US president barack obamas speeches to 2010 and 2014 cadets at the commencement ceremony of the united states military academy a critical discourse analysis

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES *****  ***** BÙI THỊ THU HƯƠNG US PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S SPEECHES TO 2010 AND 2014 CADETS AT THE COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS (Nghiên cứu diễn văn Tổng Thống Mỹ Barack Obama buổi lễ tốt nghiệp Học viện Quân West Point năm 2010 năm 2014 từ góc độ Phân tích diễn ngơn phê phán) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English linguistics Code: 60220201 HÀ NỘI – 2015 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES *****  ***** BÙI THỊ THU HƯƠNG US PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S SPEECHES TO 2010 AND 2014 CADETS AT THE COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS (Nghiên cứu diễn văn Tổng Thống Mỹ Barack Obama buổi lễ tốt nghiệp Học viện Quân West Point năm 2010 năm 2014 từ góc độ Phân tích diễn ngôn phê phán) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English linguistics Code: 60220201 Supervisor: Prof Nguyễn Hòa HÀ NỘI – 2015 DECLARATION I, Bui Thi Thu Huong, hereby state that this minor thesis entitled “US President Barack Obama’s speeches to 2010 and 2014 cadets at the commencement ceremony of the United States Military Academy: a Critical Discourse Analysis” is the result of my own research and all the materials used in this study has been identified and acknowledged Moreover, this M.A thesis has not been submitted for any degree to any other universities or institutions Ha Noi, 2015 Bui Thi Thu Huong i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not be completed without the support of many people, to all of whom, I am profoundly indebted First and foremost, from the bottom of my heart, I would like to express my special thank to my supervisor Prof Nguyen Hoa for his valuable guidance, everenthusiasm, responsibility and whole-hearted encouragement during the time of doing this thesis He gave me a lot of support and inspired me to make this thesis better Thanks to his critical feedbacks, invaluable suggestions and useful reference during the research process, I could complete my study Secondly, I am greatly indebted to my lecturers at the University of Foreign Languages, VNU for their contribution to my thesis Especially, I would like to express my thanks to Prof Hoang Van Van, Prof Nguyen Quang, Assoc Prof Le Hung Tien, Dr Huynh Anh Tuan and Assoc Prof Vo Dai Quang because their valuable lectures laid the foundation for this thesis and their constant assistance as well as their encouragement helped me a lot in this study Moreover, I would like to take this opportunity to give my special thanks to my classmates who always encouraged, reminded and supported me during the time of doing this research Last but not least, I would like to say a heartfelt thank to my parents and my husband for their consolation I am indebted to you all, who gave me energy, encouragement and inspiration to complete my thesis ii ASTRACT From a Critical Discourse Analysis perspective, this study is an attempt to exploit and uncover the underlying ideologies of the President Obama in his two speeches of 2010 and 2014 at the West Point commencement ceremony The research is strictly based on the analysis framework proposed by Norman Fairclough (2001) with three stages of textual description, interpretation and description Specifically, in order to explore how linguistic elements manifest the President‟s ideologies, general linguistic features of two speeches related to vocabulary, grammar and textual structure are put into focus In terms of vocabulary, only overwording, antonyms and metaphor are analyzed to reveal his ideologies encoded through language Then, grammar features with his use of pronouns, voices and modality are mainly focused In terms of textual structure, the author pays special attention to the larger-scale structure used in both speeches The findings of the study are pointed out with some common features and differences in language use of the President Obama when he reforces his voice, exercise his power and express his ideologies in his speeches This study also helps prove the close relationship between language and ideology and that people can exert their voice and ideologies on others to change or maintain social relationships by his language In the last part of the thesis, some implications of the study are drawn out with the hope of affirming its contributions to some aspects of our lives iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Declaration…………………………………………………………… i Acknowledgement………………………………………………………… ii Abstract…………………………………………………………… …… iii Table of contents……………………………………………….…… … iv List of abbreviations…………… ………………………………… …… vii List of fingures and tables………………………………………….….…… viii PART A: INTRODUCTION Rationale……………………………………………………………… Aims of the study……………………………………………………… 3 Scope of the study……………………………………………………… Significance of the study……………………………………………… Method of the study………………………………………… ………… Design of the study……………………………………… …………… PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND.…………………… 1.1 An overview of CDA……………………………………………… 1.1.1 What is CDA 1.2 Major concepts of CDA…………………………………………… 1.2.1 Discourse in CDA………………………………………………… 1.2.2 Ideology in CDA…………………………………………………… iv 1.3 CDA‟s approaches and Fairclough framework 1.3.1 CDA‟s approaches……………………………… 1.3.2 Van Dijk‟s socio-cognitive approach…………… 1.3.3 Wodark‟s discourse-historical approach………… 1.3.4 Fairclough‟s Hallidayan systemic functional ap 1.4 Norman Fairclough‟s framework for CDA…… 1.4.1 Description……………………………………… 1.4.2 Interpretation…………………………………… 1.4.3 Explanation……………………………………… CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY AND ANALYSIS PROCEDURES 2.1 Approach of the study…………………………… 2.2 Data collection…………………………………… 2.3 Data analysis procedure………………………… CHAPTER 3: DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION………… 3.1 Context of Obama‟s speeches at West Point in 3.2 Ideologies of President Barack Obama in West P speeches………………………………………………………………… 3.3 Realization of Obama‟s ideologies through his u West Point 2010 and 2014 speeches……….…………………… … 3.3.1 In terms of using Overwording ………………… 3.2.2 In terms of using Antonyms…………………… 3.2.3 In terms of using metaphors…………………… v 3.4 Realization of Obama‟s ideologies through his use of Grammar in West Point 2010 and 2014 speeches………….……………….………… 3.3.1 In terms of using Pronouns………………………… 3.3.2 In terms of using Voices…………………………… 3.3.3 In terms of Modality………………………………… 3.5 Realization of Obama‟s ideologies through his Structure in West Point 2010 and 2014 speeches……… ………….… PART C: CONCLUSION The summary of the findings in the study……………………………… Implications of the study………….…………………………………… Recommendations for further study…………………………………… REFERENCE………………………………………………………… APPENDIX I…………………………………………… …………… APPENDIX II………………………………………………………… APPENDIX III……………………………………… ……………… APPENDIX IV……………………………………… ……………… vi CDA SFL MR USMA U.S vii LIST OF TABLES IN THE STUDY Table The 10-Question model o 2001:92-93) Repetition of vocabulary in Use of Antonymous phrase and 2014 Use of Metaphors in the spe Use of Pronouns in the spee Use of modality in the spee LIST OF FIGURES IN THE STUDY Figure Title Interpretation statge (Faicloug Explanation stage (Fairclough Structure of Obama‟s 2010 and viii 197 extremists who find safe haven in the chaos 198 So with the additional resources I‟m announcing today, we will step up our 199 efforts to support Syria‟s neighbors Jordan and Lebanon; Turkey and Iraq -200 as they contend with refugees and confront terrorists working across Syria‟s 201 borders I will work with Congress to ramp up support for those in the Syrian 202 opposition who offer the best alternative to terrorists and brutal dictators And 203 we will continue to coordinate with our friends and allies in Europe and the 204 Arab World to push for a political resolution of this crisis, and to make sure 205 that those countries and not just the United States are contributing their fair 206 share to support the Syrian people XXXIII 207 Let me make one final point about our efforts against terrorism The 208 partnerships I‟ve described not eliminate the need to take direct action when 209 necessary to protect ourselves When we have actionable intelligence, that‟s 210 what we through capture operations like the one that brought a terrorist 211 involved in the plot to bomb our embassies in 1998 to face justice; or drone 212 strikes like those we‟ve carried out in Yemen and Somalia There are times 213 when those actions are necessary, and we cannot hesitate to protect our 214 people 215 But as I said last year, in taking direct action we must uphold standards that 216 reflect our values That means taking strikes only when we face a continuing, 217 imminent threat, and only where there is no certainty there is near certainty 218 of no civilian casualties For our actions should meet a simple test: We must 219 not create more enemies than we take off the battlefield 220 I also believe we must be more transparent about both the basis of our 221 counterterrorism actions and the manner in which they are carried out We 222 have to be able to explain them publicly, whether it is drone strikes or training 223 partners I will increasingly turn to our military to take the lead and provide 224 information to the public about our efforts Our intelligence community has 225 done outstanding work, and we have to continue to protect sources and 226 methods But when we cannot explain our efforts clearly and publicly, we face 227 terrorist propaganda and international suspicion, we erode legitimacy with our 228 partners and our people, and we reduce accountability in our own government 229 And this issue of transparency is directly relevant to a third aspect of American 230 leadership, and that is our effort to strengthen and enforce international order 231 After World War II, America had the wisdom to shape institutions to keep the 232 peace and support human progress from NATO and the United Nations, to 233 the World Bank and IMF These institutions are not perfect, but they have 234 been a force multiplier They reduce the need for unilateral American action 235 and increase restraint among other nations 236 Now, just as the world has changed, this architecture must change as well At XXXIV 237 for a 238 evolving 239 critical 240 the height of the Cold War, President Kennedy spoke about the need peace based upon, “a gradual evolution in human institutions.” And these international institutions to meet the demands of today must be a part of American leadership 241 Now, there are a lot of folks, a lot of skeptics, who often downplay the 242 effectiveness of multilateral action For them, working through international 243 institutions like the U.N or respecting international law is a sign of weakness 244 I think they‟re wrong Let me offer just two examples why 245 In Ukraine, Russia‟s recent actions recall the days when Soviet tanks rolled 246 into Eastern Europe But this isn‟t the Cold War Our ability to shape world 247 opinion helped isolate Russia right away Because of American leadership, the 248 world immediately condemned Russian actions; Europe and the G7 joined us 249 to impose sanctions; NATO reinforced our commitment to Eastern European 250 allies; the IMF is helping to stabilize Ukraine‟s economy; OSCE monitors 251 brought the eyes of the world to unstable parts of Ukraine And this 252 mobilization of world opinion and international institutions served as a 253 counterweight to Russian propaganda and Russian troops on the border and 254 armed militias in ski masks 255 This weekend, Ukrainians voted by the millions Yesterday, I spoke to their 256 next President We don‟t know how the situation will play out and there will 257 remain grave challenges ahead, but standing with our allies on behalf of 258 chance 259 shot international order working with international institutions, has given a for the Ukrainian people to choose their future without us firing a 260 Similarly, despite frequent warnings from the United States and Israel and 261 others, the Iranian nuclear program steadily advanced for years But at the 262 beginning of my presidency, we built a coalition that imposed sanctions on the 263 Iranian economy, while extending the hand of diplomacy to the Iranian 264 government And now we have an opportunity to resolve our differences 265 peacefully 266 The odds of success are still long, and we reserve all options to prevent Iran XXXV 267 from obtaining a nuclear weapon But for the first time in a decade, we have a 268 very real chance of achieving a breakthrough agreement one that is more 269 effective and durable than what we could have achieved through the use of 270 force And throughout these negotiations, it has been our willingness to work 271 through multilateral channels that kept the world on our side 272The point is this is American leadership This is American strength In each case, we built 273coalitions to respond to a specific challenge Now we need to more to strengthen the 274institutions that can anticipate and prevent problems from spreading For example, NATO 275 is the strongest alliance the world has ever known But we‟re now working with NATO 276 must be allies to meet new missions, both within Europe where our Eastern allies 277reassured, but also beyond Europe‟s borders where our NATO allies must pull their weight 278 to counterterrorism and respond to failed states and train a network of partners 283 279 Likewise, the U.N provides a platform to keep the peace in states torn apart by 280 conflict Now we need to make sure that those nations who provide 281 peacekeepers have the training and equipment to actually keep the peace, so 282 that we can prevent the type of killing we‟ve seen in Congo and Sudan We are going to deepen our investment in countries that support these 284 peacekeeping missions, because having other nations maintain order in their 285 own neighborhoods lessens the need for us to put our own troops in harm‟s 286 way It‟s a smart investment It‟s the right way to lead 287 Keep in mind, not all international norms relate directly to armed conflict We 288 have a serious problem with cyber-attacks, which is why we‟re working to 289 shape and enforce rules of the road to secure our networks and our citizens In 290 the Asia Pacific, we‟re supporting Southeast Asian nations as they negotiate a 291 code of conduct with China on maritime disputes in the South China Sea And 292 we‟re working to resolve these disputes through international law That spirit 293 of cooperation needs to energize the global effort to combat climate change a 294 creeping national security crisis that will help shape your time in uniform, as 295 we are called on to respond to refugee flows and natural disasters and conflicts 296 over water and food, which is why next year I intend to make sure America is 297 out front in putting together a global framework to preserve our planet XXXVI 298 You see, American influence is always stronger when we lead by example 299 We can‟t exempt ourselves from the rules that apply to everybody else We 300 can‟t call on others to make commitments to combat climate change if a whole 301 lot of our political leaders deny that it‟s taking place We can‟t try to resolve 302 problems in the South China Sea when we have refused to make sure that the 303 Law of the Sea Convention is ratified by our United States Senate, despite the 304 fact that our top military leaders say the treaty advances our national security 305 That‟s not leadership; that‟s retreat That‟s not strength; that‟s weakness It 306 would be utterly foreign to leaders like Roosevelt and Truman, Eisenhower and 307 Kennedy 308 I believe in American exceptionalism with every fiber of my being But what 309 makes us exceptional is not our ability to flout international norms and the rule 310 of law; it is our willingness to affirm them through our actions And that‟s 311 why I will continue to push to close Gitmo because American values and 312 legal traditions not permit the indefinite detention of people beyond our 313 borders That‟s why we‟re putting in place new restrictions on how America 314 collects and uses intelligence because we will have fewer partners and be 315 less effective if a perception takes hold that we‟re conducting surveillance 316 against ordinary citizens America does not simply stand for stability or the 317 absence of conflict, no matter what the cost We stand for the more lasting 318 peace that can only come through opportunity and freedom for people 319 everywhere 320 Which brings me to the fourth and final element of American leadership: Our 321 willingness to act on behalf of human dignity America‟s support for 322 democracy and human rights goes beyond idealism it is a matter of national 323 security Democracies are our closest friends and are far less likely to go to 324 war Economies based on free and open markets perform better and become 325 markets for our goods Respect for human rights is an antidote to instability 326 and the grievances that fuel violence and terror 327 A new century has brought no end to In capitals around the globe -tyranny partners there has been a 328 including, unfortunately, some of America‟s XXXVII 329 crackdown on civil society The cancer of corruption has enriched too many 330 governments and their cronies, and enraged citizens from remote villages to 331 iconic squares And watching these trends, or the violent upheavals in parts of 332 the Arab World, it‟s easy to be cynical 333 But remember that because of America‟s efforts, because of American 334 diplomacy and foreign assistance as well as the sacrifices of our military, more 335 people live under elected governments today than at any time in human 336 history Technology is empowering civil society in ways that no iron fist can 337 control New breakthroughs are lifting hundreds of millions of people out of 338 poverty And even the upheaval of the Arab World reflects the rejection of an 339 authoritarian order that was anything but stable, and now offers the long-term 340 prospect of more responsive and effective governance 341 In countries like Egypt, we acknowledge that our relationship is anchored in 342 security interests from peace treaties with Israel, to shared efforts against 343 violent extremism So we have not cut off cooperation with the new 344 government, but we can and will persistently press for reforms that the 345 Egyptian people have demanded 346 And meanwhile, look at a country like Burma, which only a few years ago was 347 an intractable dictatorship and hostile to the United States 40 million 348 people Thanks to the enormous courage of the people in that country, and 349 because we took the diplomatic initiative, American leadership, we have seen 350 political reforms opening a once closed society; a movement by Burmese 351 leadership away from partnership with North Korea in favor of engagement 352 with America and our allies We‟re now supporting reform and badly needed 353 national reconciliation through assistance and investment, through coaxing 354 and, at times, public criticism And progress there could be reversed, but if 355 Burma succeeds we will have gained a new partner without having fired a 356 shot American leadership 357 In each of these cases, we should not expect change to happen overnight 358 That‟s why we form alliances not just with governments, but also with 359 ordinary people For unlike other nations, America is not afraid of individual XXXVIII 361 360 empowerment, we are strengthened by it We‟re strengthened by civil society We‟re strengthened by a free press We‟re strengthened by striving 362 entrepreneurs and small businesses We‟re strengthened by educational 363 exchange and opportunity for all people, and women and girls That‟s who we 364 are That‟s what we represent 365 I saw that through a trip to Africa last year, where American assistance has 366 made possible the prospect of an AIDS-free generation, while helping Africans 367 care themselves for their sick We‟re helping farmers get their products to 368 market, to feed populations once endangered by famine We aim to double 369 access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa so people are connected to the 370 promise of the global economy And all this creates new partners and shrinks 371 the space for terrorism and conflict 372 Now, tragically, no American security operation can eradicate the threat posed 373 by an extremist group like Boko Haram, the group that kidnapped those girls 374 And that‟s why we have to focus not just on rescuing those girls right away, 375 but also on supporting Nigerian efforts to educate its youth This should be 376 one of the hard-earned lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan, where our military 377 became the strongest advocate for diplomacy and development They 378 understood that foreign assistance is not an afterthought, something nice to 379 apart from our national defense, apart from our national security It is part of 380 what makes us strong 381 Ultimately, global leadership requires us to see the world as it is, with all its 382 danger and uncertainty We have to be prepared for the worst, prepared for 383 every contingency But American leadership also requires us to see the world 384 as it should be a place where the aspirations of individual human beings 385 really matters; where hopes and not just fears govern; where the truths written 386 into our founding documents can steer the currents of history in a direction of 387 justice And we cannot that without you 388 Class of 2014, you have taken this time to prepare on the quiet banks of the 389 Hudson You leave this place to carry forward a legacy that no other military 390 in human history can claim You so as part of a team that extends beyond XXXIX 391 your units or even our Armed Forces, for in the course of your service you will 392 work as a team with diplomats and development experts You‟ll get to know 393 allies and train partners And you will embody what it means for America to 394 lead the world 395 Next week, I will go to Normandy to honor the men who stormed the beaches 396 there And while it‟s hard for many Americans to comprehend the courage and 397 sense of duty that guided those who boarded small ships, it‟s familiar to you 398 At West Point, you define what it means to be a patriot 399 Three years ago, Gavin White graduated from this academy He then served in 400 Afghanistan Like the soldiers who came before him, Gavin was in a foreign 401 land, helping people he‟d never met, putting himself in harm‟s way for the 402 sake of his community and his family, of the folks back home Gavin lost one 403 of his legs in an attack I met him last year at Walter Reed He was wounded, 404 but just as determined as the day that he arrived here at West Point -and he 405 developed a simple goal Today, his sister Morgan will graduate And true to 406 his promise, Gavin will be there to stand and exchange salutes with her 407 We have been through a long season of war We have faced trials that were 408 not foreseen, and we‟ve seen divisions about how to move forward But there 409 is something in Gavin‟s character, there is something in the American 410 character that will always triumph Leaving here, you carry with you the 411 respect of your fellow citizens You will represent a nation with history and 412 hope on our side Your charge, now, is not only to protect our country, but to 413 what is right and just As your Commander-in-Chief, I know you will 414 May God bless you May God bless our men and women in uniform And may 415 God bless the United States of America/ XL ... state that this minor thesis entitled ? ?US President Barack Obama’s speeches to 2010 and 2014 cadets at the commencement ceremony of the United States Military Academy: a Critical Discourse Analysis? ??... reasons have inspired the author to conduct the research entitled ? ?US President Barack Obama's speeches to 2010 and 2014 cadets at the commencement ceremony of the United States Military Academy: ... general 16 3.2 Ideologies of President Barack Obama in West Point 2010 and 2014 speeches Barack Obama is the 44th and current president of the United States, and the first African American to serve