How to understand and analyze the great political speeches of contemporary society? This course will explore a range of composition writing and media communication tools that politicians and influential personalities use to devise worth remembering discourses. By studying the speech making of, listening and reading considerably, analyzing the selected political speeches, the student will handle the instruments to investigate any political discourse.
Benveniste, E. 1971 Problems in General Linguistics. Miami: University of Miami Press
(p. 223-230).
Ivie, R. 1980 "Images of Savagery in American Justifications for War", Communication
Monographs 47: 279-294.
Kövecses, Z. 2010 Metaphor: A Practical Introduction. Oxford: Oxford: 3-11, 17-31,
369-375.
Lakoff, G. and M. Johnson 1980 Metaphors We Live By, Chicago, University of Chicago
Press: ix-x, 3-45, 102-167, 192-193.
Lakoff, G. 2008 The Political Mind: A Cognitive Scientist's Guide to Your Brain and Its
Politics, New York, Penguin: Ch. 1, 4, 17.
Lakoff, G. 1995 "Metaphor, Morality, and Politics, Or, Why Conservatives Have Left
Liberals in the Dust" in Social Research 62 (2): 177-214.
Orwell, G. 1946. "Politics and the English Language" in Horizon 13 (Apr): 252-264.
Orwell, G. 1984 “Appendix: the Principles of Newspeak”, any paperback edition.
Schiappa, E. 1989 "The Rhetoric of Nukespeak" in Communication Monographs 56 (3): 253-272.
Van Dijk, T. 1995 "Discourse Semantics and Ideology", in Discourse & Society 6 (2): 243-289.
Van Dijk, T. 1997 "What is Political Discourse Analysis?" in Blommaert, Jan and Chris
Bulcaen (eds.) Political Linguistics, Amsterdam, Benjamins: 11-52.
FURTHER READINGS
Fairclough, N. L. 1995 Critical Discourse Analysis, The Critical Study of Language,
London, Longman.
Fairclough, N. L. 1989, Language and Power, London, Longman.
Lakoff, G. and M. Johnson, 1980, Metaphors We Live By, Chicago, University of Chicago
Press.
Lakoff, G. 2009, The Political Mind. London, Penguin.
Van Dijk, T. 1985, Handbook of Discourse Analysis, London, Academic Press.
Yunus, M. 1997, Banker to the Poor, New York, PublicAffairs.
Benveniste, E. 1971 Problems in General Linguistics. Miami: University of Miami Press
(p. 223-230).
Ivie, R. 1980 "Images of Savagery in American Justifications for War", Communication
Monographs 47: 279-294.
Kövecses, Z. 2010 Metaphor: A Practical Introduction. Oxford: Oxford: 3-11, 17-31,
369-375.
Lakoff, G. and M. Johnson 1980 Metaphors We Live By, Chicago, University of Chicago
Press: ix-x, 3-45, 102-167, 192-193.
Lakoff, G. 2008 The Political Mind: A Cognitive Scientist's Guide to Your Brain and Its
Politics, New York, Penguin: Ch. 1, 4, 17.
Lakoff, G. 1995 "Metaphor, Morality, and Politics, Or, Why Conservatives Have Left
Liberals in the Dust" in Social Research 62 (2): 177-214.
Orwell, G. 1946. "Politics and the English Language" in Horizon 13 (Apr): 252-264.
Orwell, G. 1984 “Appendix: the Principles of Newspeak”, any paperback edition.
Schiappa, E. 1989 "The Rhetoric of Nukespeak" in Communication Monographs 56 (3): 253-272.
Van Dijk, T. 1995 "Discourse Semantics and Ideology", in Discourse & Society 6 (2): 243-289.
Van Dijk, T. 1997 "What is Political Discourse Analysis?" in Blommaert, Jan and Chris
Bulcaen (eds.) Political Linguistics, Amsterdam, Benjamins: 11-52.
FURTHER READINGS
Fairclough, N. L. 1995 Critical Discourse Analysis, The Critical Study of Language,
London, Longman.
Fairclough, N. L. 1989, Language and Power, London, Longman.
Lakoff, G. and M. Johnson, 1980, Metaphors We Live By, Chicago, University of Chicago
Press.
Lakoff, G. 2009, The Political Mind. London, Penguin.
Van Dijk, T. 1985, Handbook of Discourse Analysis, London, Academic Press.
Yunus, M. 1997, Banker to the Poor, New York, PublicAffairs.
Learning Objectives - Last names A-L
Political speech analysis, study of narrative strategies along with ideology and conceptual metaphors as well as rhetorical and linguistic figures.
Learning Objectives - Last names M-Z
Political speech analysis, study of narrative strategies along with ideology and conceptual metaphors as well as rhetorical and lingustic figures.
Prerequisites - Last names A-L
B2 certificate before sitting the exam.
Prerequisites - Last names M-Z
B2 certificate before sitting the exam.
Teaching Methods - Last names A-L
Lectures, classroom exercises and assignments, mid-term exam, group/individual presentations (optional).
Teaching Methods - Last names M-Z
Lectures, classroom exercises and assignments, group/individual presentations (optional).
Further information - Last names A-L
Office hours in D1/001 upon request.
See the notice board for updated news.
Also email to andrea.tarantola@unifi.it.
Further information - Last names M-Z
Office hours will be held at the end of each lesson.
You may also email to rachele.avagliano@unifi.it in order to arrange an appointment
Type of Assessment - Last names A-L
Written exam
Type of Assessment - Last names M-Z
Written exam.
Course program - Last names A-L
Module I – telling narratives
(1) J.K. Rowling’s The fringe benefits of failure and the importance of imagination, Harvard Commencement Speech, June 5, 2008, Harvard, Cambridge, Boston MA;
(2) Steve Jobs’ Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish Commencement Address, June 12, 2005, Stanford University Stanford, Stanford CA;
(3) Muhammad Yunus’ Poverty is a threat to Peace, Nobel Lecture, December 10, 2006, Oslo, Norway;
Module II – we are at war
(1) Richard Nixon, Vietnamization, November 3, 1969
(2) Winston Churchill, Be ye men of valour, May 19, 1940,
(3) George VI, 'We are at war' - King's speech, September 3, 1939
(4) George W. Bush, 9/11, Address to the nation, September 11, 2001.
Module III – roads to the future
(1) Martin Luther King Jr. “I have a dream”, August 28, 1963, Washington DC.
(2) John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Ich bin ein Berliner, 1963, West Berlin, West Germany
(3) Nelson Mandela, Inaugural Speech as State President, May 10, 1994, Pretoria.
(4) Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Lecture address, December 10, 2014, Oslo, Norway.
Course program - Last names M-Z
Unit 1 – Telling narratives
Ideology and morality beyond and underneath the literary meaning of words
Il primo modulo mira ad analizzare l’uso del linguaggio di alcuni discorsi pronunciati da personalità influenti del panorama internazionale, al fine di evidenziare le soggiacenti ideologie che informano l’apparato retorico, la scelta lessicale, le strutture grammaticali, la distribuzione dei pronomi, l’architettura del discorso ecc. Seguendo l’approccio di Lakoff, verranno rintracciate quelle “narratives” che veicolano il quadro ideologico del discorso, definite telling proprio in virtù della maggiore portata semantica e pragmatica rispetto al contenuto manifesto.
(1) Steve Jobs’ Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish Commencement Address, June 12, 2005, Stanford University Stanford, Stanford CA.
(2) Muhammad Yunus’ Poverty is a threat to Peace, Nobel Lecture, December 10, 2006, Oslo, Norway.
Unit 2 – We are at war.
War rhetoric at the start of the war
Il secondo modulo verterà sui discorsi pronunciati alla propria nazione da leader politici di area anglo-americana in tempo di guerra. Seguendo l’approccio di Van Dijk (political discourse analysis) si osserverà come le strategie linguistiche e retoriche siano modulate nel corso del conflitto al fine di rafforzare e orientare la “political cognition” della nazione.
War rhetoric at the start of the war:
1- King George VI (September 3, 1939): “Address to the Nation”
2- Franklin D. Roosevelt (December 12, 1941): 19th fireside chat
3- George W. Bush (September 11, 2001): “Evening Speech”
Maintaining consent:
4- Winston Churchill (May 19, 1940): “Be Ye men of valor”
5- Richard Nixon (November 3, 1969): Speech on “Vietnamization”
6- George W. Bush (January 10, 2007): “The New Strategy in Iraq: Primetime Address to the Nation”
Unit 3 – Roads to the future
Il terzo modulo mira ad analizzare l’uso avanzato del linguaggio di alcuni discorsi pronunciati da forti personalità politiche governative e non governative che hanno notevole influenza nella società contemporanea, al fine di riconoscere i valori ai quali si ispirano, le rivendicazioni che difendono e le promesse che sostengono. Questi elementi emergono dalla scelta delle figure del linguaggio, dagli elementi lessicali, e dalla struttura informativa e sintattico-logica. La prospettiva di indagine tiene conto in particolare dell’approccio cognitivo che distingue la metafora mentale e linguistica.
1- Martin Luther King (1963): “I have a dream”
2- Malcolm X (1963): "The Black Revolution"
3- John F. Kennedy (1963): “Ich bin ein Berliner” Speech (West Berlin)