A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL INTERVIEWS IN A SELECTED DAILY NEWSPAPER. (THE PUNCH)
ABSTRACT
Language is an integral part of our socio-cultural heritage that serves as the primary medium of communication for mankind. Pragmatics evolved to drill out meanings and to give interpretations to utterances beyond what is literarily said. This research work was carried out in order to give light to political interviews and to bring out meanings that are embedded in utterances made by politicians. One of the Nigerian daily newspapers was used, THE PUNCH, and 8 interviews were selected from this newspaper. From the data analysis presented in the research work, it has been discovered that politicians present their interviews or responses in a way that will make the masses to give their responses different meanings. The study shows that the application of pragmatic approach has really account for the meaning of utterances in context, especially in interviews.
Table of content
ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE1.1GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.2 PURPOSE OF STUDY
1.3 JUSTIFICATION
1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 INTRODUCTION –
2.1 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PRAGMATICS
2.2 WHAT IS PRAGMATICS –
2.3 THEORIES OF PRAGMATICS-
2.3.1 J.L. AUSTIN’S THEORY OF PRAGMATICS (1962)
2.3.2 J. SEARLE’S THEORY OF PRAGMATICS (1969)
2.3.3 H. P GRICE’S THEORY OF PRAGMATICS (1975)
2.3.4 KENT BACH & ROBERT HARNISH (1979)
2.3.5 E. ADEGBIJA’S THEORY OF PRAGMATICS (1982)
2.3.6. BAYO LAWAL’S THEORY OF PRAGMATICS (1997)
2.4 PRAGMATICS ELEMENTS
2.4.1 CONTEXT
2.4.2. PRESUPPOSITION
2.4.3 PARTICIPANTS
2.4.4 TOPIC
2.4.5 INFERENCE
2.4.6 REFERENCE
2.5 THE PRAGMATIC OF POLITICS
2.6. HISTORY OF THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 INTRODUCTION
3.1 TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF DATA
CHAPTER FOUR
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 SUMMARY
4.3 FINDINGS
4.4 CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Language is an instrument of thought or concept which gives clear and vivid meaning of human expression for the purpose of human interaction. In any speech community, if there must be interaction, language must be in use. Human language is said to be communicative when language users are able to use words as appropriate to context. Quirk (1962, P.42) sees language as a “human instrument of expression through sounds as released by vocal chord’s
