A Study Of Evasive Answers In English Political Interviews Based On Adaptation Theory

Evasive Answer is an important strategy and a unique speech act with rhetorical function in communication. Especially in political interview, Evasive Answer is full of distinct characteristics and variations. In this dissertation, the author aims to study this phenomenon in political interview from the perspective of Adaptation Theory and explain the complicated process of language use; at the same time, she will illustrate how politicians finally make a choice dynamically according to the three major ideas and four angles of Adaptation Theory.The materials are mainly collected from internet and the major methodologies are quantitative analysis and qualitative research based on current materials. The author tries to answer the four questions as follows:i what kind of questions politicians adopt in the interview, ii what kind of questions are involved in Evasive Answer and what the corresponding evasive strategies are; iii how the politician adapt to various elements; iv what the pragmatic function of Evasive Answer are. To be specific, in this thesis, the author regroups questions into three sub-categories:exploratory question, critical question and verifying question; in the meantime, she attempts to explore their corresponding evasive strategies in political interview with the help of previous research. As a result, the author discovers that politicians apply vague language mostly in three types of questions. In addition, they prefer to avoid real issue or deliberately omit questions in answering exploratory question; what is more, they are in favor of shifting topics or extending additional information in answering critical question; however when answering verifying question, they are keen on repairing or transferring the topics to the third party. By analyzing Evasive Answer in detail in political interview under Adaptation Theory, the author finds that Evasive Answer mainly adapt to interview setting, mental world of participants (interviewer’s intention and interviewee’s emotion), social world (authority, cultural background, politeness and face) and dynamics. Confined to these adaptation elements, politicians have to adopt Evasive Answer freely to give response to those acute and sensitive questions to achieve a harmonious effects and pragmatic functions, as it is impolite for them to keep silent, ignore those questions or tell frankly. Even worse, it will make people at present in an awkward position or destroy their relationship.Theoretically, this dissertation aims to shed light on the explanative power of Adaptation Theory. Practically, it aims to offer guidance to interviewees and interviewers with the ability of responding to this kind of questions. Socially speaking, some questions may be involved in cross-cultural phenomenon in political interview, via understanding Evasive Answer; we can have a good command of a verity of expressions and grasp the essence as well as deepen our understanding of relationship within the scope of comprehensive culture backgrounds, thus avoiding misunderstanding and achieve successful communication.