Emmanuel Botchwey | University Of Education, Winneba (original) (raw)
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Papers by Emmanuel Botchwey
Journal for Research Scholars and Professionals of English Language Teaching
Linguistics Initiative
This study examines the items given prominence in President Akufo-Addo’s 2023 State of the Nation... more This study examines the items given prominence in President Akufo-Addo’s 2023 State of the Nation Address. As a qualitative research with textual analysis design, the study adopted the Theme-Rheme model of Halliday and Matthiessen’s (2014) Systemic Functional Linguistics theory with which the clause is construed as a message. The findings of the study indicate that (1) topical, interpersonal and textual Themes have their representation and distribution in the text. The most frequent ideational/topical Theme used in English is Participant followed by Circumstance. Process is the least thematised experiential. The textual Theme include mostly conjunctions, followed by conjunctive adjuncts. Interpersonal Theme includes mostly vocatives and few modal adjuncts and very few finite verbal operators. The elements of the topical Theme which present the core content of the message include; Participant such as Actor, Scope, Senser, and Identified – realized by pronouns and nominal group; Circ...
International Journal of Language and Literary Studies
Examining the language of a literary text can be a reliable way of comprehending literary writers... more Examining the language of a literary text can be a reliable way of comprehending literary writers’ experiences. This paper explores the relationship between linguistic forms and socially construed meaning in Atukwei Okai’s poem, “The Oath of the Fontomfrom”. The objectives of the study were to (1) examine the poet’s process choices and their typical distribution in the text, (2) assess the participant characteristics of each process category, and (3) establish the role of the speaker/persona in the poem. This descriptive qualitative study was underpinned by the transitivity framework of Halliday and Matthiessen’s (2014) Systemic Functional Linguistics. So, a content analysis tool was used in analysing the text by revealing how meaning is presented. The results revealed that the poet (or persona) used different kinds of processes to present meaning to his reader.Consequently, when these processes were analysed, the results indicated that material processes were most frequently used. ...
International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation
Conflict, a general phenomenon, exists in everyday life. It has different intrapersonal aspects (... more Conflict, a general phenomenon, exists in everyday life. It has different intrapersonal aspects (thus conflict within a person). There is also a kind of conflict that exists between two people or two groups of people. This is interpersonal conflict. It can be between a person and technology or between ideas. Conflict has been defined as a disagreement or clash between people, ideas, or cultures. Therefore, culture becomes a unique and sentimental phenomenon that is not only cherished but also protected dearly by individuals as well. Thus, literature has become one of the means through which cultural sentiments are projected and expressed. For a long time, Africans have been subjected to cultural imposition and displacement of Western culture. This paper aims to examine the theory that considers the superiority of westernization. This study adopts the sociological theory by focusing on Soyinka's Death and the King’s Horseman and Ama Ata Aidoo’s Dilemma of Ghost. Our decision to s...
<i>WORD</i>, 2017
This study explores the illocutionary acts performed in Presidential Inaugural Addresses (PIAs) b... more This study explores the illocutionary acts performed in Presidential Inaugural Addresses (PIAs) by Ghanaian presidents of the 4th republic and their intended communicative effects on the audience. It also investigates the indicators that give rise to these acts. This is a qualitative study which adopts an exploratory design. The sample speeches used are President J.E.A. Mills' 2009 inaugural speech and President Mahama's 2013 inaugural speech. Rooted in Austin's and Searle's (SAT), the five classes of illocutionary speech acts delineated by Searle are significant in the speeches. They include assertives (60.89%), commissives (20.51%), expressives (11.54%) and directives (7.05%) of the total data. The study concludes that Presidential Inaugural Speeches (PIAs) are characterized by dominant performing of assertives and no declaratives. These illocutionary acts are used to depict past, present and future situations in the country and to inspire public confidence in the governments. The acts are indicated by the interplay of the time, the mood and the subject of the verb phrase of the proposition and the use of performative verbs. The study has implications for literature on African political speeches in general and particularly, presidential speeches. It also has implications for the SAT.
Journal for Research Scholars and Professionals of English Language Teaching
Linguistics Initiative
This study examines the items given prominence in President Akufo-Addo’s 2023 State of the Nation... more This study examines the items given prominence in President Akufo-Addo’s 2023 State of the Nation Address. As a qualitative research with textual analysis design, the study adopted the Theme-Rheme model of Halliday and Matthiessen’s (2014) Systemic Functional Linguistics theory with which the clause is construed as a message. The findings of the study indicate that (1) topical, interpersonal and textual Themes have their representation and distribution in the text. The most frequent ideational/topical Theme used in English is Participant followed by Circumstance. Process is the least thematised experiential. The textual Theme include mostly conjunctions, followed by conjunctive adjuncts. Interpersonal Theme includes mostly vocatives and few modal adjuncts and very few finite verbal operators. The elements of the topical Theme which present the core content of the message include; Participant such as Actor, Scope, Senser, and Identified – realized by pronouns and nominal group; Circ...
International Journal of Language and Literary Studies
Examining the language of a literary text can be a reliable way of comprehending literary writers... more Examining the language of a literary text can be a reliable way of comprehending literary writers’ experiences. This paper explores the relationship between linguistic forms and socially construed meaning in Atukwei Okai’s poem, “The Oath of the Fontomfrom”. The objectives of the study were to (1) examine the poet’s process choices and their typical distribution in the text, (2) assess the participant characteristics of each process category, and (3) establish the role of the speaker/persona in the poem. This descriptive qualitative study was underpinned by the transitivity framework of Halliday and Matthiessen’s (2014) Systemic Functional Linguistics. So, a content analysis tool was used in analysing the text by revealing how meaning is presented. The results revealed that the poet (or persona) used different kinds of processes to present meaning to his reader.Consequently, when these processes were analysed, the results indicated that material processes were most frequently used. ...
International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation
Conflict, a general phenomenon, exists in everyday life. It has different intrapersonal aspects (... more Conflict, a general phenomenon, exists in everyday life. It has different intrapersonal aspects (thus conflict within a person). There is also a kind of conflict that exists between two people or two groups of people. This is interpersonal conflict. It can be between a person and technology or between ideas. Conflict has been defined as a disagreement or clash between people, ideas, or cultures. Therefore, culture becomes a unique and sentimental phenomenon that is not only cherished but also protected dearly by individuals as well. Thus, literature has become one of the means through which cultural sentiments are projected and expressed. For a long time, Africans have been subjected to cultural imposition and displacement of Western culture. This paper aims to examine the theory that considers the superiority of westernization. This study adopts the sociological theory by focusing on Soyinka's Death and the King’s Horseman and Ama Ata Aidoo’s Dilemma of Ghost. Our decision to s...
<i>WORD</i>, 2017
This study explores the illocutionary acts performed in Presidential Inaugural Addresses (PIAs) b... more This study explores the illocutionary acts performed in Presidential Inaugural Addresses (PIAs) by Ghanaian presidents of the 4th republic and their intended communicative effects on the audience. It also investigates the indicators that give rise to these acts. This is a qualitative study which adopts an exploratory design. The sample speeches used are President J.E.A. Mills' 2009 inaugural speech and President Mahama's 2013 inaugural speech. Rooted in Austin's and Searle's (SAT), the five classes of illocutionary speech acts delineated by Searle are significant in the speeches. They include assertives (60.89%), commissives (20.51%), expressives (11.54%) and directives (7.05%) of the total data. The study concludes that Presidential Inaugural Speeches (PIAs) are characterized by dominant performing of assertives and no declaratives. These illocutionary acts are used to depict past, present and future situations in the country and to inspire public confidence in the governments. The acts are indicated by the interplay of the time, the mood and the subject of the verb phrase of the proposition and the use of performative verbs. The study has implications for literature on African political speeches in general and particularly, presidential speeches. It also has implications for the SAT.