Adresata specialization in public political discourse

Abstract

The paper deals with public political discourse as presented in official speeches at the UN General Assembly sessions. I argue that main approaches to discourse studies may be defined as analysis of topic, institutional structure, tonality and performative meaning of communication. Three main types of addressees in public political discourse are singled out: general public, basic opponents and professional interpreters. Usually orators emphasize the priorities of humankind when analyzing the world political situation but sometimes they make accent on the problems of their own states or regional interaction. Stylistic and rhetorical format of official presentations at the UN mostly corresponds to norms of diplomatic interaction but sometimes it deliberately deviates from such norms which proves that media discourse with its entertaining techniques gradually infiltrates new areas of communication. Political speech tonality is the most important priority indicator of possible practical actions the world powers may take in their international policy.