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Contextual beliefs in online political cartoons on Presidnt Buhari
(Kwara State University Press, 2022) Adeoti, Oluwatomi
Cartoons, be it political or comic stripes, have been famed for addressing issues using multi-resources, given the spatial limitations. Cartoonists thus bear the crucial responsibility of effectively conveying their intended messages within the affordances of these constraints. Serving as a form of social commentary, cartoons skillfully tackle weighty societal issues in a subtle yet incisive manner, leaving no ambiguity regarding their targets and messages. This study delves into the pragmatic strategies employed by cartoonists to conceptualize and craft their cartoons, aiming to achieve their communicative objectives. For data, 20 cartoons focused on President Buhari and his handling of various political and economic matters were purposefully selected and analyzed. Drawing upon Odebunmi’s (2006) Contextual Beliefs Theory and Kecskes's (2008) dynamic model of meaning, the analysis highlights the reliance of cartoonists on shared beliefs as a pragmatic resource in their creative process. The study also explores how the background knowledge of both cartoonists and readers, alongside societal conventions and shared assumptions, converge to ensure the communicative efficacy of this medium. The findings underscore the influence of socio-political and economic realities on the shared knowledge depicted in the cartoons. Moreover, the deliberate selection of certain lexical items is noted for its reliance on the communal common ground shared by both the subjects and viewers of the cartoons. In conclusion, contextual beliefs play a pivotal role in elucidating the communicative intentions of cartoonists and unpacking the nuanced meanings within cartoons, given their dynamic nature.
Discourse Space Theory and Conceptual Metaphor in Muhammadu Buhari`s Inaugural Speech
(University Of Lagos Press, 2017) Abdul Sunokpera
In the last few decades, researchers especially in the humanities and social sciences have directed a renewed and undivided attention so to speak to the field of political communication and/or political discourse. This renewed effort has produced avalanche of literature in political discourse which has in turn attracted the interest of both political and discourse analysts in this direction. Political discourse is hydra-headed as it embraces several other sub-genres such as political debates, political broadcast interviews, political rallies parliamentary sessions, presidential inaugurals among others. Researches on presidential inaugurals have grown enormously in the recent times. This unprecedented growth may not be unconnected with the democratisation process as a new world order .It is today a common practice for democratically elected presidents or military juntas in dictatorial regimes especially in the third world countries to deliver an inaugural speech immediately following their swearing the oath of office. In the course of this exercise, the political actors draw certain rhetorical devices to service in order to manipulate and convince the citizenry about their dedication and commitment to serve them. This paper therefore seeks to situate Discourse Space Theory and Conceptual Metaphor in the inaugural speech of Muhammadu Buhari. Using these two theoretical models, we shall be better placed to encapsulate how political actors use language in both its literal and literary senses to shape discourse and by extension reconstitute certain values among the citizenry.
A Comparative Analysis of Muhmmadu Buhari and Alexander Boris Johnson’s Appreciation and Sensitisation Speeches on Coronavirus Pandemic
(University of Lagos Press, 2017) Abdul Sunokpera
This paper examines the discourse of coronavirus pandemic by appraising the appreciation and sensitisation speeches of the British Prime Minister and the president of Nigeria. The outbreak of coronavirus pandemic triggered the production of different types of texts as discourses from different parts of the world. The majority of these discourses seek to proffer solution to the global pandemic. The appreciation and sensitisation speeches of Alexander Boris Johnson and that of Muhammadu Buhari are no exception. The two speeches were divided into eight texts and analysed using a Functional-Semiotic Discourse Analysis as applied by Daramola (2008) and Appraisal Theory as theoretical underpinnings. After the analysis of semiotic and appraisal resources in the two speeches using the two linguistic theories, it was concluded that different linguistic resources drawn from different sources by different speakers could be deployed to perform different communicative functions in order to achieve the same communicative ends.
EFFECTIVE WRITING SKILLS: GENERAL AND SPECIFIC STRATEGIES
(Kwara State University Press, 2018) Sunokpera Abdul
The focus of this chapter is to discuss how one can write effectively. Writing as a skill of language is crucial not only to the academic but also to other people in various professions. Because of the importance of the written medium as a means of communication, the need therefore arises for teaching the various ways and strategies by which writing can be effectively actualised. It is difficult and almost impossible to write effectively without the basic knowledge of the principles guiding effective writing. Effective writing is that which explicates exactly what the writer wishes to say in a clear and understandable language. Ineffective writing on the other hand is clumsy and distracts the reader’s attention
Driving Entrepreneurial Acumen through Language Resourcefulness: A Speech Acts Analysis of Selected Radio Jingles in Pidgin
(2016) Abiodun Jombadi; Ruth Jacob; Sunokpera Abdul
The fact that advertisement serves as a vital component of entrepreneurial exertions remains indubitable. Consequently, the role of language in driving an effective process of advertising informs this research. The paper aims at analyzing some radio jingles in pidgin, using J.L. Austin’s Speech Acts Theory with the intent of explaining the role of utterances in arresting the attention of the target audience. Speech Acts, as a theory, explains the roles of utterances in shaping the attitudes of participants in interpersonal communication. It reflects the intentions of the speaker and the effects the speaker’s expressions have on the hearer. Radio jingles are not cool, reasoned pose, but deeply emotional works that use wrenching language, dramatic exaggeration and figurative speech. The selected jingles, collected from the electronic media (radio), all of which were done in Pidgin, were transcribed and analyzed for the purpose of this paper, using the quantitative method of analysis. It is revealed in the findings that Pidgin, based on its perceived popularity particularly in the business environment and in Nigeria as a whole, is a resourceful ally to entrepreneurial avenues for promoting goods and services through advertisements as Pidgin advertisements reflect some characteristics of the general Nigerian speech community in their forms like code-switching, etc. The paper concludes that since target audience of an advert in Pidgin is incredibly large, advertisers can take advantage of the creativity embedded in Pidgin due to its numerous lexico-semantic process.

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