THE LANGUAGE OF PARLIAMENT (First 10 mins)

I can select and apply specific terminology to the study of Spoken Language (AO1). I can demonstrate critical understanding of a range of concepts and issues related to the construction of meanings (AO2). I can analyse and evaluate the influence of contextual factors on the production and reception of language (AO3). LEARNING OUTCOMES

‘It has been two months since it was exposed that a Conservative Back Bencher, The hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr Duncan) made £50,000 on buying the council house next door to his house in Westminster. Cannot we have a debate on the whole question of the right to buy, especially as that hon.Gentleman still refuses to pay back to the ratepayers of Westminster the £50,000 that he ripped off them?’ WHY WAS THIS MAN ASKED TO LEAVE THE HOUSE OF COMMONS?

‘It has been two months since it was exposed that a Conservative Back Bencher, The hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr Duncan) made £50,000 on buying the council house next door to his house in Westminster. Cannot we have a debate on the whole question of the right to buy, especially as that hon.Gentleman still refuses to pay back to the ratepayers of Westminster the £50,000 that he ripped off them?’ WHY WAS THIS MAN ASKED TO LEAVE THE HOUSE OF COMMONS?

Other examples: Prime Minister, John Major, called Tony Blair a... “dimwit” Tony Banks, Labour MP, told Steve Norris, the minister with responsibility for public transport: “We know you are the most proficient bullshitter that the Government has got...” ‘A GROSSLY DISORDERLY EXPRESSION’ m/watch?v=VWKBSYqtu 7M

Manner - usually formal Formulaic utterances - ‘I beg to move..’ Clear use of honorifics - ‘the honourable Lady’ All questions and statements are addressed via the Speaker – s/he is the conductor of the whole affair. MANNER

More closed questions to force a direct answer. Often declarative statements followed by a linked question – so the questioner can be used to convey their own opinion. FRAMING OF QUESTIONS IS KEY…

Often use third person singular to refer to opposition as a way of isolating them - ‘does he think..?’ Whereas the use of the first person plural ‘we’ can be used as an inclusive device to link politicians and parties with the same world view - ‘the Labour Party doesn’t support (.) but we wanna get value for that money’ USE OF PRONOUNS IS TELLING

Find where this is being used for persuasive effect. SYNTACTIC PARALLELISM

Some high frequency lexis but with specialised meanings (semantic shift). Low frequency, specialist terms – inclusive and therefore exclusive? SPECIAL LEXICON

SOME FAMILIAR TERMINOLOGY Euphemism: a word that replaces a term seen by society as taboo, socially unacceptable or unpleasant. Pragmatics: the study of how context influences a speaker’s or writer’s lexical choices. Abstract nouns: nouns that have no physical qualities – ‘courage’, ‘idea’.

MORE SPECIFIC TERMINOLOGY Formulaic utterances: language that is patterned and that always occurs in the same form – ‘Yours sincerely’, ‘Wish you were here!’ Subject specific lexis: language linked to a specific subject. Hypercorrection: a mistaken correction to text or speech made through a desire to avoid nonstandard pronunciation or grammar – ‘between you and I’ is a hypercorrection of ‘between you and me’. Spontaneity markers: language use, including comment clauses, informal expressions or fillers, that marks spoken discourse as unscripted and spontaneous, and can be used to make speech seem less formal – ‘You know?’, ‘Wait a second’, ‘Um’. Framing of questions: some ways of framing are designed to get the answer the person wants – ‘Do you want Obama or Romney to be America’s next president?’ or ‘Do you want the next president to be someone who wants the war in Iraq to end or someone who wants it to continue?’ Parallelism: the repetition of a syntactic construction in successive sentences for rhetorical effect – ‘…and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.’ (Abraham Lincoln). Annotate your transcript for relevant linguistic terminology!

Filibustering I Spy Stranger Ten Minute Rule Bill Below the Gangway Chief whip Father of the House Guillotine Procedure Maiden Speech Nodding Through Dragging of the Speaker THE ‘JARGON’

Research: Find out the parliamentary meaning of the lexeme(s) you have been given. Analyse the language and the possible connotations. Extension: you might also consider researching the origins of the terms. IN PAIRS: /watch?v=6ti2S7Py25w