LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL IDENTITY IN THE SPEECHES OF BRITISH AND CHINESE POLITICIANS

Mariia Fokina1*
1Master student, RUDN University, Russia, Woolfaaa@mail.ru

Abstract

For efficient communication it is important to be aware of the cultural backgrounds of the interlocutors. Adequate understanding of the communicative intention is of particular importance in political discourse. The aim of this study is to reveal how linguistic and cultural identity of the speaker impacts the way this speaker uses the language. The study is based on political discourse mostly on the speakers in Chinese and British politicians. It focuses on the differences in using «I» and «We» pronounces in Britain and Chinese political discourse. The following research is completed on the grounds of Theresa May, David Cameron, Li Keqiang and Xi Jingping speeches. The given study was conducted with the implementation of Speech Act Theory (Searle 1969), Politeness Theory (Brown and Levinson 1987, Leech 1983, 2014, Larina and Leech 2014, Watts 2003), and the Theory of Cultural Scripts (Wierzbicka 2003). Complex, communicative and discourse analysis have been used to clarify language means in the process of implementing their linguistic and cultural identities as linguistic and cultural identity reflects the peculiarities of the national identity. The study explores how the cultural affiliation influences the use of personal pronouns and what is the illocution of using «I» and «We». Indepth research in the field of linguistic and cultural identity will contribute to the achievement of mutual understanding of representatives of different cultures. Practical application of the results is possible in the aspect of linguistics, cultural studies, discourse analysis, pragma-linguistics, psycho-linguistics as well as in everyday communication.

Keywords: culture, identity, political, discourse, chinese, english.


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CITATION: Abstracts & Proceedings of INTCESS 2019- 6th International Conference on Education and Social Sciences, 4-6 February 2019- Dubai, UAE

ISBN: 978-605-82433-5-4