The role of linguistic context in children's interpretation and acquisition of Cicewa idiomatic expressions: A systemic functional linguistics approach

Abstract

This paper discusses public speakers' discursive use of modality markers to persuade their audiences in political discourse. Although modality has been a subject of much investigation in different research areas recently, there has been no empirical examination of their role or functions in political discourse in Lesotho. The present study aims to fill the research gap by contributing to the analysis of the social and/or institutional functions of modality markers in public speeches. Using the approach of critical discourse analysis and systemic functional linguistics, the present paper analyses the speech of the Chancellor of the National University of Lesotho, His Majesty King Letsie III, on the occasion of the university's 70th anniversary celebration. Particular attention is paid to how the King strategically used modality markers to express his attitude, opinion, ideas, obligation, beliefs, commitment, politeness, stance, involvement and his authorial presence. The results of...