The Phenomenon of Speech Aggression in Modern British Political Discourse

Abstract

AbstractPurpose: The purpose of the article is to determine the lexical and semantic means of expressing the phenomenon of speech aggression in modern British political discourse in the speeches of leading British politicians.Design/Methodology/Approach: In this article, the authors interpret speech aggression in political discourse as speech behavior aimed at lowering the social status of the interlocutor or opponent, his subordination, as well as a negative emotional impact on the audience. The research material was public speeches, interviews and articles of British Prime Ministers. To define and describe explicit and implicit means of expressing speech aggression, the method of purposive sampling, descriptive comparative method, and methods of functional, definitional, and contextual analyses were used.Findings: The main goal of speech aggression in British political discourse is the struggle for power. Speech aggression is an extremely effective, but not always correct, means of influencing the listener. The criteria for the manifestation of language aggression are explicitness, namely, open criticism and attack using a destructive strategy, and implicitness expressed through irony. The changes taking place in modern British political discourse demonstrate the shift of the latter from the official style to the colloquial one. Elements of flirting with the audience have been added to the traditional characteristics of political discourse.Originality/Value: The importance of studying the phenomenon of speech aggression in British political discourse is determined by the urgent need to optimize cross-cultural political communication. The obtained data can contribute to the formation of a reasonable critical view of aggressive speech behavior of politicians in society and contribute to raising the political consciousness of society.KeywordsSpeech aggressionPolitical discoursePrime MinisterDestructivenessDiscrediting strategyIronyJEL CodeY800Z000