A Study On Pragmatic Identity Construction Of Job Seekers

The popular television series Inspiring Offer has aired for four seasons.From the very first season,the show’s contestants have generated considerable online discussion due to their diverse communicative styles.As job seekers,each contestant creates multiple pragmatic identities through various speech acts to enhance their employment prospects,resulting in distinct impressions on their superiors and clients.This research paper focuses on the inaugural season of "Inspiring Offer," analyzing and comparing the speech acts of all contestants in order to examine the construction of pragmatic identity and its communicative consequences.Employing Chen Xinren’s Pragmatic Identity Theory and speech acts as the theoretical framework,the study utilizes qualitative analysis as the research method to explore three key questions:(1)What pragmatic identities do job seekers construct?(2)What speech acts are adopted during pragmatic identity construction?(3)What factors influence the construction of pragmatic identities?The investigation reveals that:(1)The primary identity of contestants is as job seekers;however,the eight job seekers featured on the program also develop a variety of alternative identities,such as friend,lawyer,leader,and businessman.Interestingly,these alternative identities transition from strategic to problematic identities depending on the context.(2)The eight job seekers predominantly employ representative and expressive speech acts to establish their primary identities.In particular,they frequently engage in stating,promising,and suggesting speech acts.(3)Four factors contribute to the development of discursive identities: firstly,the perceived social distance between communicators and the inequality of identities between them can affect the pragmatic identity construction process,potentially leading to communication breakdowns.Secondly,an individual’s understanding of the context can either aid or hinder the formation of pragmatic identity and its communicative efficacy.Thirdly,gender language differences play a role,with females tending to construct compassionate identities,while males adopt more professional and serious identities.Lastly,personal background disparities,such as family experience,can influence communication styles.Job seekers with familial experience tend to speak more gently and warmly,employing expressive and suggestive speech acts that foster empathy and a congenial communicative environment.Conversely,others may rely more on representative and directive speech acts,which can result in a more rigid tone and hinder effective communication.The analytical model of pragmatic identity construction developed in this study not only expands our understanding of pragmatic identity,but also offers valuable insights for job seekers in their everyday communication.This research can be further extended to understand the dynamics of pragmatic identity construction in various professional contexts and explore how job seekers adjust their communicative strategies in response to specific industries,job roles,and organizational cultures.As virtual communication becomes increasingly prevalent in professional contexts,understanding how job seekers adapt their speech acts and identity formation in digital spaces is another area of potential research.In summary,the research conducted on the first season of "Inspiring Offer" provides a strong foundation for future inquiries into the complexities of pragmatic identity construction in professional contexts.By expanding the scope of research to consider diverse cultural and regional backgrounds,the influence of technology,and long-term career outcomes,our understanding of effective communication strategies for job seekers can be significantly enhanced.