In this thesis, the subculture of online live streaming is explored on the platform Twitch by using a register analysis and Hoffman’s adaptation of usage-based Construction Grammar analysis....Show moreIn this thesis, the subculture of online live streaming is explored on the platform Twitch by using a register analysis and Hoffman’s adaptation of usage-based Construction Grammar analysis. Research on language use has increasingly focused on communication via electronic means by conducting register, and genre analyses as more sophisticated registers emerge with rich contextual linguistic and non-linguistic features, such as the general register of email messages and Twitter tweets. This work expands on these general registers by examining one of the most prominent and fast-growing platforms in the online live streaming space, Twitch (Biber et al., 2019, p. 175; Sjöblom, 2019, p. 20). This fast growth can mainly be attributed to the immense growth in the online space. As of 2022, almost 5.3 billion people worldwide utilize the internet; this amounts to about 66.2% of the entire world population (“Internet World Stats,” n.d.). In particular, the thesis will utilize a combination of register analysis with Hoffman’s usage-based Construction Grammar analysis to depict how complex the register of Twitch is and explore how interaction occurs between parties on the platform within its register and is supported by a collision of audiovisual elements and computer-mediated communication (Biber et al., 2019, p. 174; Sjöblom, 2019, p. 20). It will present the results of 107 hours of observation watching Twitch chats between January 2022 and April 2022. Intending not only to shed light on the, as it will be referred to henceforth, Twitch register but also to show how the complex social and physical context factors shape the register through its users and, in turn, enhance the social cement present on the platform and within its communities.Show less
Most comparative studies have focused on Obama and Trump’s elocution (e.g. Hill, 2020) or invention (Bostdorf, 2017). Much less research has been done on both speaker’s arrangement and deviation...Show moreMost comparative studies have focused on Obama and Trump’s elocution (e.g. Hill, 2020) or invention (Bostdorf, 2017). Much less research has been done on both speaker’s arrangement and deviation from the classical prescripts. Nevertheless, arrangement is an important process that is omnipresent in different canons and complicated by nature as there is not one set framework of ordering. The lack of a set order is caused by the heavy influence the audience has on the disposition of a speech. This thesis will look at arrangement in a broader sense by investigating how information is ordered in various cannons of rhetoric. Finally, this thesis aims to answer the central question: is Obama or Trump the most successful classical rhetorical speaker in terms of arranging the information in their speech. To research this, I examined and compared one set of speeches by Obama and Trump with various classical pre-set orders. The classical orders that were used were the parts of speech by Cicero, the three appeals by Aristotle, and Aristotle's stock issues that Katula and Roth modified to suit the modern deliberative rhetoric. Stock issues are questions that frequently occur during argumentation. They can help the speaker anticipate what questions will be asked and help the critic ask appropriate questions (Katula and Roth, 1980, p. 184). The results showed that Obama’s speech was closer to the classical pre-sets than Trump’s speech. Obama incorporates each component of the arrangement, whereas Trump has shown to leave out certain components. These results propose that classical rhetoric is still prevalent in modern rhetoric and suggest how classical rhetoric can be altered to suit the present-day audience. With this thesis, I hope to have shed light on the value of classical rhetoric, in particular of arrangement, in modern debate.Show less
This thesis explores the readability of Roald Dahl's books. Specifically, it tests two adult books against two children's books to see if there is a difference between the language use of the two...Show moreThis thesis explores the readability of Roald Dahl's books. Specifically, it tests two adult books against two children's books to see if there is a difference between the language use of the two genres for Dahl. Did he change his language when switching from adult stories to children's books? The readability is tested through the use of the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and the Automated Readability Index tests. These tests showed that there is indeed a slight difference between the readability of the children's books and the adult books of Dahl. This was in line with the prediction based on the literature discussed on language development, children's books as a genre, and readability. However, the adult texts of Dahl turned out to be easier to read than expected and easier to read than the average of adult books. This raises the question whether Dahl really did change his language to fit his new audience, children, or if his adult books show that he actually has always written in a way that is readable for children.Show less
American criminal jury trials are more likely than not very intense and hectic. Often, these trials revolve around a murder, where it is the prosecutor’s job to persuade the jury to convict the...Show moreAmerican criminal jury trials are more likely than not very intense and hectic. Often, these trials revolve around a murder, where it is the prosecutor’s job to persuade the jury to convict the murderer. It is no wonder therefore, that the prosecutorial opening statements during these kids of trials stand symbol for cornerstones to persuasive oratory. This thesis starts off by describing how prosecutors can use Aristotle’s three modes of persuasion called ethos, pathos and logos, most effectively to persuade the jury during their opening statement and uses the findings on how to use these three modes to analyze and compare two real-life criminal jury trials that occurred in the United States in order to answer the following question: Is the use of prosecutorial persuasion in the opening statement of a trial resulting in conviction more compelling than the use of prosecutorial persuasion in the opening statement of a trial resulting in acquittal? The first trial that will be analyzed is the State of Arizona vs. Jodi Ann Arias, which is a trial where a woman named Jodi Arias was convicted of the brutal murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Victor Alexander, prosecuted by Juan Martinez. The second trial to be analyzed is the State of Florida vs. Casey Marie Anthony, which is a trial where a woman named Casey Anthony was acquitted for the murder of her toddler daughter Caylee Anthony, prosecuted by Linda Burdick. Both these trials have been well known around the world and dealt with two of the most hated women in the United States.Show less
This paper contains a detailed analysis of the use and non-use of biased language amongst students of the BA English Language & Culture at the Leiden University. To be more precise, it...Show moreThis paper contains a detailed analysis of the use and non-use of biased language amongst students of the BA English Language & Culture at the Leiden University. To be more precise, it discusses the reasoning behind the use and non-use of biased language, as well as the contexts and manners in which they occur alongside the targeted groups of such biased language. There was a general tendency to abstain from using biased language in general with the exception of camaraderie forms among the subjects. Still, the participants reacted very differently to the instances of biased language pertaining to different groups of people, with religion being treated the least careful, and race the most careful.Show less
During the first half of 2016, politics in the United Kingdom were taken over by the upcoming referendum about whether to leave the European Union, the so-called Brexit referendum. While there were...Show moreDuring the first half of 2016, politics in the United Kingdom were taken over by the upcoming referendum about whether to leave the European Union, the so-called Brexit referendum. While there were many campaign groups, only two of them were designated the official ‘Leave’ and ‘Remain’ side: Vote Leave Take Control (VoteLeave) supported leaving the EU, whereas Britain Stronger In (StrongerIn) campaigned for the UK to remain part of the EU. This battle resulted in a narrow victory for the Leave campaign, with 51.9 percent of the voters supporting Leave. There has been a lot of speculation on what the future brings for the United Kingdom. Bremmer for example, worries about how Britain’s financial world will be impacted after leaving the European Union and the difficulties in negotiating new (trade) relationships with current EU partners (16). However, nothing has been written so far on the role of persuasion strategies in this outcome. This thesis will bridge this gap by analysing the persuasion strategies used by both sides and measure how well they suited their audience of British voters.Show less
Previous research has not covered how framing devices help American presidential candidates persuade the electorate while sustaining credibility in their rhetoric, especially at times when scandals...Show morePrevious research has not covered how framing devices help American presidential candidates persuade the electorate while sustaining credibility in their rhetoric, especially at times when scandals are revealed during presidential campaigns. This is the aim of this thesis, which has applied the use of framing techniques and their effect on the electorate to four case studies from the 2016 United States election.Show less
This thesis aimed to establish whether a cline of cautiousness could be noted in the rhetoric of presidential candidates Donald J. Trump and H. Ross Perot. Purr words, snarl words and metaphors...Show moreThis thesis aimed to establish whether a cline of cautiousness could be noted in the rhetoric of presidential candidates Donald J. Trump and H. Ross Perot. Purr words, snarl words and metaphors were analyzed and categorized according to the American cultural values of equality, confrontation and orientation to action. Furthermore, constitutional keywords were divided into four different categories, namely that of 'The Presidency and Leadership', 'The System of Government', 'The United States Economy' and 'The Constitutional Tradition'. Ultimately, it was found that a cline of cautiousness could indeed be noted in the rhetoric of Trump and Perot, meaning that over the course of the elections, both presidential candidates lessened their emphasis on likeability and overall similarity to the electorate while they increased their emphasis on reliability and statesmanship instead.Show less
This study is about framing of migrants by political parties and non-profit organizations in the Netherlands. The recent increase in the influx of immigrants in the Netherlands has intensified the...Show moreThis study is about framing of migrants by political parties and non-profit organizations in the Netherlands. The recent increase in the influx of immigrants in the Netherlands has intensified the immigration debate and brought about more polarization in the debate about ‘refugees’; on the one hand the use of negative frames; and on the other positive frames. The frames used in the immigration debate aim to influence the general public’s attitude towards the issue. This study consisted of a content analysis of six political parties (VVD, PVV, PvdA, SP, SGP, CDA) and six non-profit organizations (Vluchtelingenwerk, Stichting Vluchteling, Stichting Gave, Cordaid, Rode Kruis, UNICEF) in two time periods to determine if there are any shifts in the way immigrants are framed. The first time period is before the recent increase, in 2012, and the second period is the current year, which is after the large influx of immigrants. The analyzed texts are the election programs of the political parties and the annual reports of the non-profit organizations. The content analysis focused on frame categories and the use of frame categories in combination with stock issues and means of persuasion. One of the main findings of this study is the need for a ‘neutral’ frame in the immigration debate. Secondly, the use of framing by some political parties in combination with social movement stock issues. And thirdly, the recent increase of immigrants in the Netherlands did not cause an increase and diversification of frame use in all the analyzed texts. The findings of this study complement our understanding of the frame use of these actors regarding immigrants in combination with stock issues and means of persuasion.Show less
In this thesis I have analysed the linguistic features that are used to distance oneself from members of the outgroup, and how these features show change when a character redefines the social self...Show moreIn this thesis I have analysed the linguistic features that are used to distance oneself from members of the outgroup, and how these features show change when a character redefines the social self by breaking away from the ingroup, making use of Eve Harris’ novel The Marrying of Chani Kaufman (2013) as a corpus. The framework of Critical Discourse Analysis was applied, and adapted for use in fictional literature in terms of analysed features and interpretational dimensions. The features that were analysed focus on the use of locational cues (e.g. deixis), framing of time (e.g. narration time, tense and aspect), and choice of diction (e.g. adjectives, adverbials). For the interpretation of the results I deviated from Fairclough's commonly used three dimensional analysis structure (Jørgensen & Phillips, 2002, pp. 81-86), which is more suitable for use of non-fictional works in their relation to extratextual links and other cultural elements. Instead I made use of an interpretation that extrapolates the dimensions to aspects of the individual as they show in fiction: ideology, constructing reality, and social inequality. In sum, the analysis reveals that features with regard to social inequality, especially thought representation, demonstratives and focalisation, change when Rivka identifies herself increasingly with members of the outgroup.Show less
