LANGUAGE AND POWER ON SPEECH ACTS OF PRESIDENT OBAMA’S

SPEECH AT WEST POINT IN 2014

Kevina Ardans Asidiqi, Islamic State College

Background of the study

The study on use of power “in language” seems to be very interesting today. But this
has not been even a matter of serious discussion until different discourse theories appeared for
the first time. The concept of language and power was a natural outcome of serious researches
in the field of speech acts. His major contributions lie on taxonomy, intentionality and human
psyche in speech acts.

Language studies focus not on the structure rather the function in deeper level. Later in
20th century when modern linguistics developed with an overwhelming focus on structure of
language undermined functional role of language. The power of language has often negotiated
between syntax and content. According to Searle it is not the syntax, the impetus rather the
intentionality of the author or speaker is the source of power (J. Searle, 1975). The intentionality
as the undercurrent force manifests itself in speech acts in particular contexts. So without
understanding the intentionality and its intrinsic force we cannot measure the power of
language.

The speech at West Point in 2014 is considered one among the diplomatic speeches by
President Obama. As a person in the world focus, the deliberations are of special interest. The
precise, luminal, sharp and glorified language is approached with an inquisitive mind to find
out how power communicated in the speech through different speech acts. The transcribed text
of speech has been used for the analysis. Taxonomy of speech acts

Theoritical Framework

According to Searle there are five basic primitive forms of illocutionary act. These are
assertive, directive, commissive, expressive and declarative. In an assertive speech act, speaker
respond himself in varying degrees to the truth of the expressed proposition. They appear in
sentences like; statements, explanations, and assertions. In directive, the speaker attempts to get
the hearer to do something. Orders, requests, and commands are some sort of them. The third
is commissive speech act where the speaker commits himself to do something in future course
of action. The most famous example is promising, and other commissive are vows, threats,
pledges, contracts, and guarantees. The fourth class is expressive where the speaker expresses
his feelings, beliefs, ideologies, attitudes etc. to the propositional content. Examples are

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apologies, thanks, and congratulations. Declarations which come as the fifth category brings
out changes in the world through utterances, so the world changes to match the propositional
content but solely in virtue of the successful performance of the utterance. The famous
declarations are; declaring war, pronouncing somebody man and wife, and adjourning a
meeting. The taxonomy makes a strong claim about the nature and possibilities of human
languages. Though there are different types of sentences, Wittgenstein says, there are only five
basic types speech acts in the line of illocutionary force.
Speech acts may be analyzed on the basis of classification done by John Searle in his
detailed studies on speech acts. They appear in direct as well as indirect sentence structure in
the text. The direct sentences convey literal meaning of the sentences whereas indirect sentences
convey meaning beyond the structure of the sentences. Hence there can have different types of
sentence structures with same meaning or illocution depending on the position of the power.
Here felicity conditions play a major role to in identifying types of illocutions. Although all the
sentences would come under speech acts consideration, only a few of them would consider in
this analysis. The structural analysis in the first part and functional implications in the second
part would reveal the amount of power that had been used in the deliberation. The chart given
below shows the number of occurrences of the different speech acts in five categories. Type
one, two and three indicates subcategories.
Research Question
Based on the background of the study above, the writer formulates the problems:
Is there any language and power on speech act of President Obama’s speech at West Point in
2014?

Methodology
Research Design
In this research, the researcher was designs this research by using qualitative descriptive
methods. Data source taken from all utterances in president Obama’s speech at West Point in
2014. This data is called corpus. Corpus is a selection of linguistic data which is written or
spoken.
Instrument
The instrument of this research is video of President Obama’s speech at West Point in
2014. This video was around 16 minutes.

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Data Collection
In collecting the data, the researcher finds out data from the video of speech which is
appropriate with study focuses. Then, watch the video in several times and make the
transcription of the video.
Data Analysis
The researcher analyzed the data by using Taxonomy of speech acts, Sketch of speech
act, Speech acts may be analyzed on the basis of classification done by John Searle After we
collect the data from the video, the researcher classified types of speech act that correlated with
language and power of president Obama’s speech.

Finding and Discussion

Finding

Sketch of the speech The transcribed text is titled as Remarks by the president at the
United States Military Academy Commencement Ceremony on May 28 2014
(http://www.washingtonpost.com, 2004). The speech started at 10.22 in the morning and ended
at 10.38AM.
The speech is beginning with words of appreciation and thanks asserting and stating
what has been already done and expressed in acts like; “Thank you, thank you, Thank You and
Thank you so much. General Caslen…. To General Trainor, you have been outstanding
stewards of this proud institution and outstanding mentors for the newest officers …”.
The second section is about a few memories of past, expectations of the future, present
economy and military situation of the USA. A few statements of assertions and promises
dominate the section.
The third section is more about the changing world and the role of American Military.
The fourth, a quite long and perhaps the most important section and thrust of the speech
expresses the vision about USA by president Obama. He speaks of five major areas of
leadership that USA has to take in the contemporary world. This section is dominated by
commissive as well as declarative acts of speech. The fifth section is a conclusion in general
and sixth is closing wishes and blessings.
A. ASSERTIVE SPEECH ACTS
All kinds of assertions, statements and definitions come under assertive type of speech
acts.

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 1. Type 1 Statement
“Meanwhile, our economic remains the most dynamic on Earth: our business the most
innovative, we believe we have a real state and abiding self – interest, first, let me repeat a
principle I put forward at the outset of my presidency”.

The verbs like; remain, repeat, put forward are stating the situation, self-interest and
expectation. Any kind of statement, explanation, sharing come under this category

2. Type 2 Assertion
“It is absolutely true that in the 21st century American isolationism is not an opinion.
But to say that we have an interest in pursuing peace and freedom beyond our borders is not to
say that every problem has a military solution. The point is this is American leadership. This is
American strength. You see, American influence is always stronger when we lead by example”.

The adverbs like; “absolutely” and “always” and repeated use of demonstrative
pronouns “this” certainly makes assertions on different matters.

B. DIRECTIVE SPEECH ACTS

Directives are more action oriented. It has the power of executing and directing others
towards an action. Both imperative forms of command and request comes in this category. The
major sentence varies like; orders, commands, request etc. This has been more influential in
human inter relations than assertive speech acts. Direct as well as indirect structures of
directives are used in the text.

1. Type 1 Request
“I know you join me in extending a word of thanks to your families. And I would ask all
of us here today to stand and pay tribute. That spirit of cooperation needs to energize the global
effort to combat climate change. Today, as part of this effort, I am calling on congress to
support a new counterterrorism partnership”.

The verbs like; join me, would ask, cooperation needs, calling on to support even though
not a direct request, having an undercurrent of request. Being a president, the supreme power,
one cannot be in a position to deliver direct sort of requests in any situation. The manipulation
of sentence structures itself reminds us the power involved structures. This is what is called by
Focult the power structures.

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 2. Type 2 Command
“So we have to develop a strategy that matches this diffuse threat. We must mobilize
allies and partners to take collective action. But as I said last year, in taking direct action we
must uphold standards that reflect our values. I also believe we must be more transparent about
both the basis of our counterterrorism actions. America and our military should lead in the
years to come”

The modal verbs like; must, have to, should etc. are used repeatedly with an effect of
imperative. These verbs can be used only those who are in commanding position.

3. Type 3 Order
“So, earlier this year, I asked my national security, team to develop a plan for a network
of partnerships from south Asia to the Sahel. Now we need to do more to strengthen the
institutions that can anticipate and prevent problems from spreading”

There are no imperative sentences of order in direct speech act but there are indirect
sentences of orders as many as above category. The verbs like; asked to develop, need to
strengthen focuses on certain actions to be completed. The directives are mainly action oriented
using different types of power structures.

C. COMMISSIVE SPEECH ACTS

The commitment of the nation and individual is reassured in commissive speech acts. The
major types of commissive acts are; Promise, vows, guarantees Threat, Warning etc. However,
these structures seem to be imperative or statement, the conceptual tones varies from promise
to warning. It is more lexical components determines the category and works on the hearer.

1. Type 1 Promise
“To the entire class, let me reassure you in these final hours. You are the first class to
graduate since 9/11 who may not be sent into combat in Iraq or Afghanistan. And at the end of
this year, a new Afghan President will be in office and America’s combat mission will be over.
As president, I made a decision that we should no put American troops into the middle of this
increasingly sectarian war. I will work with Congress to ramp up support for those in the Syrian
opposition”.

The first and fourth sentences are assurances of promise. The second sentence though
seems to be weak is a kind of promise. The third, fifth and sixth are a kind of offer highlighting
promise. Here promises are given to the hearers and not seen anything taken from the troops.
The promise from the part of the hearers is duty and responsibility.

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 2. Type 2 Threat
“Russia’s aggression toward former soviet states unnerve capitals in Europe. While
China’s economic rise and military reach worries its neighbors. From Brazil to India, rising
middle classes compete with us and government seek a greater say in global forums. If nuclear
materials are not secure, that poses a danger to American cities. We don’t know how the
situation will play out and there will remain grave challenges ahead”.

The lexical words like; unnerves, worries, rising, danger, challenges etc. give a negative
impression of the situation of threat. These are indirect structures of threats referring situations
outside; Russia, China, Brazil to India, Nuclear Material etc.

3. Type 3 Warning
“We can’t ignore what happens beyond our boundaries. The united states will use
military force unilaterally if necessary, when our core interest demand it. There are times when
those actions are necessary and we cannot hesitate to protect our people. America is not afraid
of individual empowerment we are strengthen by it. We are strengthened by civil society”.

Compound verbs like; can’t ignore, will use, cannot hesitate, not afraid of etc. reveal
some sort of determination and boldness to act in a right time with power. These are not
situations of discussion or mediation rather situations of military actions.

D. EXPRESSIVE SPEECH ACTS

These types of acts consist of human expressions in the form of thanks, congratulations,
apology and all sorts of feelings. This can be identified by analyzing the lexical components in
the sentences. The possibility of using indirect structures is frequent in this category of speech
acts.

1. Type 1 Appreciation
“Thank you, thank you so much thank you and thank you. General Caslen, for that
introduction. You have been outstanding stewards of this proud institution and outstanding
mentors for the newest officers. To the class of 2014, I congratulate you on taking your place
on the long gray line”.

The lexical words; thank you, you have been outstanding, congratulate you all words of
appreciation in direct speech acts.

2. Type 2 Apology
“But I am haunted by those deaths. I am haunted by those wounds. This should be one
of the hard – earned lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan since the world war II. Some of our most

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costly mistake – came …. From our willingness to rush into military adventures without
thinking through the consequence. I believe we must shift our counterterrorism strategy –
drawing on the successes and shortcomings of our experience in Iraq and Afghanistan”.

The repeated words of haunted, verbs like worried indirectly apologizes the incidents
happened in the near past. The words like; „costly mistakes‟, „hard earned lessons‟ „actions
without thinking‟, „short comings of our experience‟ are direct sort of apology and open
confession from the part of the speaker. Here though the speaker seems to be weak in his
execution of power, ultimately emphasizes the strength of the speaker since none other than
except himself apologize such sort of situation. It is not out of humiliation or guilt rather out of
dominance and power. No conditions of genuine apology are maintained.

3. Type 3 Greetings
“May god bless you. May god bless our men and women in uniform. And may god bless the
united states of America”.

The repeated sentence patterns are direct speech acts of wishes and greetings and never
expected the greetings from the hearers. The authority of the greetings and wishes is the speaker.

E. DECLARATION SPEECH ACTS

Declaration speech acts comprise of all kinds of announcements, declarations,
pronouncements etc. this is a solemn expression from the bottom of human freedom. This type
of acts would create quick and radical effects in the society and in institutions. A fundamental
change is expected as the outcome of this speech acts.

1. Type 1 Declaration
“As commander – in – chief, I hereby absolve all cadets who are on restriction for minor
conduct offenses. And at the end of this year, a new afghan president will be in office and
America’s combat mission will be over”.

Verbs with effects of action and solemn situation in first person makes declaration
effective. I hereby absolve is a direct speech and the second one is indirect speech act with less
effect of execution.

2. Type 2 Announcing
“So with the additional resources I’m announcing today, we will step up our efforts to
support Syria’s neighbors. Next week, I will go Normandy to honor the men who stormed the
beaches there”.

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 “I am announcing”, “I will go” are genuine power execution of announcements. The
authority himself announces without using any secondary channels.

3. Type 3 Pronouncement
“You will represent a nation with history and hope on our side. Your charge now is not
only to protect our country, but to do what is right and just”.

Authorizing with direct speech acts using second person sentences; you will, your
charge etc.

Discussion

From this graph it is very clear that president Obama’s speech was not a collection of
imperatives rather was on the whole an elaborative assertion of the role of the nation in the
midst of various international issues in the world. His focus was neither to threaten the new
candidates nor instigate them to fight for no reason rather to convince them through a series of
assertions and appreciations that nation’s duty cannot be ignored. In this sense speech is an
exhortation to protect universal brotherhood reminding the hard works and struggles that have
been faced to protect those values in the past.

Intentionality and Power Structures The mind enables us both to get information about
the world, and to coordinate intentional action in the world. Language is an immensely powerful
extension of these very capacities. The representational capacity of languages is an extension
of the biological representational capacity of the mind. Thus the intentionality of the mind is
basic and the intentionality of language is derived from that. From the analysis it is very clear
that the president has made use his language in order to convey his intentionality. This is very
well expressed through different types of speech acts. Thus speech acts become the power
structures or discursive structure by which the power is established and maintained through
language.

The power can be used effectively through speech acts than any other structures of
language. Assertive and expressive speech acts have great role in execution of power. The
power of the speech is not in the structure but in the illocution. The functional and pragmatic
role of the language have to be focused in researches. There is a sequence in the use of speech
acts in the deliverance. The use of indirect structures more than direct structures emphasize the
role of felicity conditions. Speech acts in fiction and ordinary conversations can be analyzed in
future.

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 Conclusion

This research was discussing is about the. And the result was showing that Since 1969,
the theory of speech acts has never been ignored in any level of discourse and pragmatic studies
of language. If Austin initiated the studies with Searle, Wittgenstein later Grice and Fairclough
the theory has spread over different branches of linguistic researches such as; sociolinguistics,
pragmatics, discourse analysis, critical discourse analysis, cognitive linguistics etc. Form and
function are two pillars of language studies. To understand the power involved in the speech, it
is not enough we know the structure alone rather we should sense the functional meaning or
illocutionary force of each speech structure. President however has been criticized by world
media for dominating and interfering diplomacy of other nations, the speech at West Point
clearly justifies that he is beyond all kinds of criticisms. The speech acts that he has made use
in the speech expresses his intention of mind i.e. his or the nation’s concern over issues in other
nations. The perfect sequence and selection of speech acts focuses on the responsibility of the
nation rather than the supremacy of the nation.

Reference

1. Http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/full-text-of-president-obamascommencement-
address-at-west-point/2014/05/28/cfbcdcaa-e670-11e3-afc6-a1dd9407abcf_story.html.
2. Fairclough, Norman. Language and power, England: Longman,1989
3. Searle R.,John, A taxonomy of illocutionary acts, :344-369
4. Searle R., John, Speech Acts an Essay in The Philosophy of Language, Cambridge
university press, 1969.