A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Dell Hymes' Speaking Model in Selected 2023 Presidential Campaign Speeches in Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66811/eijrihs.vol1.no3.34Keywords:
Dell Hymes' SPEAKING Model, political discourse, campaign speeches, code-switching, political communication, NigeriaAbstract
This study examines how language was used as a strategic tool during the 2023 Nigerian presidential campaigns, with a focus on the speeches of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Peter Obi. The main aim of the study is to analyze how campaign speeches conform to Dell Hymes’ SPEAKING model and how linguistic features such as code-switching, code-mixing, metaphors, and culturally meaningful expressions were used to connect with Nigeria’s diverse audiences. The study is anchored on Dell Hymes’ ethnography of communication, which explains speech as a social and cultural activity shaped by context. Using a qualitative research design, the study purposively selected ten campaign speech excerpts from publicly available YouTube videos across different geopolitical zones in Nigeria. These speeches were transcribed and analyzed using the SPEAKING model to capture setting, participants, goals, tone, and language choices. The findings reveal that both candidates consciously adapted their language to suit regional and cultural contexts, frequently using code-switching and, in limited cases, code-mixing to express solidarity, identity, and inclusion. The study concludes that language played a crucial role in political persuasion and voter mobilization during the campaigns, showing that effective political communication in Nigeria depends largely on sensitivity to linguistic and cultural diversity.
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