Text Analysis of The Representation of China in Barrack Obama's Speech.
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ABSTRACT
Dalam tugas akhir ini, saya membahas representasi positif terhadap negara Tiongkok dalam pidato yang disampaikan oleh presiden Amerika Serikat, Barrack Obama. Pidato tersebut disampaikan pada tanggal 27 Juli 2009 dalam rangka pertemuan pertama dialog ekonomi strategis antara Amerika Serikat dan Tiongkok di Washington D.C.
Dalam tugas akhir ini, saya akan membahas analisis wacana kritis dengan menggunakan teori van Dijk. Sebenarnya dalam teori tersebut, untuk mendapatkan analisis wacana kritis yang utuh, ada tiga tingkatan yang harus diteliti, yakni makro, meso dan mikro. Saya hanya menganalisis pada tingkatan mikro saja karena berbagai keterbatasan. Di tingkat mikro terdapat tiga analisis, yakni analisis makrostruktur, superstruktur dan mikrostruktur.
Setelah data dianalisis, berdasarkan analisis makrostruktur, saya mendapatkan kesimpulan bahwa Tiongkok direpresentasikan secara netral. Hal tersebut terjadi karena di dalam analisis makrostruktur, teks hanya dilihat secara global namun tidak secara mendetil. Di dalam analisis mikrostruktur, dengan menggunakan pendekatan leksikon, deiksis, implikasi dan pertanyaan retorik, saya menemukan bahwa Tiongkok direpresentasikan positif. Dalam analisis superstruktur, saya menemukan bahwa Obama menyampaikan pidatonya dengan
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Maranatha Christian University mengikuti aturan yang baku sehingga teks pidatonya yang bersifat persuasif lebih mudah dipahami.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... i i
ABSTRACT ... iv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ... 1
Background of the Study ... 1
Statement of the Problem ... 4
Purpose of the Study ... 4
Method of Research ... 5
Organization of the Thesis ... 5
CHAPTER TWO: THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK ... 6
Macro Level Analysis ... 7
Meso Level Analysis ... 7
Micro Level Analysis ... 7
The Macrostructures ... 7
The Microstructures ... 8
The Superstructures (Schemata) ... 10
CHAPTER THREE: TEXT ANALYSIS OF THE REPRESENTATION OF CHINA IN BARRACK OBAMA’S SPEECH …... 11
Macrostructure Analysis ... 11
Microstructure Analysis ... 15
Lexicon ... 15
Obama’s Expectation that China should Shape the 21st Century through the Global Issues ... 15
China’s Economic Condition ... 19
The United States’ Perspectives towards China’s History, its People, Population, and as a Country ... 21
Obama’s Expectation towards China in the Future ... 23
Deixis ... 25
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Maranatha Christian University Rhetorical Questions ... 30 Superstructure Analysis ... 34
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION ... 40 BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 44 APPENDICES ... 49
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APPENDICES
The speech by The President of the United States of America, Barrack Obama at the first meeting of the strategic economic dialogue between the United States of America and China
27 July 2009
‹
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-5190916-503544.html›
1. Thank you. Good morning. It is a great honor to welcome you to the first
meeting of the Strategic Economic Dialogue between the United States and China. This is an essential step in advancing a positive, constructive, and comprehensive relationship between our countries. I'm pleased that President Hu shares my commitment to a sustained dialogue to enhance our shared interests.
2. President Hu and I both felt that it was important to get our relationship off to a good start. Of course, as a new President and also as a basketball fan, I have learned from the words of Yao Ming, who said, "No matter whether you are new or an old team member, you need time to adjust to one another." Well, through the constructive meetings that we've already had, and through this dialogue, I'm confident that we will meet Yao's standard.
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3. I want to acknowledge the remarkable American and Chinese leaders who will co-chair this effort. Hillary Clinton and Tim Geithner are two of my closest advisors, and they have both obtained extraordinary experience working with China. And I know that they will have extremely capable and committed Chinese counterparts in State Councilor Dai and Vice Premier Wang. Thank you very much for being here.
4. I'm also looking forward to the confirmation of an outstanding U.S. Ambassador to China, Governor Jon Huntsman, who is here today. (Applause.) Jon has deep experience living and working in Asia, and -- unlike me -- he speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. He also happens to be a Republican who co-chaired Senator McCain's campaign. And I think that demonstrates Jon's commitment to serving his country, and the broad, bipartisan support for positive and productive relations between the United States and China. So thank you, Jon, for your willingness to serve.
5. Today, we meet in a building that speaks to the history of the last century. It houses a national memorial to President Woodrow Wilson, a man who held office when the 20th century was still young, and America's leadership in the world was emerging. It is named for Ronald Reagan, a man who came of age during two World Wars, and whose presidency helped usher in a new era of history. And it holds a piece of the Berlin Wall, a decades-long symbol of division that was finally torn down, unleashing a rising tide of globalization that continues to shape our world.
6. One hundred years ago -- in the early days of the 20th century -- it was clear that there were momentous choices to be made -- choices about the borders of
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nations and the rights of human beings. But in Woodrow Wilson's day, no one could have foreseen the arc of history that led to a wall coming down in Berlin, nor could they have imagined the conflict and upheaval that characterized the years in between. For people everywhere -- from Boston to Beijing -- the 20th century was a time of great progress, but that progress also came with a great price.
7. Today, we look out on the horizon of a new century. And as we launch this dialogue, it's important for us to reflect upon the questions that will shape the 21st century. Will growth be stalled by events like our current financial crisis, or will we cooperate to create balanced and sustainable growth, lifting more people out of poverty and creating a broader prosperity around the world? Will the need for energy breed competition and climate change, or will we build partnerships to produce clean power and to protect our planet? Will nuclear weapons spread unchecked, or will we forge a new consensus to use this power for only peaceful purposes? Will extremists be able to stir conflict and division, or will we unite on behalf of our shared security? Will nations and peoples define themselves solely by their differences, or can we find common ground necessary to meet our common challenges, and to respect the dignity of every human being?
8. We can't predict with certainty what the future will bring, but we can be certain about the issues that will define our times. And we also know this: The relationship between the United States and China will shape the 21st century, which makes it as important as any bilateral relationship in the world. That
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really must underpin our partnership. That is the responsibility that together we bear.
9. As we look to the future, we can learn from our past -- for history shows us that both our nations benefit from engagement that is grounded in mutual interest and mutual respect. During my time in office, we will mark the 40th anniversary of President Nixon's trip to China. At that time, the world was much different than it is today. America had fought three wars in East Asia in just 30 years, and the Cold War was in a stalemate. China's economy was cut off from the world, and a huge percentage of the Chinese people lived in extreme poverty.
10.Back then, our dialogue was guided by a narrow focus on our shared rivalry with the Soviet Union. Today, we have a comprehensive relationship that reflects the deepening ties among our people. Our countries have now shared relations for longer than we were estranged. Our people interact in so many ways. And I believe that we are poised to make steady progress on some of the most important issues of our times.
11.My confidence is rooted in the fact that the United States and China share mutual interests. If we advance those interests through cooperation, our people will benefit and the world will be better off -- because our ability to partner with each other is a prerequisite for progress on many of the most pressing global challenges.
12.Let me name some of those challenges. First, we can cooperate to advance our mutual interests in a lasting economic recovery. The current crisis has made it clear that the choices made within our borders reverberate across the global
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economy -- and this is true not just in New York and Seattle, but in Shanghai and Shenzhen, as well. That is why we must remain committed to strong bilateral and multilateral coordination. And that is the example we have set by acting aggressively to restore growth, to prevent a deeper recession and to save jobs for our people.
13.Going forward, we can deepen this cooperation. We can promote financial stability through greater transparency and regulatory reform. We can pursue trade that is free and fair, and seek to conclude an ambitious and balanced Doha Round agreement. We can update international institutions so that growing economies like China play a greater role that matches their greater responsibility. And as Americans save more and Chinese are able to spend more, we can put growth on a more sustainable foundation -- because just as China has benefited from substantial investment and profitable exports, China can also be an enormous market for American goods.
14.Second, we can cooperate to advance our mutual interest in a clean, secure, and prosperous energy future. The United States and China are the two largest consumers of energy in the world. We are also the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world. Let's be frank: Neither of us profits from a growing dependence on foreign oil, nor can we spare our people from the ravages of climate change unless we cooperate. Common sense calls upon us to act in concert.
15.Both of our countries are taking steps to transform our energy economies. Together we can chart a low carbon recovery; we can expand joint efforts at research and development to promote the clean and efficient use of energy;
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and we can work together to forge a global response at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen and beyond. And the best way to foster the innovation that can increase our security and prosperity is to keep our markets open to new ideas, new exchanges, and new sources of energy.
16.Third, we can cooperate to advance our mutual interests in stopping the spread of nuclear weapons. Make no mistake: The more nations acquire these weapons, the more likely it is that they will be used. Neither America nor China has an interest in a terrorist acquiring a bomb, or a nuclear arms race breaking out in East Asia. That is why we must continue our collaboration to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and make it clear to North Korea that the path to security and respect can be traveled if they meet their obligations. And that is why we must also be united in preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and urging the Islamic Republic to live up to its international obligations.
17.This is not about singling out any one nation -- it is about the responsibility of all nations. Together, we must cooperate to secure all vulnerable nuclear materials around the world, which will be a focus of our Global Nuclear Summit next year. And together, we must strengthen the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty by renewing its basic bargain: countries with nuclear weapons will move towards disarmament; countries without nuclear weapons will not acquire them; and all countries can access peaceful nuclear energy. A balance of terror cannot hold. In the 21st century, a strong and global regime is the only basis for security from the world's deadliest weapons.
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18.And fourth, we can cooperate to advance our mutual interests in confronting transnational threats. The most pressing dangers we face no longer come from competition among great powers -- they come from extremists who would murder innocents; from traffickers and pirates who pursue their own profits at the expense of others; from diseases that know no borders; and from suffering and civil wars that breed instability and terror. These are the threats of the 21st century. And that is why the pursuit of power among nations must no longer be seen as a zero-sum game. Progress including security -- must be shared.
19.Through increased ties between our militaries, we can diminish causes for dispute while providing a framework for cooperation. Through continued intelligence-sharing, we can disrupt terrorist plots and dismantle terrorist networks. Through early warning and coordination, we can check the spread of disease. And through determined diplomacy, we must meet our responsibility to seek the peaceful resolution of conflict -- and that can begin with a renewed push to end the suffering in Darfur, and to promote a comprehensive peace in Sudan.
20.All of these issues are rooted in the fact that no one nation can meet the challenges of the 21st century on its own, nor effectively advance its interests in isolation. It is this fundamental truth that compels us to cooperate. I have no illusion that the United States and China will agree on every issue, nor choose to see the world in the same way. This was already noted by our previous speaker. But that only makes dialogue more important -- so that we can know each other better, and communicate our concerns with candor.
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21.For instance, the United States respects the progress that China has made by lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Just as we respect China's ancient and remarkable culture, its remarkable achievements, we also strongly believe that the religion and culture of all peoples must be respected and protected, and that all people should be free to speak their minds. And that includes ethnic and religious minorities in China, as surely as it includes minorities within the United States.
22.Support for human rights and human dignity is ingrained in America. Our nation is made up of immigrants from every part of the world. We have protected our unity and struggled to perfect our union by extending basic rights to all our people. And those rights include the freedom to speak your mind, to worship your God, and to choose your leaders. These are not things that we seek to impose -- this is who we are. It guides our openness to one another and to the world.
23.China has its own distinct story that shapes its own worldview. And Americans know the richness of China's history because it helped to shape the world and it helped to shape America. We know the talent of the Chinese people because they have helped to create this great country. My own Cabinet contains two Chinese Americans. And we know that despite our differences, America is enriched through deeper ties with a country of 1.3 billion people that is at once ancient and dynamic -- ties that can be forged through increased exchanges among our people, and constructive bilateral relations between our governments. That is how we will narrow our divisions.
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24.Let us be honest: We know that some are wary of the future. Some in China think that America will try to contain China's ambitions; some in America think that there is something to fear in a rising China. I take a different view. And I believe President Hu takes a different view, as well. I believe in a future where China is a strong, prosperous and successful member of the community of nations; a future when our nations are partners out of necessity, but also out of opportunity. This future is not fixed, but it is a destination that can be reached if we pursue a sustained dialogue like the one that you will commence today, and act on what we hear and what we learn.
25.Thousands of years ago, the great philosopher Mencius said: "A trail through the mountains, if used, becomes a path in a short time, but, if unused, becomes blocked by grass in an equally short time." Our task is to forge a path to the future that we seek for our children -- to prevent mistrust or the inevitable differences of the moment from allowing that trail to be blocked by grass; to always be mindful of the journey that we are undertaking together. 26.This dialogue will help determine the ultimate destination of that journey. It
represents a commitment to shape our young century through sustained cooperation, and not confrontation. I look forward to carrying this effort forward through my first visit to China, where I hope to come to know better your leaders, your people, and your majestic country. Together, I'm confident that we can move steadily in the direction of progress, and meet our responsibility to our people and to the future that we will all share.
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Table 1
Obama’s Expectation that China should Shape the 21st
Century through the Global Issues
Data No.
Paragraph 7
1. (7) Will we cooperate to create balanced and sustainable growth, lifting more people out of poverty and creating a broader prosperity around the world?
2. “Will we build partnerships to produce clean power and to protect our planet?”
3. “Will we forge a new consensus to use this power for only peaceful purposes?”
4. “Will we unite on behalf of our shared security?”
5. “Can we find common ground necessary to meet our common challenges, and to respect the dignity of every human being?”
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Table 2
China’s Economic Condition Data
No.
Paragraphs (13) and (21)
6. (13) We can update international institutions so that growing economies like China play a greater role that matches their greater responsibility. And as Americans save more and Chinese are able to spend more, we can put growth on a more sustainable foundation -- because just as China has benefited from substantial investment and profitable exports, China can also be an enormous market for American goods.
7. (21) The United States respects the progress that China has made by lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty …
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Table 3
The United States of America’s Perspectives towards China’s History, its People, Population, and as a Country
Data No.
Paragraphs (23) and (24)
8.
9.
(23) China has its own distinct story that shapes its own worldwide. And Americans know the richness of China’s history because it helped to shape the world and it helped to shape America.
(24) We know the talent of the Chinese people because they have helped to create this great country. My own Cabinet contains two Chinese Americans.
10. (23) And we know that despite our differences, America is enriched through deeper ties with a country of 1.3 billion people that is at once ancient and dynamic.
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Table 4
Obama’s Expectation towards China in the Future Data
No.
Paragraphs (24) and (26)
11 (24) I believe in a future where China is a strong, prosperous and successful member of the community nations.
12 (26) I hope to come to know better your leaders, your people, and your majestic country.
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Table 5
Negative and Positive Condition in Obama’s Rhetorical Questions
Negative Condition Or Positive Condition
“Will growth be stalled by events like our current financial crisis?”
“Will we cooperate to create balanced and sustainable growth, lifting more people out of poverty and creating a broader prosperity around the world?” “Will the need for energy breed
competition and climate change?”
“Will we build partnerships to produce clean power and to protect our planet?”
“Will nuclear weapons spread unchecked?”
“Will we forge a new consensus to use this power for only peaceful purposes?”
“Will extremists be able to stir conflict and division?”
“Will we unite on behalf of our shared security?”
“Will nations and peoples define themselves solely by their differences?”
“Can we find common ground necessary to meet our common challenges, and to respect the dignity of every human being?”
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Fig. 1. The schematic structure of Obama’s speech.
Thesis Statement and Salutation (Paragraph 1)
Argument I: America and China should adjust to one another to have a good relationship. (Paragraph 2)
Acknowledgement (Paragraphs 3-4)
Argument II: The great moments of the 20th century (Paragraphs 5 and 6)
Argument IV: Advancing the mutual interests (Paragraphs 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,)
Argument V: Focusing on the future collaboration despite the differences between the two countries (Paragraphs 24-25)
Recommendation:
A Commitment to shape the United States of America and China through sustained cooperation and not a confrontation (Paragraphs 26) Argument III: The relationship of the US and China will shape the 21st
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Fig. 2. The schematic Structure of argument IV Argument IV: Advancing the mutual interests (Paragraphs 9-23) Both countries should advance their
mutual interest through cooperation
(Paragraphs 9, 10, 11, and 23)
Cooperating to advance their mutual interest in economic (Paragraphs
12-13)
Cooperating to advance their mutual interest in energy (Paragraphs
14-15)
Cooperating to advance their mutual interest in
stopping the spread of nuclear weapons (Paragraphs 16-17)
Cooperating to advance their mutual interest in confronting transnational
threat
(Paragraphs 18-19) Obama’s doubt if
China and the United States of America will have a similar way in advance their
interest, especially about the human
rights issues (Paragraphs 20-22)
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of study
In the 21st century, the fact that information is very important forces people to update their knowledge about what is happening. They usually find information through media such as television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and the Internet. In these media, information is showed in the form of a text. In order to understand the information deeply, people must know how to use language that involves both the text and the context.
The content of a text may contain an opinion or a perspective about a person, a group of persons, a place, an environment, a country, etc. The opinion or perspective may contain the judgment over whether the person or thing is good or bad. When all parts of the audience or all the readers have different opinions about the topic delivered by a speaker or a writer, it may be difficult to influence them.
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In this thesis, the reasons explained above are used to support the attempt to analyze a text of Obama’s speech. In this speech, which was delivered at the first meeting of the strategic economic dialogue between the United States of America and the Republic of China on 27 July 2009 in Washington D.C., United States of America, Obama gave his argumentative speech about the relationship between America and China, especially to convince China to build a positive, constructive, and comprehensive relationship with America so that both countries can enhance their interests.
The speech of President Barrack Obama was chosen because he is well-known as a politician who is skillful in delivering speeches. He has a good mental library of words and his memory enables him to access the right words when required and also his attention to details is incisive. Besides, he is very good at expressing his intent and using words that efficiently describe his message (Frenkel). This thesis analyzes Obama’s speech in the strategic economic dialogue between America and China because of two reasons. First, China was predicted to become a new economic superpower; therefore, every issue about China has become interesting information to consume for everyone
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Maranatha Christian University around the world. Second, the America – China relationship is very influential in the world and any problem concerning it may affect other countries.
A text analysis which is based on van Dijk’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is presented to verify the representation of China in Obama’s speech through his persuasive arguments. van Dijk (263) states that the justification of the inequality between self and other can be verified by using two strategies, namely the positive self-presentation and negative other-presentation. In addition, van Dijk (354) states that in order to show which strategies are used in a discourse, people can make three levels of analyses, namely the macro, meso, and micro levels. To limit the scope of this analysis, this thesis only presents the micro level analysis because this study totally focuses on the text itself rather than on power, dominance, and inequality between social groups (macro levels) or the intermediate level (meso levels), both of which are more abstract (van Dijk 31). The micro level analysis consists of the macrostructure, superstructure, and microstructure analyses, which involve language use, discourse, verbal interaction, and communication to give a certain representation of someone or something.
The topic of this thesis is “Text Analysis of the Representation of China in
Barrack Obama’s Speech.” The decision to do the micro level analysis in this
thesis was made in order for the analysis to become more specific and focused. The micro level analysis includes the macrostructure, microstructure, and superstructure analyses.
This topic is considered substantial because a text analysis requires a very good understanding and knowledge about the text itself as well as the context,
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(750 words)
1.2Statement of the Problem
This thesis is going to discuss the following problems:
1. Based on the macrostructure analysis, how do the global topics of the speech show the representation of China?
2. Based on the microstructure analysis, how do the lexicon, deixis, implicitness and rhetorical questions contribute to the disclosure of the representation of China in the speech?
3. Based on the superstructure analysis, how is the information organized to reveal the representation of China in the speech?
1.3 The Purpose of the Study
This study has the following purposes:
1. to find out how the global topics show the representation of China, based on the macrostructure analysis.
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contribute to the disclosure of the representation of China in the speech, based on the microstructure analysis.
3. to find out how the information is organized to reveal the representation of the China in the speech, based on the superstructure analysis.
1.4 Method of Research
This research started by searching and finding an appropriate text to be the research data. Then intensive reading was done on some books that discuss Discourse Analysis and on van Dijk’s journal articles of Critical Discourse Analysis, which are relevant to the topic of this study. After the theories about Discourse Analysis were gathered, especially the Critical Discourse Analysis of van Dijk’s, the text was analyzed and finally the research report was written.
1.5 Organization of the Thesis
The thesis is divided into four chapters. The first chapter is Introduction, which consists of five parts – Background of the Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study, Method of Research, and Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two is Theoretical Framework, in which the theories and approaches used to analyze the text are elaborated. Chapter Three contains the text analysis and Chapter Four puts forward the conclusion of the analysis. Finally, this thesis presents its Bibliography and Appendices.
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CHAPTER FOUR
CONCLUSION
In this chapter I would like to draw some concluding points about the
representation of China in Barrack Obama’s speech. The concluding points are
based on the result of the discussion in Chapter Three, which covers the three analyses, the macrostructure, microstructure and superstructure analyses.
In the macrostructure analysis, the representation of China cannot be seen clearly whether it is positive or negative. The important parts of the speech, which are the thesis statement and the recommendation, do not clearly show the representation of China. In the thesis statement, I find out that Obama wants China to have a good relationship with the United States of America in order to enhance their interest while in the recommendation Obama states he thinks China should have a positive, constructive, and comprehensive relationship rather than a confrontation with the United States of America.
In my opinion, the role of the macrostructure analysis is to reveal the global topic and not to show the real meaning of a text in detail. We can only get the meaning of the speech on the surface, which is about the relationship between the United States of America and China but we cannot get detail information,
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which can be significant evidence for revealing whether the representation of China is positive or negative.
In the microstructure analysis, there are four tools which are used. The tools are the lexicon, deixis, implicitness and rhetorical questions. From all of the tools which are used, it can be concluded that the representation of China in Obama’s speech is positive. It is obviously seen that in this speech, Obama uses the tools as a significant approach to create an image that the United States of America sees China in a positive way.
In the lexicon analysis, we can clearly see how Obama chooses some words which have drawn a positive representation of China. Through the twelve data in the lexicon analysis, I conclude that Obama intentionally praises China as a great country. I think Obama explicitly praises the country as a way to convince China that the country is a suitable partner for the United States of America.
The second concluding point is based on the use of deixis. The use of
inclusive and exclusive “we” has brought a positive representation of China. In
my opinion, the use of deixis used in this speech is very important because the speech talks about a relationship, in which the use of “we” and “us” can be so effective to show the representation of China. Especially for the inclusive “we,” the use of deixis has shown the involvement of two parts, the United States of America and China as they have a great role in maintaining the relationship. Both countries have responsibility to maintain the relationship.
In implicitness, it appears that Obama does not want to explicitly disclose the truth about the human rights issues to China. In the speech, he neither speaks frankly nor describes in detail what China should do in dealing with the human
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rights issues. Moreover, it appears that he de-emphasizes the negative points of China implicitly in dealing with the human rights issues. I think what Obama has done with the way he talks about the human right issues is strategically appropriate. In my opinion, if Obama had talked deliberately by telling the naked fact about China in dealing with the human rights issues it might have upset China. It becomes quite possible that China will not want to do what Obama wants in the speech.
The last concluding points are based on the use of rhetorical questions. In the rhetorical questions, actually Obama implicitly delivers his opinions that China is a very important partner for the United States of America in facing the 21st century global challenges and the five main global issues, which are economics, energy and the environment, nuclear power, security and human rights. In my opinion, the use of rhetorical questions in Obama’s persuasive speech is very appropriate because the interaction of sharing ideas between the speaker and audience can be established. If the interaction has been established, the distance between the audience and the speaker will not exist. If there is no distance, in
Obama’s case, he will make China believe that Obama is more like a friend who
wants to give a solution rather than someone older or in a higher level who just wants to control China to do what is right or wrong for China. It is also appropriate because it is more effective to predispose people’s thinking and feeling. In the speech, for example Obama ask, “Will growth be stalled by events like our current financial crisis? Will we cooperate to create balanced and sustainable growth, lifting more people out of poverty and creating a broader prosperity around the world?” By presenting two contrasting choices, it will be
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more effective to predispose China naturally to choose the best and the most positive choice. Thus, I can conclude that in a hortatory exposition or in any other persuasive speech, the use of rhetorical questions is very important.
In the superstructure analysis, the representation of China cannot be seen because Obama delivers the speech in a conventional form. He strictly follows a sequential order of a hortatory exposition. In my opinion, Obama use a conventional way because he wants to deliver his persuasive message effectively. He wants to speak directly to China about his persuasion rather than make China get confused or misunderstood by an implied meaning, which may occur if he used the unconventional form.
Finally, in this last paragraph, I would like to give my suggestion to linguistic students who want to use van Dijk’s Critical Discourse Analysis as the approach of research in their thesis. I suggest the students be meticulous when examining all the analysis, especially the microstructure analysis. I also suggest they not only focus on the text as their object of analysis but also give more attention of some facts outside the text, which can give background information of the topic being discussed, for instance who the speaker is, who the audiences are and what the relationship is between the speaker and the audience.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Text
“ President Barrack Obama’s Speech at the First Meeting of the Strategic
Economic Dialogue between the United States of America and China.” Cbsnews.com. 27 July 2009. Web. 3 March 2013.
Printed and Online References
Danesi, Marcel. Messages, Signs, and Meaning. Toronto: Canadian scholar’s Press Inc., 2004. Print.
Essberger, Josef. “Present Perfect Tense.” English Club. Web. 18 March 2013.
Frenkel, Dean.“Public Speaking 101: A Lesson in Leadership from Obama.” ABC Network Australia. 16 November 2011. Web. 3 March 2013. Gerot, Linda and Peter Wignell. Making Sense of Functional Grammar. Sydney:
Antipodean Educational Enterprises. 1994. Print.
van Dijk, Teun Adrianus. “Analyzing Racism through Discourse Analysis.” n.d. Web. 15 March 2013.
van Dijk, Teun Adrianus. “Critical Discourse Analysis.” n.d. Web. 15 March 2013.
van Dijk, Teun Adrianus.” Discourse and Manipulation.” n.d. Web. 15 March 2013.
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van Dijk, Teun Adrianus.”Principle of Discourse Analysis.” n.d. Web. 15 March 2013.
Yule, George. Pragmatics. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press. 1996. Print United States. Dept. of State. 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
in China including Tibet, Hongkong and Macau. Washington: State Government, 2010. Web. 25 March 2014.
Dictionary References
“Ancient.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Balanced.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Benefited.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Broad.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Clean.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Create.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Deixis.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
”Dignity.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
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46 Maranatha Christian University
“Distinct.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Dynamic.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Enormous.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Find.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Forge.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Great.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Growing.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Growth.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Help.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Lift.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Majestic.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
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47 Maranatha Christian University
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Necessary.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New
York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Only.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Peaceful.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Produce.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Profitable.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Progress.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Prosperity.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New
York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Protect.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Respect”. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Richness.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Security.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
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48 Maranatha Christian University
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Substantial.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Sustainable.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New
York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Talent.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Unite.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
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43 Maranatha Christian University
more effective to predispose China naturally to choose the best and the most positive choice. Thus, I can conclude that in a hortatory exposition or in any other persuasive speech, the use of rhetorical questions is very important.
In the superstructure analysis, the representation of China cannot be seen because Obama delivers the speech in a conventional form. He strictly follows a sequential order of a hortatory exposition. In my opinion, Obama use a conventional way because he wants to deliver his persuasive message effectively. He wants to speak directly to China about his persuasion rather than make China get confused or misunderstood by an implied meaning, which may occur if he used the unconventional form.
Finally, in this last paragraph, I would like to give my suggestion to linguistic students who want to use van Dijk’s Critical Discourse Analysis as the approach of research in their thesis. I suggest the students be meticulous when examining all the analysis, especially the microstructure analysis. I also suggest they not only focus on the text as their object of analysis but also give more attention of some facts outside the text, which can give background information of the topic being discussed, for instance who the speaker is, who the audiences are and what the relationship is between the speaker and the audience.
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44 Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Text
“ President Barrack Obama’s Speech at the First Meeting of the Strategic Economic Dialogue between the United States of America and China.” Cbsnews.com. 27 July 2009. Web. 3 March 2013.
Printed and Online References
Danesi, Marcel. Messages, Signs, and Meaning. Toronto: Canadian scholar’s Press Inc., 2004. Print.
Essberger, Josef. “Present Perfect Tense.” English Club. Web. 18 March 2013. Frenkel, Dean.“Public Speaking 101: A Lesson in Leadership from Obama.”
ABC Network Australia. 16 November 2011. Web. 3 March 2013. Gerot, Linda and Peter Wignell. Making Sense of Functional Grammar. Sydney:
Antipodean Educational Enterprises. 1994. Print.
van Dijk, Teun Adrianus. “Analyzing Racism through Discourse Analysis.” n.d. Web. 15 March 2013.
van Dijk, Teun Adrianus. “Critical Discourse Analysis.” n.d. Web. 15 March 2013.
van Dijk, Teun Adrianus.” Discourse and Manipulation.” n.d. Web. 15 March 2013.
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45 Maranatha Christian University
van Dijk, Teun Adrianus.”Principle of Discourse Analysis.” n.d. Web. 15 March 2013.
Yule, George. Pragmatics. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press. 1996. Print United States. Dept. of State. 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
in China including Tibet, Hongkong and Macau. Washington: State Government, 2010. Web. 25 March 2014.
Dictionary References
“Ancient.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Balanced.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Benefited.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Broad.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Clean.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Create.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Deixis.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
”Dignity.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
(4)
46 Maranatha Christian University
“Distinct.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Dynamic.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Enormous.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Find.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Forge.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Great.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Growing.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Growth.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Help.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Lift.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Majestic .” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
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47 Maranatha Christian University
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Necessary.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Only.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Peaceful.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Produce.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Profitable.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Progress.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Prosperity.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Protect.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Respect”. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Richness.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Security.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
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48 Maranatha Christian University
Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Substantial.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Sustainable.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Talent.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.
“Unite.”Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Eighth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. Print.