will be shown for all my teachers and schoolmates inInstitute of Foreign Language. They have supplied me with a great deal of inspirationand many valuable materials concerning my thesis.My earnest gratitude finally goes to my parents because of their understandingand
4、support. Their patient solicitude made me overcome many difficulties and alsoaccomplished the present thesis ultimately.iiAbstractIn 1979, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as a new discourse-analysisapproach was put forward by Fowler, Kress, et al., in their commonly-composed book.In the process of
5、 development, CDA has combined a variety of sciences into itsresearch field, such as critical theories and sociology. Up to now, as aninterdisciplinary analysis approach, it has developed into one of the most significantbranches in the area of linguistics.The present study will analyze American Pres
6、ident, Barrack Obamas eightpolitical discourses primarily in Faricloughs three-dimensional framework. SinceHalliday considers that people should describe not only language structure ofdiscourse, but also the way in which discourse is determined by social structure.Therefore, Hallidays functional gra
7、mmar is bound to be considered as the theoreticalbasis of the present study.Language characteristics of Obamas political speeches will be firstly presentedthrough quantitative and qualitative methods. Next, based on the three meta-functions,the study will further interpret the way in which these lan
8、guage characteristics areproduced. Moreover, the social context of Obamas presidential campaign will becombined into the explanation in order to further interpret the relations of ideologicalsystem and power relations behind political speeches.The present study finds that the attribute of the politi
9、cal speeches are allcarrying their ideologies. No matter how the speakers highlight the fidelity of hisiiispeeches, they will be more or less influenced by their own thinking system and alsotheir political views and purposes will be added into speeches subconsciously. So itwill be easy for them to c
10、hoose different language devices (such as transitivity andthematic structure) and to insert their various ideologies into speeches imperceptibly.Through analyzing Obamas speeches, there are several theoretical and practicalmeanings of the present study as well. Firstly, CDA broadens the research fie
11、ld ofdiscourse analysis. Secondly, a large number of data will be analyzed in order todiscover the regularities of Obamas speeches. Thirdly, by learning CDA, people canimprove their critical consciousness to reject the dross and assimilate the essence offoreign culture. Finally, it will also provide
12、 a new method for language teaching andlearning.Key Words: Critical Discourse Analysis, Obamas political speeches, ideology, powerrelations, social contextiv摘要一九七九年，批评语篇分析作为一种新的语篇分析方法，在语言与控制一书中首次被福勒等人提出。在发展过程中，批评语篇分析吸收了多学科的精华，目前为止，它已经成为语篇分析领域中最具影响力的一个分支。本文基于费尔克劳夫的三维分析模式以及韩礼德的元功能语法分析美国总统，奥巴马在 2008年美国
13、总统选举中的八篇演说进行批评研究。首先，通过定量和定性分析，本文对奥巴马演讲中的语言的三个元功能特点进行呈现和说明。其次，基于三个元功能，本文阐释这些语言特点是如何形成的。最后，本文分析并且结合奥巴马总统当时选举的社会背景，进一步阐释政治语篇与其语境的关系以及政治语篇中的意识形态和权力与语言的关系。通过分析，可以发现无论政治家们如何强调政治观点的客观性，总是会受到他们本身的意识形态的影响，并且将他们的政治理念和目的潜意识地加入其政治演讲中去。所以，对于政治家来说，不同的语言机制的选择，例如及物性，被动态，会表达出他们不同的意识形态和政治目的。因此，在日常生活中，人们应该提高自己的批评语言意识来
14、寻求政治语篇中隐藏的秘密。通过研究，本文产生了一些理论和现实意义。首先，批评语篇分析扩展了语篇分析的理论领域。其次，大量的语篇分析目的是发现政治家们语言的规律，提高人们对政治语篇的敏感度。再次，通过批评语篇分析理论的学习，人们的批评意识可以提到提高，并且对于西方文化会吸收精华，摒弃糟粕。最后，本文还为语言教学提供了一种新的理念，尤其是语言的写作和阅读教学。关键词：批评语篇分析；奥巴马的政治演说；意识形态；权力关系；社会语境vContentsAcknowledgements iiAbstract iii摘要. vContents. viChapter 1 Introduction 11.1 Ba
15、ckground of the Study . 21.2 Significance of the Study 31.3 Structure of the Study 4Chapter 2 Literature Review. 62.1 Political Speech and CDA 62.2 An Introduction of CDA 82.2.1 General Overview of CDA 82.2.2 Key terms of CDA . 92.2.2.1 Definition of Discourse . 92.2.2.2 Definition of Ideology 102.2
16、.2.3 Definition of Power 112.2.3 Theoretical Source and Regulations of CDA . 122.2.4 The features of CDA 132.3 Theoretical Foundation of the Study . 142.3.1 Hallidays Three Meta-functions . 15vi2.3.1.1 Ideational Meta-function. 152.3.1.2 Interpersonal Meta-function 202.3.1.3 Textual Meta-function. 2
17、22.3.2 Fairclough s Three-dimensional Model . 232.3.2.1 Description . 242.3.2.2 Interpretation 252.3.2.3 Explanation. 252.4 Previous Researches of CDA . 262.4.1 Researches Abroad 262.4.2 Researches at Home. 28Chapter 3 Methodology . 323.1 Research questions . 323.2 Source of Data 323.3 Data Processi
18、ng Procedures . 333.3.1 Instrument . 333.3.2 Data Processing 33Chapter 4 Results and Discussion . 344.1 Answer to Q1 & Discussion 344.2 Answer to Q2 & Discussion 514.3 Answer to Q3 & Discussion 54Chapter 5 Conclusion 635.1 Majors Findings . 63vii5.2 Pedagogical Implications . 655.3 Limitations of th
19、e Study . 685.4 Suggestions for Further Study . 68References 70viiiChapter 1 IntroductionSince Critical Discourse Analysis or Critical Linguistics emerged, it has drawnmore and more attention from different research fields. Different from the mainstreamlinguistic, which is mainly the research of pur
20、e theory, CDA is a science which beginsto not only pay attention to the relationship between ideology and power behindlanguage, but make a through investigation into this kind of relationship among thecurrent historical-social context. So, the present study analyzes Barrack Obamaspolitical speeches
21、in the framework of Critical Discourse Analysis with the aim offinding the characteristics of his political speeches, the underlying relationshipbetween power and ideology developed by the language among his political speeches,and the interrelationship between political speeches and social context.W
22、hen people refer to political speeches, most of them will not observe theideological assumptions or the real political purposes behind these politiciansspeeches. Instead, they just appreciate their the fine art of speech. To a large extent,the politicians image mainly depends on their way of languag
23、e use. Consequently, itbelieves that a critical analysis of political speeches will be of certain significance,which not only inform people of the characteristics of political speeches, but alsoenable them to understand the hidden culture behind these speeches. And it wasdiscovered that the research
24、 mainly concentrated on the news reports analysis, not thepolitical speech, which further pushes forward the study to take a critical analysis ofObamas political speeches from the three specific aspectstext, discourse, and1social context. In the following part, a brief introduction of research backg
25、round,significance, and structure of this present study will be elaborated firstly.1.1 Background of the StudyWith the development of mass media, western linguists and philosophers beganto become aware that language was not merely a transparent means, or a vehicle ofreflecting the society, but was a
26、 social semiotic or practice. Hence, the essence oflanguage must bear its societys economic, cultural and political factors (Tang Qingye,2009:271 ).Therefore, based on these reasons, some scholars such as Fowler andHodge intended to rethink the functions of language, and then began to pay attentiont
27、o issues of social hierarchy, ideology and power relations. Afterwards, theyconcentrated on the relationship between language and their social and historicalbackground. During the course of exploration, political speeches, as the room ofpreserving social and historical constitutes, have been to ling
28、uistics research interest.In general, political speech can be analyzed from different perspectives. For atraditional way, it was always studied in the framework of some traditional discourseanalysis theories, including cohesive ties, lexical style, etc. However, it seems to beless persuasive and com
29、prehensive, since political speech is a political product, whichis composed in its social and historical background. Just because of the unique featureof political speech, it is not sufficient to study only the formal characteristics ofpolitical speech. Considering this aspect, the social contextual
30、 factors should be takeninto the analysis of political speeches. In the light of making a comprehensive andpersuasive analysis of Obamas speeches, the study will analyze the data from three2structures, i.e. textual, discoursal and social dimensions. Thus, the discourse analysisapproach CDA is employ
31、ed to make such kind of study with the aim of disclosing inwhat way the political speeches connect to the large social context.1.2 Significance of the StudyThe significance of this thesis will be expounded from two aspects: theoreticaland practical significance.Theoretical SignificanceFirstly, unlik
32、e traditional discourse analysis, which mainly focuses on theanalysis of vocabulary, coherence, cohesion and turn-taking, Critical DiscourseAnalysis is a new and rising science that takes historical and social contextual factorsinto the research of language. More specifically, CDA aims to explore th
33、e way thatideological assumption and power relations are performed by language in itshistorical-social background. Hence, it is no doubt that CDA as a new sciencebroadens the vision of discourse analysis.Secondly, compared with external research, Critical Discourse Analysis is anew study in China. F
34、urthermore, the research of CDA mainly focuses on the analysisof news reports. It is far from satisfactory to make a critical study of political speechesat present. Therefore, it will be worthy of a detailed study of Obamas politicalspeeches in the framework of CDA. And based on the analysis of suff
35、icient data in thepresent study, the thesis will also expand the research scope of CDA.Practical SignificanceFirstly, this thesis will supply people who are fond of language of politics with3a new perspective. The sensitivity to the current affairs of the society could becultivated by studying this
36、critical theory. So, it will be easy for the people tocomprehend the underlying meanings among different political articles. So theregularities, the intentions, the aims of speaking will be discovered. Simultaneously,language consciousness of people is trained in the process as well.Secondly, Englis
37、h teaching or learning will be benefited a lot from the study.The combination of this theory and English teaching could enhance students criticalthinking, and thereby enable them to have a deeper understanding of discourses,especially political discourses. Moreover, it also supplies a new teaching p
38、hilosophyto teachers, who could teach English reading not only from formal characteristics ofmaterials, but also to combine socio-historical context to teach students the underlyingmeaning.Finally, by this guidance of teaching, not only the language ability of students,but the insight of identifying
39、 western culture could be concurrently developed.1.3 Structure of the StudyFor the sake of a coherent and distinct arrangement research, the author firstlylists a general design of the present study.Chapter one is a brief introduction, which generally makes a list of the studysimportance, the resear
40、ch background, and structure.Chapter two firstly discusses the relationship between political speech and CDA,and then followed by a literature review of Critical Discourse Analysis, including thebasic and important concepts of CDA, its development, and the characteristics and4principles of CDA. And
41、then the theoretical framework (Hallidays threemeta-functions and Faircloughs three-dimensional model) are also elaborated.Finally it presents the previous researches of CDA both abroad and at home.Chapter three concerns the methodology of the study, which is considered asthe most important part of
42、the whole thesis. Research questions, data collection anddata analysis are all included in this chapter. In pace with Faircloughs analysisframework, in the first procedural analysis, the language characteristics of Obamasspeeches from the point of Hallidays meta-functional grammar will be presentedf
43、irstly in this chapter.Chapter four mainly involves the answers & discussions to the three researchquestions. It will summarize the features of language from the perspective of threemeta-functions firstly. Then in what way Obamas political speeches are constitutedin view of these meta-functions will
44、 be mainly elaborated. At last, a detaileddiscussion of historical-social context is taken into analysis with the purpose offinding out the relationship between Obamas political discourses and social context,and the relationship between ideology and power behind his eight political speeches.Chapter
45、five is the conclusion of the whole paper. It firstly summarizes themajor findings, pedagogical implications of the study, and then the limitations andsuggestions will be stated finally.5Chapter 2 Literature ReviewThis chapter aims to make a review of previous study about Critical DiscourseAnalysis.
46、 At first, a brief introduction of basic concepts of CDA will be presented,followed by a review of the development, characteristics, and principles of CDA.Moreover, the theoretical foundation of the present study will be stated in details.Finally it goes after major achievements on CDA conducted by
47、some contributors athome and abroad.2.1 Political Speech and CDAIt is well known that public speech is one of the typical modalities of humancommunication. Different scholars have already defined it in different ways, and justas Li Yuanshou & Zou Kunshan (2004:27) have formulated, public speech is a
48、 way ofconveying information to audience with the aim of inspiring the audience. As a socialpractice, public speech has its own features: comprehensiveness, feasibility, anddirectness (Shao Shouyi, 1993:14). And public speeches can also be further dividedinto different types in the light of differen
49、t functions, such as political, military, art,religious and military discourses. Among these different types, political discourse isconsidered as a representative one, which attracts attention from different domains allalong. More specifically, political discourse is a kind of extensively affected type,which contains political speech, government deliberations, parliamentary debates,party programs, etc. During so many types of political discourses, political speech is atypical type, which mainly conveys a political partys political position or idea in6view of i
