Speech analysis is the study of the spoken word. It is a way of examining and interpreting how language is used in various contexts, including social, cultural, and political. There are many different approaches to speech analysis, including linguistic, sociolinguistic, and critical discourse analysis. In this essay, I will provide an example of speech analysis using the linguistic approach, which focuses on the formal properties of language and how it is used to convey meaning.
One example of speech analysis using the linguistic approach is a study of the use of rhetorical devices in political speeches. Rhetorical devices are language techniques that are used to persuade, influence, or motivate an audience. Some common rhetorical devices include repetition, rhetorical questions, and parallelism. In a speech analysis, a researcher might examine how a politician uses these devices to convey their message and persuade the audience.
For example, let's consider a speech given by former President Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention in 2012. In this speech, President Obama used repetition to emphasize the importance of certain ideas. For example, he repeated the phrase "we are in this together" several times to emphasize the idea that Americans are all in this together and that we need to work together to solve our problems.
Additionally, President Obama used rhetorical questions to engage the audience and challenge their assumptions. For example, he asked "What is the choice in this election?" and "What kind of future do we want?" These questions helped to frame the election as a choice between two different visions for the future, and they encouraged the audience to think about the implications of their vote.
Finally, President Obama used parallelism to create a sense of balance and order in his speech. He often used pairs of parallel phrases to list the values that he believed were important to Americans. For example, he said "We believe in individual responsibility and mutual responsibility. We believe in opportunity and an equal shot for all." This use of parallelism helped to create a sense of coherence and structure in the speech, making it easier for the audience to follow and understand.
Overall, this example illustrates how the linguistic approach to speech analysis can be used to examine the formal properties of language and how they are used to convey meaning. By analyzing the use of rhetorical devices in political speeches, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of how politicians use language to persuade and influence their audience.
