A Critical Analysis Of Pragmatic Vagueness In English Interviews

In this thesis, the author analyzes the pragmatic vagueness phenomena from the perspective of critical linguistics. It is a study on pragmatic vagueness from a new point of view. Critical linguistics intends to unveil the relationship between language and ideology, language and power through the analysis of linguistic structures. This thesis mainly employs the theories of Van Dijk. They include the theory of ideology, theory of power, relationship between ideology and discourse, relationship between power and discourse, etc. Besides, this thesis also employs the analytic methods and tools from systemic functional grammar developed by Halliday.The pragmatic vagueness is pervasive in interview discourse especially political interview discourse. Analyzing the pragmatic vagueness in collected political interview discourses, the author tries to unfold the ideologies held by different social groups and power relationships between politicians and interviewers.The author describes the pragmatic vagueness phenomena, analyzes their functions and reveals the ideologies or power relationships from three levels, namely, ideational function, interpersonal function and textual function.At the level of ideational function, the author mainly analyzes pragmatic vagueness including hedges, fuzziness, generality, approximations, metalanguage, nominalization and passivization. Hedges make the propositions fuzzier or less fuzzy. Fuzziness, generality, approximation and metalanguage broaden the range of meaning. Nominalization and passivization distort meanings of speech.At the level of interpersonal function, the author mainly analyzes pragmatic vagueness including modality, personal pronoun "we" and personal pronoun "you". They increase credibility through meanings and contextual factors. They express politeness in speech. They protect speakers even exert pressure on hearers.At the level of textual function, the author mainly analyzes nominalization and shields. They are thematized to increase opacity or enhance the attitudinal meaning.With the aid of ideational function and textual function, pragmatic vagueness in political interviews conveys ideologies held by Chinese leaders and US government. With the aid of interpersonal function, modality and personal pronouns reflect the power relationship between interviewers and politicians. In Obama’s administration, US government pays great attention to economic cooperation with China. On the other hand, US takes the opportunity of economic coordination to exert pressure on Chinese government. In this period, Chinese government focuses on developing economy and perfecting legal system and democratic system. Chinese government also strengthens economic cooperation with US and at the same time refutes anti-China commentary. Aside from adjustment of policy to China, US also adjusts its strategies in Middle East. On the one hand, US strengthens its manipulation of Iraq and Afghan. On the other hand, US strengthens anti-terrorism in Afghan. In Libya, US government firmly disapproves Kaddafi government. On the other hand, US government expresses ambiguous attitudes to anti-government forces. Aside from ideology, pragmatic vagueness reflects the power relationship between interviewers and politicians. Politicians control audience by pragmatic vagueness. At the same time, interviewers establish their authority by pragmatic vagueness.