VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ THU HẰNG METAPHORS USED IN HEADLINES OF SOME ELECTRONIC ARTICLES ON US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2012: A STUDY FROM COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE (Các phép ẩn dụ trong tiêu đề một số bài báo điện tử viết về chiến dịch tranh cử tổng thống Mỹ năm 2012: Nghiên cứu từ góc độ tri nhận) M. MINOR THESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 60220201 Hanoi, 2016 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ THU HẰNG METAPHORS USED IN HEADLINES OF SOME ELECTRONIC ARTICLES ON US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2012: A STUDY FROM COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE (Các phép ẩn dụ trong tiêu đề một số bài báo điện tử viết về chiến dịch tranh cử tổng thống Mỹ năm 2012: Nghiên cứu từ góc độ tri nhận) M. MINOR THESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 60220201 Supervisor: Assoc. Lâm Quang Đông Hanoi, 2016 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com DECLARATION I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled “Metaphors used in headlines of some electronic articles on US presidential election campaign 2012: A study from cognitive perspective” submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in English Linguistics.
Except where the reference is indicated, no other person‟s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis. Hanoi, 2016 Nguyen Thi Thu Hang i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would have never been able to complete my MA thesis without the enthusiastic guidance of Assoc. Lam Quang Dong, my supervisor, who has patiently and constantly supported me through each stage of my study as well as provided me with invaluable comments. I am also grateful for his precious ideas which have inspired me greatly through my growth as an academic researcher.
A special thank also goes to all the lecturers and the staff in Faculty of Post- Graduate Studies and many others, who have created favorable conditions for me to fulfill my MA dissertation, and without whose encouragement it would never have been possible for me to have this thesis accomplished. A special appreciation is also sent to my peers in Master classes, Cohort 22 for their both in-time advices and priceless suggestions which they have supplied me. I am indebted to them for their time and sympathies that they have shared with me during the process of my research writing. Last but not least, I am greatly indebted to my family for the sacrifice they have devoted to the fulfillment of this academic work.
ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT This MA minor thesis investigates the use of metaphors in headlines of some electronic articles on US presidential election campaign 2012. As the study applied the theoretical framework proposed by Lakoff and Johnson (1980), all three kinds of metaphors including structural, orientational, and ontological metaphors were found in 75 news headlines. Among 85 metaphorical expressions discovered in 75 article headlines, 67 were labeled as structural metaphors, making up 78. It turned out that war terms appeared with the highest frequency among other source domains like sport competition, race, game, and business.
While orientational metaphors were realized through 10 metaphorical expressions (corresponding to 11.8%), ontological metaphors were depicted in only 8 (equivalent to 9. By analyzing how three kinds of metaphors employed in such political news headlines, the study is expected to partly reveal the conceptual frame of American people towards politics in general and election news in particular. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION.iii PART A: INTRODUCTION. Aims of the study.
Scope of the study. Significance of the study. Data collection procedures. Design of the study.
5 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW. Traditional views on metaphor. Metaphor under the light of cognitive linguistics. Classification of metaphor.
Metaphors in news headlines. Metaphors in politics. 12 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. 15 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
Data collection and data analysis. 16 CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS. Politics is war. Politics is sport competition.
Politics is race. Politics is game. Politics is business. Having control is up.
More is up, less is down. Less is behind. Foreseeable future events are ahead. Nonhuman entities carry human capacities.
Abstracts are things. 28 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. Limitations and suggestions for further research .VI v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS Table 3.1: Frequency of source domains in structural metaphors Chart 4.1: Proportions of three kinds of metaphors Chart 4.2: Proportions of source domains used in structural metaphors vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale It is taken for granted that politics-related language is rigid, standardized and conventional.
However, metaphor, which is considered a very interesting linguistic phenomenon, can also be employed effectively in the field of politics, making political news become friendlier and less superior to the public. For this reason, the author is desirous of investigating how metaphors are used in the headlines of some electronic articles on US presidential election campaign 2012. It is undeniable that metaphors are not only a promising land for writers‟ creativity to take off but also a product of minds, intellect and cognitive system. According to Lakoff and Johnson (1980), this rhetorical device is not only considered a characteristic of language, but it is also a matter of thought and action.
Likewise, it is hoped that, under the lens of cognitive linguistics, this research paper will provide readers with a clear description of metaphors used in the headlines of such political articles. Among series of political events during the last 4 years, the US election campaign in 2012 emerged as the most striking one that the whole world kept track of. As a matter of fact, the political campaign was actually the close race between the President Barack Obama – a prominent representative of Democratic Party and Mitt Romney – an outstanding nominee of Republican Party. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that almost all of the headlines used to analyze in this dissertation portray the fierce competition between these two candidates.
With the hope of elaborating on the nature of metaphors in political news, the research paper will discuss the relationship between the source domains and target domains in structural metaphors as well as uncover kinds of metaphors employed in those headlines. It is also expected that the researcher can discover the most pervasive kind of metaphor, the most dominant source domain in order to show readers the logical relationship between the human conceptual system and the language of politics. Last but not least, there is little research exploring metaphors in the context of politics, which urges the author to investigate how this kind of meaning transference is employed in such election news. 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
Aims of the study The research paper is aimed at: - Pointing out the kinds of metaphors exploited in those political headlines. This aim can be achieved on the ground of Lakoff and Johnson‟s view in their famous book titled “Metaphors we live by” (2003). - Exploring how those metaphors are used in such political headlines, and identifying the most pervasive source domains of structural metaphors. - Suggesting some implications for the process of teaching, learning and translating metaphors.
Scope of the study The study focuses on the headlines of electronic articles whose contents are about the US presidential election 2012. These articles are taken from such electronic newspaper agencies as Red Alert Politics, Huff Post, CNN News, USA Today, New York Times, and CBS News. All of them are famous, prestigious newspaper agencies which always updated American people and global citizens on the developments of the US presidential election in 2012. Significance of the study In terms of theoretical aspect, the research paper may not only provide useful contributions to studies of linguistic units from cognitive perspective but also shed light on other studies in the field of politics.
In terms of practical significance, the research is expected to encourage other linguistic researchers to carry out similar studies investigating the function of metaphors in the field of politics. Besides, it is hoped that this MA thesis will supply readers a deeper understanding about how metaphors are used in election news. The study is also believed to reveal the pervasive usage of sport and war terms in structural metaphors found in those political headlines. Lastly, some applications in teaching and translating are also found to be useful for both English teachers and translators.
Research questions - How can the metaphors in the chosen newspaper headlines be categorized based on the classification of Lakoff and Johnson? 2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com - What are the reasons underlying the mechanism of cognition in the chosen metaphors? 5. Research approach The study is approached from the perspective of cognitive semantics. According to the theory and classification of Lakoff and Johnson in their famous book “Metaphors we live by” first published in 1980, metaphors are classified into three kinds, namely, ontological metaphors, structural metaphors and orientational metaphors. Metaphors found in the chosen headlines are also arranged into these 3 types.
Research methods The research mainly uses qualitative method to analyze the data collected. Methods of description, classification and analysis are also employed in order to find answers to the research questions as well as to fulfill the aims of the study. Data analysis Primary data is collected by the author, and then the qualitative method is used to analyze the data. All the newspapers headlines are chosen from US news agencies in order to ensure the consistency of metaphor analysis under the light of cognitive perspective.
Equally important, the author uses numbers when necessary to identify the pervasive type of metaphor as well as to count the terms of war, sport, race, game and business employed in those headlines. Data collection procedures 75 electronic newspaper headlines containing metaphors are sorted out from hundreds of articles whose contents are related to the US presidential election 2012. Because the research paper investigates types of metaphors used in the chosen headlines and how those metaphors are used, the author will make sure that all selected headlines contain metaphor(s). After being classified into 3 kinds of metaphors, these headlines will be further analyzed.
3 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Design of the study Part A: INTRODUCTION In this part, the researcher provides readers with reasons for carrying out this research. Moreover, the aims, scope, significance and the research methodology are clarified in the first part. Readers also find the research questions, the design of the study here.
Part B: DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1–Theoretical background and literature review The chapter deals with the definition(s) of metaphor, the classification of metaphors, and metaphors from the perspective of cognitive linguistics. The definition and functions of a headline are also illuminated here. Regarding literature review, the author will introduce to the readers the related literature, the different ideas from knowledgeable scholars, writers and linguists towards the subject and scope of this study. The researcher will embroider her comments and critical thinking on those ideas.
Chapter 2–Research methodology This chapter supplies the readers with research methods, research procedures and the description of data collection and data analysis. Chapter 3–Data analysis This is the main chapter of the study which will focus on analyzing the data. After metaphors in chosen headlines are classified into 3 kinds clearly, they will be analyzed in accordance with the data analytical units.