Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the pragmatic effect of prosodic features in English-language academic lectures. The study employed methods of linguistic description, perceptual-auditory and discourse-pragmatic analysis, modelling, and experimental research. The main prosodic parameters inherent in English-language lecture discourse were identified and systematised. These include speech tempo, which varies between 120 and 140 words per minute and is strategically adapted by the lecturer depending on the complexity and importance of the material being presented; pausing, which includes pauses of varying length (0.5–1 s for intrasyntagmatic pauses and 2–3 s for “discursive pauses” between large semantic blocks); intonation patterns with predominance of descending contours to mark the completeness of statements and ascending contours to attract attention and maintain the interest of the audience; as well as specific patterns of accentual emphasis of significant information and rhythmic organisation of the speech flow. The analysis of the functioning of these prosodic parameters in the lecture discourse helped to identify their key pragmatic functions. Strategic variation of speech pace, pause length, and intonation is used by lecturers to manage the audience’s attention, focusing it on the crucial aspects of the material being presented. The adaptation of the tempo for presenting information regarding prosodic factors also serves as a tool for regulating the cognitive load on listeners and creating optimised conditions for comprehension and memorisation processes.

Abstract This study seeks to survey the types of metaphor in Bill Clinton’s two speeches delivered in the Jordanian Parliament and the Israeli Knesset in 1994, and how these metaphors are used to intensify different emotions to foster peace between Jordan and Israel. I argue that Clinton uses metaphorical language in his speeches because it is emotionally more intense (Charteris-Black, Jonathan. 2011. Politicians and rhetoric: The persuasive power of metaphor . New York: Palgrave Macmillan), which consequently heightens the effect of his messages. I also argue that Clinton used prophetic sayings, which were expressed in metaphors, to communicate the values of peace contrasted with the negatives of war. The findings indicate that the epideictic forms of Clinton’s oratory in fostering peace between Jordan and Israel are facilitated in part by transferring socio-pragmatic meanings through the use of metaphors “designed” (Martin, James R. 1999. Grace: The logogenesis of freedom. Discourse Studies 1(1). 29–56) in accordance to the audiences’ “cultural rhetorical resources” (Liebersohn, Yosef Z., Yair Neuman & Zvi Bekerman. 2004. Oh baby, it’s hard for me to say I’m sorry: Public apologetic speech and cultural rhetorical resources. Journal of Pragmatics 36(5). 921–944) to arouse the audience’s feelings. Further, Clinton’s use of prophetic sayings wrapped in metaphors aims at viewing himself as “sounding right” with “right intention” (Charteris-Black, Jonathan. 2011. Politicians and rhetoric: The persuasive power of metaphor . New York: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 20).

Abstract This cross-cultural comparative study examined how refusals of suggestions, requests, offers, and invitations are realized in Moroccan Arabic and American English. Thirty native speakers of each language responded to six situations in a discourse completion test. Data were analyzed using Beebe et al.’s (1990) coding scheme. The findings showed differences in frequency, type, and sequence of refusal strategies between the two languages. American English speakers used more refusal strategies and preferred varied strategies based on the social status of the interlocutor. Moroccan Arabic speakers employed different strategies depending on social status as well. There were also differences in the use of adjuncts such as appreciation, thanks, and positive opinion, feeling, or agreement. The study provides some pedagogical implications for EFL teachers, learners, and textbook designers.

Abstract The study aimed to analyse the pragmatic features of compliments and praise in different text genres with an emphasis on their functions and perception in interpersonal and social communication. Qualitative analysis, including a comparative study of texts of classical and contemporary literature, cinema and mass culture, as well as official speeches, were used in the study. The data were systematised and summarised to identify the key characteristics and functions of compliments and praise in each genre, as well as their dependence on cultural and social factors. The results of the study demonstrated that compliments and praise perform important social functions, adapting to the peculiarities of the genre and cultural context. Compliments were typically used to express support, strengthen interpersonal relationships and create a positive atmosphere, especially in informal texts and popular culture. In fiction, the compliments were complex and multilayered, which expanded the emotional component and revealed the peculiarities of character interaction. Praise, on the contrary, was more common in formal texts and served as an expression of respect and recognition of merit, emphasising the status and importance of the individual in society. The practical significance of the results lies in their potential for developing teaching materials to enhance pragmatic competence, particularly for English as a foreign language learners.

Abstract This paper extends Proximisation Theory (Cap, P. 2013. Proximization: The pragmatics of symbolic distance crossing . Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company) by introducing the concept of counter proximisation , as a discursive mechanism through which state responses to external threats are constructed as legitimate, effective, and sovereign. Drawing on Talmy’s (2000. Toward a cognitive semantics: Concept structuring systems , vol. 1. MIT press) force-dynamic theory, the study reconceptualises proximisation as a bidirectional interaction between the Self and the threatening Other. Through a discourse analysis of Iranian state-affiliated media coverage during the June 2025 Iran–Israel conflict, the paper demonstrates how Iranian newspapers constructs Israel as an encroaching threat (via proximisation) while simultaneously performing retaliatory actions as discursively legitimate responses (via counter proximisation). These responses are shown to reinforce both output legitimacy (through perceived policy effectiveness) and symbolic legitimacy (through performative displays of strength and sovereignty). The study contributes to discourse studies, securitisation theory, and political communication by modelling the legitimisation process as a recursive cycle of threat and response, underscoring how power is linguistically enacted, narrated, and sustained in crisis discourse.

Abstract The purpose of the study is to investigate Kekilbayev’s polydiscursive linguistic personality and the structure of the author’s discursive space. The methods used in the study include discourse and structural analysis, analytical and synthetic approach. Among the main extra-linguistic factors of the formation of the linguistic personality of A. Kekilbayev, the following were highlighted: biological (gender – male), social (nationality – Kazakh, professional employment – political, literary), psychological (emotionality, expressiveness), cognitive (concepts of home, native land, steppe, aul), ethnocultural (cultural traditions, folklore influence, communication with fellow villagers), pragmatic (communicative tactics of approval, appeal, inducement). Among the non-verbal factors, mimicry, voice tempo, gestures, and among the verbal factors – tropes and stylistic figures were singled out. When studying the polydiscursive specificity of the linguistic personality of A. Kekilbayev, the basic discourses of the author were determined to be artistic, scientific, political, and journalistic. The fictional discourse was divided into poetic and prose discourse, the political discourse into national-patriotic and polemical, the scientific discourse into research and educational-pedagogical discourse, and the publicistic discourse into biographical and publicistic discourse. Among the genres of discourses, the following should be singled out: verse, poem in poetic discourse, novel, short story, essay in prose discourse, publications in mass media, speeches in parliament in national-patriotic discourse, speeches at a meeting in polemical discourse, biographies of famous personalities in biographical discourse, interview, speeches in proper-publicistic discourse.

Abstract This article investigates the role of immigration discourse in American newspapers on public opinion, using the lens of speech act theory, with references to key studies by Austin (Austin, J. L. 1962. How to do things with words . Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press), Searle (Searle, J. R. 1969. Speech acts. An essay in the philosophy of language . New York: Cambridge University Press; A classification of illocutionary acts. Language in Society 5(1). 1–23), and Bach and Harnish (Bach, K. & R. M. Harnish. 1979. Linguistic communication and speech acts . Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press). The research analyzes a collection of 20 articles from five major U.S. newspapers: The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, New York Post, and New York Daily News. A mixed-methods approach is utilized, incorporating detailed line-by-line coding alongside comprehensive sentiment analysis. The study categorizes illocutionary acts into constatives, directives, commissives, and acknowledgments to assess how newspapers construct narratives related to immigration. Findings reveal that constatives are often used to establish ideological viewpoints through selective information presentation, directives seek to motivate or influence readers, while commissives and acknowledgments enhance emotional connections or ideological stances. Liberal outlets typically depict immigrants positively and promote inclusive conversations, whereas conservative publications frequently generate feelings of fear and urgency to support stricter immigration measures. These findings underscore the powerful impact of media discourse in shaping perceptions of immigration, highlighting how speech acts operate not only as descriptive components but also as mechanisms for ideological persuasion and public opinion formation.

Abstract This study examines the impoliteness strategies employed by Kuwaiti passengers who complain about airline delays and cancellations online on TripAdvisor and X. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the study analyzes 50 samples to calculate the frequency of various impoliteness strategies. The study adopts Brown and Levinson (1987. Politeness: Some universals in language usage . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) and Culpeper (2011. Impoliteness: Using language to cause offence . Cambridge University Press) frameworks to identify the most commonly employed strategies and understand the influence of Kuwaiti cultural norms on these choices. The findings show that Negative impoliteness (50.80 %) and Positive impoliteness (31.74 %) are the most prevalent strategies, indicating a preference for direct and explicit expressions of dissatisfaction. Less frequent strategies, such as Sarcasm, Mock Politeness (3.18 %), and Withholding Politeness (1.58 %), suggest that while indirect methods are occasionally used, they are less favored in this context. The research highlights the implicit use of indirect strategies to preserve social harmony while also emphasizing Kuwaiti communication’s cultural focus on assertiveness and accountability. This study gives an explanation for investigating online complaints in the context of Kuwaiti cultural norms and enhances awareness of the cultural impacts on impoliteness strategies. The study suggests that future research might explore the role of demographic factors to examine the evolution of impoliteness strategies in online complaints.

Abstract The investigation of sports discourse has enhanced the understanding of the socio-cultural, economic and political values of the game. The present study contributes to the burgeoning literature on sports discourse by examining the way rhetorical tropes are utilised for digital engagement among Nigeria’s English Premier League (EPL) fans. The data, consisting of fifty purposively sampled BBC Yoruba Service Station’s reports on EPL match outcomes, were sourced from Nigerian WhatsApp platforms. Data were analysed qualitatively using Kovesces’ conceptual metaphor theory, Israel et al.’s perspectives on simile and Haugh’s jocular mockery. The findings reveal that rhetorical tropes- metaphors and similes- are utilised to construct incongruous imagery in order to amplify the impact of clubs’ defeat in EPL matches. The findings also show the deployment of lexical exaggeration, explicit references, implicit contrasts, clichéd expression and formulaicity to jocularly mock defeated teams in the EPL. The study concludes that metaphors and similes are not only used to construct jocular mockery about defeated clubs in the EPL, but they also expose drawbacks in the (digital) fandom culture of Nigeria’s EPL lovers. The findings spotlight the nature and danger of linguistic vulgarism characterising the digital engagement of Nigeria’s (EPL) football fans.