2016美国总统竞选辩论的人际功能分析

论文总字数：42684字

摘 要

人际功能是语言三大元功能的重要组成之一，指的是讲话者运用语言参加社会活动的功能。语言在不同的语言环境中能实现不同的人际功能。政治辩论是一种特殊的辩论形式，候选人在政治辩论中的目的并不是辩倒对手，而是向公众传递政治信息，阐明政治看法及意见，宣扬政治主张的一种方式。因此，分析人际功能在政治辩论中的应用具有现实意义。本论文以韩礼德系统功能语言学中的人际功能理论为框架，对特朗普在2016年美国总统竞选辩论的语料进行分析，旨在揭示特朗普是如何在竞选辩论中实现话语的人际功能并表达自己的政治目的。本文主要从语气、情态与人称三大系统进行人际功能分析。

通过一定的数据整理与分析，研究结果如下:1)在语气系统方面，特朗普通过使用大量陈述句来传递其政治思想和目标，通过使用自问自答的疑问句来操控观众注意力，引发观众思考；通过使用祈使句来达到强调其政治理念和缩短与观众距离的目的。2)在情态系统方面，特朗普倾向于使用中情态量值词语让他的话语显得礼貌且容易被接受度。除此之外，特朗普擅长使用一定数量的高情态量值肯定语增强其话语的说服性。在特朗普的所使用的情态操作词中，低情态量值占比最少，目的是避免给观众留下缺乏信心的印象3)在人称系统方面，特朗普善于使用第一人称复数代词来拉近与听众的关系；使用第三人称复数代词来陈述现状。

本研究表明特朗普通过语气，情态及人称代词实现了不同的人际功能，使其在辩论中显得成熟且有攻击性，并在观众心中留下了有能力、自信和亲民的形象。

关键词：人际功能；总统竞选辩论；；语气系统；情态系统；人称代词

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments I

Abstract II

摘要 III

Table of Contents IV

Chapter One Introduction 1

1.1 Research Background

1.2 Significance of the research

1.3 Structure of the thesis

Chapter Two Literature Review 3

2.1 The theoretical framework

2.1.1 Mood system

2.1.2 Modality system

2.1.3 Personal pronoun system

2.2 Researches abroad

2.3 Researches in China

Chapter Three Methodology 7

3.1 Research Question 7

3.2 Data Collection 7

3.3 Research Method 7

Chapter Four Mood, Modality and Person Pronoun Analysis of Trump’s Speech in 2016 US Presidential Debate 9

4.1 Mood Analysis of Trump’s Speech in Presidential Debate 9

4.1.1 Declarative Mood 9

4.1.2 Interrogative Mood 11

4.1.3 Imperative Mood 12

4.2 Modality Analysis of Trump’s Speech in Presidential Debate 12

4.2.1 High modality value 13

4.2.2 Median modality value 16

4.2.3 Low modality value 17

4.3 Personal Pronoun Analysis of Trump’s Speech in Presidential Debate 19

Chapter Five Conclusions 21

5.1 Major Findings

5.2 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Study

References: 23

Chapter One Introduction

1.1 Research Background

Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) is a school presented by M.A.K Halliday in 1980s, which studies the formation of the language semiotic system and internal subsystems, and the role of language in the process of language use.

According to Halliday (1975), Interpersonal function is one of the three metafunctions. Halliday (1975) also claims that interpersonal function is concerned with the interaction between listeners and speakers in discourse and speakers’ attitudes toward what they speak or write about in social activities.

In a political debate, the main aim of candidates is not to beat their opponents but to win the audience. In other words, the two candidates are both expressing their purposes to the audience, building relationship with the audience and trying to leave an ideal image in their mind. That is to say, political debate is a way to interact during communication, which is just what interpersonal function is concerned with.

Many experts have done researches on political debate from different perspectives in the past, most of which are conducted from the perspective of stylistics, rhetorical structure and critical discourse analysis. As for the studies from the perspective of systemic functional grammar, most of them merely just describe the surface linguistic features of political debate without probing deep into the detailed demonstration beneath the surface features systematically and entirely. Therefore, it is meaningful for this essay to present a interpersonal function analyze of political debate realized by mood system, modality system, and personal pronoun system. The author intends to find out the contribution of mood type, modal operator and personal pronoun in political debate and to provide a new research approach for future study.

This essay is based on Halliday’s Interpersonal Function analysis framework. And the 2016 US presidential election debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will be analyzed. The analysis will focus on Trump instead of both two candidates.

1.2 Significance of the research

This thesis aims to analyze how Trump used the interpersonal function of language realized by mood types, modal auxiliaries and personal pronouns in 2016 US presidential debate, thus finding out the characteristic of his use of language. This thesis will answer the two questions below:

(1) How did Trump use interpersonal function of language to achieve his goal in the debate?

(2) What are the characteristics of Trump’s language use in the debate?

After studying how the interpersonal function is realized in debate, the thesis will prove that Halliday’s interpersonal function framework is suitable and effective in analyzing debate text.

1.3 Structure of the thesis

This thesis is composed of four parts: introduction, literature review (including theoretical framework), interpersonal function analysis of 2016 US presidential Debate and the conclusion.

The first chapter is introduction, which includes research background, significance of the research, and structure of the thesis.

The second chapter, literature review, introduces Halliday's interpersonal function. Mood system, modality system and personal pronoun system will be introduced. And then the review of some related studies on Halliday's interpersonal function both at home and abroad will be presented.

The third chapter is the body part of the thesis, it's the interpersonal function analysis of 2016 US presidential debate. Based on chapter three, the thesis will analyze the debate discourse from the perspective of Mood (declaratives, interrogatives, and imperatives), modality (modal value) and personal pronoun (first personal pronoun, second personal pronoun, third personal pronoun).

The fourth chapter is the conclusion of the thesis, which is consists of main findings, limitations and suggestions for further study.

Chapter Two Literature Review

2.1 The theoretical framework

This part is the theoretical framework of the thesis. Halliday (2000) claims that the nature of language decides people's demands for language, and the language needs to complete the demand by some functions.

Interpersonal function indicates that speakers use language to communicate with other people, to establish and maintain interpersonal relationships, to influence the behavior of others, and at the same time to express the views of the world. Halliday (1971) claims that mood and modality are the two major system to realize interpersonal function, and he (1994) later adds personal pronoun system in his theory. In this thesis, the analysis will be operated from all of the three systems.

2.1.1 Mood system

In Halliday’s theory, the main system of meaning exchange in interpersonal function is mood system, the relationship between the speaker and the recipient in the communication can be reflected by the choice of mood.

Mood system embodies the core of function exchange. Subject and finite is the two major parts of mood system. Their appearances and sequences have decided the choice of mood. Halliday (1994) claims that the ‘act’ of speaking is a processes of interacting. In these interaction processes, a speaker chooses a specific role, called speaker's role; while recipient as recipient's role.

Speaking is an interactive behavior. To be specific, it can be explained that where there is giving, there is accepting; where there is requesting, there is giving. In verbal communication, the speaker provides information by statement, asks for information by questions.

Combining the two speech roles and two commodities exchanged together, the four basic functions of speech are constituted: information-giving, information-asking, goods-and-services-providing, goods-and-services-asking, namely: statement, question, offer and command.

Three mood types are used in 2016 US presidential debate: declaratives, imperatives, and interrogatives. The declarative expresses statement, and the interrogative expresses question.

2.1.2 Modality system

Modality means “the speaker’s judgment of success and effectiveness about his proposition, or the responsibility the other side needs to undertake in the demand, or the individual willingness to be expressed in the proposal.” (Hu Zhuanglin, 2008:145)

Modality system in Halliday’s SFG is composed by modalization and modulation. Modulation is consisted of obligation and inclination. Modalization includes probability and usuality.

Different modality has different modal value, they can express different degrees of modalization and modulation. Three levels of modality values are classified by Halliday, table 2-2 illustrates them below.

Table 2-2 The degree of modal value

2.1.3 Personal pronoun system

According to Halliday (2000), except form the mood system and modality system, interpersonal function can also be reflected by the assistant of address, pronoun and some specific words which can show speaker’s attitude, like verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs. Among them, personal pronoun is the most obvious system.

Halliday (2000) believed that personal pronouns could express interpersonal meaning of language. The relationship between the speaker and the audience, and the hidden meaning of the speaker and the distance with the audience can all be reflected by the use of personal pronouns.

Pronouns in English has three types, namely, first personal pronoun, second personal pronoun, and third personal pronoun, all of which has both singular and plural forms. In general, the frequency of using first personal pronoun ranks first in a speech, because the speaker often talks about himself and his own opinion. In English, “we” has a different meanings in different contexts, but the constant is that “we” includes both the speaker and the hearer in any semantic. A speaker can approach listeners, make it easier to get their support and cooperation by using the word “we”.

In contrast, the use of second personal pronoun “you” can pull away the distance from the recipient. The word “you” reminds the audience that the speaker isn’t closely related with them, therefore the audience can be easily leaded into the role of observer and thinker.

The third personal pronoun points to the third side except from the speaker and the listener. Third personal pronoun is used to organize the communication with the identity of the third person, without the limitation of time and the space, reflecting the reality in a more flexible way.

2.2 Researches abroad

Interpersonal function has been studied scholars for many years, and various studies about it have been made. An agreement of “interpersonal” has been achieved by linguists, which means the meaning of language can interact when being used to communicate, to perform feelings and attitudes as well as to build and maintain relationships. In this section, the thesis will present a review of relevant studies of interpersonal function abroad.

Wellman Kondowe (2013) claims that the “grammar of speech is not merely a combinational tool of creating correct constructions, but a method of structuring information and transferring ideology”. As mentioned in Chapter Two, speaking is interaction. Kndowe’s view is the same as Halliday, despite his framework is not based on Systemic Functional Grammar but Martin’s Appraisal theory. Moreover, his study is about interpersonal function analysis of political debate, which is very similar to my study. Therefore, his whole paper is a great reference resources for this essay. His conclusion and research questions broaden my sight.

Kawashima (2005) in the University of Sydney analyzed Australian women’s magazine 'Cleo' and its Japanese equivalent 'With' by using Systemic Functional Linguistics as a core methodology. The lexical-grammatical analysis of the texts focused on investigation of the ways these texts construct the relationship between the writer and the reader. Despite Kawashima’s research is about magazine, but its mean focus is still the relationship between speakers and recipients, which is the same as political debate. Therefore, despite his research analyzes different content, I can still learn from his research methods and his conclusion.

2.3 Researches in China

An Introduction to Functional Grammar (1989) by Hu Zhuanglin fills a gap in the domestic research of systematic functional linguistics, playing a great role in the promotion Halliday's functional linguistics in China. The book is a general introduction work, the revised version was published in 2008. It gives a specified explanation of mood, mood adjunct, polarity, modality and tenor of interpersonal function.

Hu Jing (2016) used documental research, qualitative research and quantitative research to analyze Death of a Salesman from the perspective of interpersonal function and concluded that “more indicative mood are used than other mood types to express the main aim of conversations of exchanging information” .The mood type research method in her essay provide reference value to the study.

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