Critical Discourse Analysis Of Host's Power In TV Talk Show

This thesis analyzes the on-the-spot discourse power of TV talk showhost today in China through critical discourse analysis. The data of the research are drawn from two talk show programs, Tell it as it is and Dialogue, which mark the increasing popularity of talk show programs in China. Critical discourse analysis mainly discusses relations of power and inequality in language. Critical discourse analysis concerns three elements: text, interaction, and social context of discourse. Correspondingly the data I collected is analyzed by three stages of critical discourse analysis: explanation of the relationship between interaction and social context, interpretation of the relationship between text and interaction, and description of text. And in terms of description of text, data is analyzed from the points of vocabulary, grammar and textual structure. My analysis discloses that social context exerts influence on host's language on the scene of talk show. And in talk show context, the use of language embodies social unequal relationship in various ways. Talk show host manages to manipulate the program through linguistic means by carefully examining social context and interaction. And the thesis tempts to provide talk show hosts with linguistic guidance for their control of the program and to increase guests' and audience's awareness of the exertion of power through language for their better participation and appreciation of talk show programs.