The Use of Questions in Political Interviews
ABSTRACT
Nowadays political interviews have become one of the most important means of political communication. With the help of deliberative questions, the interviewer makes the interviewee give the necessary answer.
The aim of the present research was to investigate the question type that was used most frequently, out of four questions in the English language, in the context of political interviews as well as to define the functions of the identified question types.
The frequency analysis and discourse analysis of the question types used in three political interviews with USA Presidents showed that the yes/no questions are the most frequently used type of question in political interviews; the functions of those questions highly depend on the aim of interview.
Key words: question types, functions of questions, political interviews, discourse analysis.
INTRODUCTION
Nowadays political interviews have become one of the most important means of political communication. Interviews are like a serious play of questions and answers. Moreover, in political interviews the person asking the questions is not supposed to ask directly, but think of the way how to formulate a question in order to get the expected answer. Questions and answers depend on a situation that is at once pleasant and difficult – in which each of the two partners uses the rights given him by the other and by the accepted form of the dialogue. The relationship between questions and answers has been studied thoroughly. However, little attention has been paid to the importance how the form of questions impacts the answer. Usually questions that would be given during the interview, especially during a political interview, are more or less known, but there is a difference in the way how these questions are formulated as here are several types of questions that may be used when formulating them.
The aim of the present research is to investigate the types of questions in political interviews.
Nowadays political interviews have become one of the most important means of political communication. With the help of deliberative questions, the interviewer makes the interviewee give the necessary answer.
The aim of the present research was to investigate the question type that was used most frequently, out of four questions in the English language, in the context of political interviews as well as to define the functions of the identified question types.
The frequency analysis and discourse analysis of the question types used in three political interviews with USA Presidents showed that the yes/no questions are the most frequently used type of question in political interviews; the functions of those questions highly depend on the aim of interview.
Key words: question types, functions of questions, political interviews, discourse analysis.
INTRODUCTION
Nowadays political interviews have become one of the most important means of political communication. Interviews are like a serious play of questions and answers. Moreover, in political interviews the person asking the questions is not supposed to ask directly, but think of the way how to formulate a question in order to get the expected answer. Questions and answers depend on a situation that is at once pleasant and difficult – in which each of the two partners uses the rights given him by the other and by the accepted form of the dialogue. The relationship between questions and answers has been studied thoroughly. However, little attention has been paid to the importance how the form of questions impacts the answer. Usually questions that would be given during the interview, especially during a political interview, are more or less known, but there is a difference in the way how these questions are formulated as here are several types of questions that may be used when formulating them.
The aim of the present research is to investigate the types of questions in political interviews.
References: 1. Blum- Kulka S. (1983) The dynamics of political interviews. London: Pearson. 2. O’Keeffe A. (2006) Investigating media discourse. London: Routledge. 3. Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G. and Svartvik, J. (1985) A Comprehensive Grammar of English Language. In A. O’Keeffe (eds.) Investigating media discourse. London: Routledge 4 5. Stephanson, Alan R., Reese, David E. and Beadle, Mary E. (2009) Broadcast Announcing Worktext, Third Edition: A Media Performance Guide. USA: Focal Press. 6. Tsui, Amy B. M. (1994) English Conversation Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available from http://www.discourse-analysis.de/media/pdfs/Discourse%20Analysis%20Syllabi.pdf [Accessed April 28, 2010] A corpus of interviews: 1. Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7245670.stm [Accessed April 15, 2010] 2 3. Available from http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=10405692 [Accessed April 24, 2010] Appendix 1