Obama as a political Orator: A critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This study deals with a Critical Discourse Analysis of Obama's inaugurations speech. To investigate the linguistics and grammatical elements which are used in Obama's inauguration speech. The study adopted eclectic method; descriptive analytical method, observational method and qualitative method. The researcher uses a number of instruments to collect data from different sources; recorded video, a script and note taking technique. The study concluded that Barack Obama has been effective in his political career by virtue of his wonderful rhetorical abilities. The choice of expression in Obama's inauguration speech is investigated regarding lexical classes, syntactic classifications, figures of speech, and context and cohesion: Nouns or NP are used as a part of the discourse are simple, however Obama uses some words, for example, the economy, energy, education, vitality and a solid national resistance. Adjectives are used both attributively and predicatively. Obama uses multiple illocutionary acts by using helping verb “will” that mean extremely solid determinations also use coordinating conjunction to connect some main clauses. Obama uses repeated compounding and complex sentences to explain his ideas. The figures of speech used are generally metaphor and synecdoche, metonymy, and simile. Cohesive linkages are made by the use of pronouns, ellipsis, redundancies of words and phrases. The study recommended that Students of linguistics should make discussions about different speech practices and strategies. Also the study suggests conducting more similar studies on critical discourse analysis on some Politian's speech.