In the Name of Allah

the Most Gracious , the

Most Merciful
 The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
University of Lounici Ali Blida 02

A Critical Discourse Analysis of Barrack Obama

First Inaugural Address (2009)

• Submitted by: • Supervised by:

Mr. Charfi Abdelhamid Ms. Meghesli

• The Examiners:
Mrs. ABDELLAOUI
Ms. BEZZOUH
 The Outline

General Introduction.

Chapter One: Obama’s Road to the White House.

Chapter Two : Research Methodology.

Chapter Three: Data Analysis, Results and Discussion.

General Conclusion.

Bibliography
INTRODUCTION
 Through time, language has been developed to an

important means by politicians to convince the

population to accept their decisions.

 The Objectives Of The Study:

 To investigate the use of language as a tool of

persuasion in Obama’s first Inaugural Address

To attempt to understand how Obama was

able to demonstrate his ideology and show his
power as new president through language
 The Aim Of The Study

aims at analyzing and investigating the relationship

between language, ideology, and power in Obama’s first
Inaugural address.

 It explores the use language to persuade people.

 The Research Question:

To what extent does language help Obama to

persuade the American people to accept his policies?

To what extent is the ideology of President Obama

reflected through the linguistic choices in the speech
under study?
Chapter One: Obama’s
Road to the White
House.
 AIMS

 Describes the different events and experiences that

helped Obama to create such a strong personality
through tackling his background.

 Describes how Obama entered the presidential race,

versus whom and how he won.

 Presents the different views, critics, and different

opinions about Obama’s Inaugural Address.
 The Outcomes Of the Chapter:

Obama’s multi-cultural life helped him to develop a

unique personality that makes him different from the other
candidates in American presidential election.
Chapter Two : Research

Methodology
 AIM

 Defining and explaining the Chosen Approach.

Further explanation about Study Sample and the

reason behind its choice.

Providing a description and justification of the

research method.
  Critical Discourse
Primary
Method.
 Systematic Functional
Source. Grammar
Analysis.
 Secondary Sources.
Chapter Three: Data
Analysis, Results and
Discussion
 AIM

 Analyzing Obama’s Inaugural Address (2009) to

investigate how Obama used Language to persuade
the American Citizen to accept his policies.

 To examine the relation between Language,

Ideology and Power.
 Meta-functional Analysis

 Textual analysis:

 Obama’s speech organized as follow:

1. Greeting and thanking:

2. Recalling the past:

3. Reviewing:

4. Stating future policies:

5. Resort to God:
 To strengthen his speech Obama used a religion as them:

1. [...] The God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all
deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. (Line32-34)

2. […] this is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God
calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. (Line155-156)
 Ideational Meta-functional Analysis:

 Material Process:

 Example 1 :
[...] We (actor) will build (material process) the roads and bridges,
the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us
together (goal). We'll (actor) restore (material process) science to its
rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality
and lower its cost (goal). We will (actor) harness (material process) the
sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories (goal).
And we will (actor) transform (material process) our schools and
colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age (goal). All this
we can do. All this we will do. (Line57-64)
  Relational Process:

Attributive Process:
 Example 1:
America (carrier) has carried (attributive process) on not simply because of
the skill or vision of those in high office (attribute)”.
 Example 2:
Our (carrier) journey has never been (attributive Process) one of short-cuts
or settling for less (attribute)”. (Line36-37)

Identifying Process:
Example 3:
“America is a friend of each nation” “each nation is friend of America.”
 Example 4:
“Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and
hatred” “a far-reaching network of hatred and violence is at war against or
nation.”(Line12-13)
  Mental Process:

Types of Mental process Sensor Mental process Phenomenon

Perceptive We Well understood In the midst of crisis

Cognitive We gather We have chosen Hope over fear

Desiderative Those That prefer Leisure over work

Emotive We Remember Those brave American

[…] distant mountains.

 Interpersonal Meta-Functional analysis

 Model Verbs:
 Positive Model verbs:
 Example 1 :
[…] that the next generation must lower its sights. (Line21)
 Example 2:
but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish
things. (Line28-29)

 Negative Model Verbs:

 Example 3:
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who
suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. (Line65-66)
 Example 4:
We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its
defense. (Line 107)
  Tense:
Present Tense:
1. In reaffirming the greatness of our nation we understand that greatness is
never a given. It must be earned. (Line35-36)
2. as for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety
and our ideals. (Line86-87)

 Future Tense:
3. And we will act, not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for
growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that
feed our commerce and bind us together. (Line57-59)
4. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned
peace in Afghanistan. (Line103-104)

 Simple Tense:
5. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every
end of this Earth. (Line112-113)
6. and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and
segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more
united. (Line113-115)
General Conclusion
 General Finding

Obama’s request of persuading the American to accept

his policies was successful.

 The relationship was established between Language,

Ideology and power.

 Critical Discourse Analysis is considered to be an

effective tool to analysis public speeches and it is
worth to pay attention to it.
 The Limitation

the specific structure of the Obama speech.

Limited Length and time

Thank You For Your
Attention