Linguostylistic Means of Discrediting Tactics Actualisation in the Genre of American Political Debates

The aim of the study is to determine the features of complex anaphors and complex anaphoric entities as units of organisation of a textual strategy of argumentation in political discourse at the structural and pragmatic levels of language. The paper focuses on the relevance of considering political discourse to examine speech impact, summarises the existing research on Sahra Wagenknecht’s individual speech style, justifies the need to involve the textual categories of coherence and cohesion to analyse the construction of a strategy of argumentation in a text of political speech. The scientific novelty of the study lies in identifying correlations between the structural and pragmatic levels of the text using the example of text-forming means, i.e. complex anaphors and complex anaphoric entities. In addition, some patterns between the types of complex anaphoric entities, their strategic functions and the sequence of their use in the text were found. As a result, it was proved that complex anaphors and complex anaphoric entities, being the means of coherence of political speech, implement a textual strategy of argumentation and a speech strategy of discrediting. The study was conducted on the material of the German language.

Complex anaphor as a structural element of speech and textual strategies (on the material of the German language)

Danilova

2023

Discursive personality of a politician in the genre of American political debates: Intertextual references as a means of actualising discrediting tactics

Степанова

2023

The aim of the study is to identify the role of intertextual references as a means of implementing discrediting tactics in the discourse of an American politician – presidential candidate. The study is novel in that it is the first to consider intertextual references in media political discourse as an effective tool for the implementation of discrediting tactics based on a three-stage analysis of the discourse of debates within the framework of N. Fairclough’s model. In addition, the scientific novelty of the study consists in identifying the features of the speech behaviour of each of the political figures, including some gender-specific characteristics. In particular, it was found that gender differences between candidates can serve as a basis for the implementation of discrediting tactics. The results showed that the dominant types of intertextual references as a means of implementing discrediting tactics were reference, allusion and quotation. Speech aggression can be considered the leading communicative tone of the discursive personality of a politician participating in the debates. It was proved that the discursive personality of a politician influences the choice and nature of the implementation of communicative tactics.

Discrediting strategy as a tool of anti-Russian propaganda in the speeches of German politicians

Churikov

2023

The study aims to characterise the linguistic means of implementing the strategy of discrediting Russia and Russian foreign policy activities in the speeches of German politicians. The paper discusses speech techniques for the implementation of communicative intent, which consists in deliberately discrediting Russia’s foreign policy and purposefully creating an image of the enemy, and also analyses their influencing potential from the standpoint of functional pragmalinguistics. The scientific novelty of the study lies in an attempt to systematise the linguistic means used by German politicians to form a negative attitude of the audience and to justify their influencing power. As a result of the study, the author finds that the discrediting strategy is implemented in the following tactics: the dehumanisation tactics, the accusation tactics and the intimidation tactics. These tactics imply the use of a set of speech techniques the influencing power of which is aimed at creating a negative image (dehumanisation) of the object of discrediting, as well as at accusing this object of criminal actions and instilling a sense of fear of the scale of emerging threats and the consequences of the actions carried out by the object of discrediting.