Luận văn thạc sĩ experiential meanings of american politicians speeches on covid 19

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING QUY NHON UNIVERSITY NGUYỄN THỊ THẢO TRINH EXPERIENTIAL MEANINGS OF AMERICAN POLITICIANS’ SPEECHES ON COVID-19 Field: English Linguistics Code: 22 02 01 Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thi Thu Hien e BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN NGUYỄN THỊ THẢO TRINH NGHĨA KINH NGHIỆM TRONG CÁC BÀI PHÁT BIỂU CỦA CÁC CHÍNH TRỊ GIA MỸ VỀ COVID-19 Chuyên ngành : Ngôn ngữ Anh Mã số : 22 02 01 Người hướng dẫn: PGS TS Nguyễn Thị Thu Hiền e i STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP This thesis represents my own work and due acknowledgment is given whenever information is derived from other sources No part of this thesis has been or is being concurrently submitted for any other qualification at any university except where due reference has been made in the text Quy Nhon, 2021 NGUYỄN THỊ THẢO TRINH e ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly, I would like to express my great thanks in particular to Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, my supervisor, who has supported me a lot during the time I work on my thesis Her invaluable reading of the drafts as well as her useful feedback has contributed to the final form of this thesis Without her kind encouragement, her endless patience, her critical comments and her valuable materials, I cannot finish this thesis Besides, I would like to send my deep gratitude to all lecturers having taken part in the training process of MA course at Quy Nhon University Also, I take this opportunity to thank my family for their love and kind support during the time I worked on this work I am also grateful to my friends and classmates for their warm encouragement, help, and valuable materials e iii ABSTRACT Based on Halliday & Matthiessen‟s Systemic Functional Grammar framework, the present study aimed to investigate experiential meanings by Transitivity System in 20 speeches made by American politicians on COVID - 19 The main purpose of the study is to explore kinds of processes and circumstances of clauses in their speeches, to find out the most dominant type of process and circumstance used in the speeches, and then to interpret how the American politicians experience the world in COVID-19 time The study is a combination of qualitative, quantitative, descriptive, analytic, and synthetic method The results indicate that Material process, which is largely concerned with actions and events of the external world, seems to occupy all of the speeches Relational and Mental process also play a very important role in those speeches because they help the politicians express the reality from the point of view of onlookers as well as their feeling and thinking in their speeches The analysis also reveals that the circumstances center round where and when activities happen with the high proportion of Location, which reflects that the speakers strongly explain or describe the time and place of the events The findings of the study could serve as data for further understanding To learners, this kind of material is proved to be one of the effective instruments for improving their English skills and vocabulary e iv TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii ABBREVIATIONS AND CONVENTIONS vi LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF FIGURES viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Aim and Objectives of the Study 1.2.1 Aim 1.2.2 Objectives 1.3 Research Questions 1.4 Scope of the Study 1.5 Significance of the Study .4 1.6 Structure of the Thesis .5 CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW .6 2.1 Speech 2.2 Systemic Functional Grammar .6 2.3 Transitivity .8 2.3.1 Processes of Transitivity 10 2.3.2 Circumstances 16 2.4 Previous studies 23 CHAPTER RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 27 3.1 Research Method 27 3.2 Data collection .27 e v 3.3 Data analysis 28 3.4 Research procedure .28 3.5 Reliability and Validity 29 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 31 4.1 Processes 31 4.1.1 Material processes 32 4.1.2 Relational processes 38 4.1.3 Mental processes .40 4.1.4 Verbal processes .42 4.1.5 Existential processes .43 4.1.6 Behavioural processes 45 4.2 Circumstances 46 4.2.1 Location 47 4.2.2 Manner 48 4.2.3 Cause .49 4.2.4 Accompaniment .51 4.2.5 Matter 51 4.2.6 Extent .52 4.2.7 Role 53 4.2.8 Angle 54 4.2.9 Contingency 54 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS 56 5.1 Summary of the findings .56 5.2 Implications 57 5.3 Limitations and suggestions for further research 58 REFERENCES .59 APPENDICES e vi ABBREVIATIONS AND CONVENTIONS (a) Abbreviations Cir.: Circumstance Pro.: Process C1S5: Clause in speech (b) Conventions - Boldface is used to mark the first use of technical terms - Italics are used for examples, emphasis, and technical terms e vii LIST OF TABLES Table Summary of the process types .10 Table 2 Summary of circumstances and examples of realization 22 Table Distribution of process types 31 Table Distribution of circumstances in the speeches .47 e viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Context in relation to discourse- semantics and lexical-grammar Figure 2 The grammar of experience: types of process in English e AP.1 APPENDICES APPENDIX A LIST OF SPEECHES CODE TITLE WHO Director-General‟s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19, 16 March 2020 https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/ Remarks by President Biden on the anniversary of the COVID- 19 shutdown https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speechesremarks/2021/03/11/remarks-by-president-biden-on-theanniversary-of-the-covid-19-shutdown/ April 09, 2020 COVID-19 and the Economy Chair Jerome H Powell At the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C (via webcast) Prime Minister's statement on coronavirus (COVID-19) - March 2020 https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ Prime Minister- Boris Johnson- addressed the nation on coronavirus https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ Weekly press briefing on the COVID- 19 situation in America Opening Remarks, June 2, 2021 e AP.2 https://www.paho.org/en/media/weekly-press-briefing-covid-19situation-americas Trump‟s Oval office address on the coranavirus Watch President Donald Trump's address to the nation on coronavirus pandemic CNBC Television https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrPZBTNjX_o&t=13s The president‟s speech on COVID- 19 James S Brady Press Briefing Room https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/ Vice President‟s speech on COVID- 19 James S Brady Press Briefing Room https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/ 10 Admoral Giroir‟s speech James S Brady Press Briefing Room https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/ 11 Gov Gretchen Whitmer‟s speech on COVID- 19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubGdNrbrRZY 12 Dr Janae Khaldoon‟s speech on COVID- 19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubGdNrbrRZY 13 14 WHO Director-General's opening remarks - UN General Assembly Special Session - December 2020 Dr Srikar Reddy‟ s speech on COVID- 19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubGdNrbrRZY 15 John Walsh‟s speech on COVID- 19 President and CEO of the Michigan Manufacturers Association https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubGdNrbrRZY e AP.3 16 Judy Chu‟ s speech on COVID- 19 Congress Member, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus CNBC Television https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4iaUt6dEgU 17 Jerry Nadler‟s speech on COVID- 19 House Judiciary Committee Chair CNBC Television https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4iaUt6dEgU 18 Grace Meng‟s speech on COVID- 19 Congresswoman CNBC Television https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4iaUt6dEgU 19 Nancy Pelosi‟s speech on COVID- 19 Congresswoman an American politician serving as speaker of the United State House of Representatives CNBC Television https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4iaUt6dEgU 20 Donald Beyer Jr., the Representative from Virginia CNBC Television https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4iaUt6dEgU e AP.4 APPENDIX B STATISTIC ANALYSIS OF DATA Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 46 30 29 3 Circumstances: Occurrence Frequency 31 19 15 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 145 54 126 36 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Occurrence Frequency 11 e AP.5 Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle 91 33 18 25 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 49 23 1 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 29 22 1 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Occurrence Frequency 23 14 e AP.6 Behavioural Verbal Existential Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 13 10 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 51 10 27 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 26 1 e AP.7 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 33 13 31 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 44 24 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 66 34 12 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Occurrence Frequency 41 35 e AP.8 Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle 12 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 81 35 72 10 19 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 34 23 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Occurrence Frequency 70 22 36 18 e AP.9 Existential Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 52 30 12 13 10 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 52 36 45 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 31 25 e AP.10 11 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 62 20 44 1 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 62 16 16 11 12 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 0 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Occurrence Frequency e AP.11 Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle 13 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 27 21 44 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 34 14 14 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 12 13 32 Circumstances: Circumstance Occurrence Frequency e AP.12 Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle 20 10 4 15 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 21 22 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 40 1 16 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Occurrence Frequency 26 17 e AP.13 Verbal Existential Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 20 0 17 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 20 11 1 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 33 e AP.14 18 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 19 22 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 27 14 4 19 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 23 16 10 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Occurrence Frequency 29 e AP.15 Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle 20 Processes: Process Material Mental Relational Behavioural Verbal Existential Occurrence Frequency 7 Circumstances: Circumstance Extent Location Manner Cause Contingency Accompaniment Role Matter Angle Occurrence Frequency 3 e ... purpose of, for the sake of, in the hope of for, for the sake of, in favour of, against [„not in favour of? ??], on behalf of in case of, in the event of in default of, in the absence of, short of, ... having the sense of “ if ” It can be expressed by prepositional phrase: in case of, in the event of, on condition of Circumstantial Concession construes frustrated cause, with the sense of “although”;... rapid escalation of cases of COVID- 19 [C2S1] In the past week, we have seen a rapid escalation of cases of COVID- 19 Circumstance Senser Pro.: Mental Phenomenon “we” is the senser of this process