LUONG HOAI BAO TOAN MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING PHENIKAA UNIVERSITY GRADUATION PAPER A STUDY ON SEMANTIC FEATURES OF ACTION VERBS IN SPEECHES AT COP26 CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT Student: Luong Hoai Bao Toan ENGLISH LANGUAGE Student ID No: 19010280 Course: 2019 - 2023 Field: English Language Mode of study: Full-time Supervisor: Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh, M.A Hanoi – 2023 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING PHENIKAA UNIVERSITY GRADUATION PAPER A STUDY ON SEMANTIC FEATURES OF ACTION VERBS IN SPEECHES AT COP26 CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT (NGHIÊN CỨU ĐẶC ĐIỂM NGỮ NGHĨA CỦA CÁC ĐỘNG TỪ HÀNH ĐỘNG TRONG NHỮNG BÀI DIỄN VĂN TẠI HỘI NGHỊ THƯỢNG ĐỈNH VỀ BIẾN ĐỔI KHÍ HẬU COP 26) Student: Luong Hoai Bao Toan Student ID No: 19010280 Course: 2019 - 2023 Field: English Language Mode of study: Full-time Supervisor: Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh, M.A i ii iii iv i ABSTRACT This study presents a semantic study that examines the frequency, semantic characteristics, and contextual variations of action verbs used in the speeches delivered during the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26). The study adopts a corpus-based approach, utilizing the spaCy natural language processing library and AntConc for data extraction and analysis. Corpus techniques, including frequency analysis, concordance analysis, and semantic grouping are used, alongside a critical examination of the context in which the action verbs were deployed. The analysis shows that speakers at COP26 use action verbs that denote connotations such as annihilation, economic activities, general activities, and social activities to emphasize the shared responsibility of all actors in addressing environmental issues while viewing the impact of climate change as urgent and immediate.
Some speakers even use them to show dissatisfaction, and disappointment while framing certain parties accountable for their inadequate actions. Critical reading of the speeches also reveals that social injustice and human elements were mentioned alongside the action verbs. The study contributes to the field of environmental communication by providing insights into the use of action verbs and their significance in communicating climate change at high-profile international events such as COP26. The implications of this research can inform future studies on discourse analysis and environmental communication.
ii DECLARATION I, Luong Hoai Bao Toan - Student ID No: 19010280, certify that no part of the above report has been copied or reproduced by me from any other person’s work without acknowledgment and that the report is originally written by me under the strict guidance of my supervisor. Hanoi, 15th June 2023 Supervisor Student Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh, M.A Luong Hoai Bao Toan iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to James Connelly, Professor Emeritus at the University of Hull, United Kingdom, for providing me access to his work, which has been instrumental in shaping the direction of this study. In addition, I would like to extend my gratitude to the University of Regina, Canada, and its Open Educational Resources (OER) program. I was fortunate enough to become a student at the U of R and this opportunity granted me access to many materials that proved invaluable during the research phase, which played a vital role in enhancing the quality and depth of this study.
I would like to convey my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh, M.A, whose unwavering support and invaluable guidance have been instrumental throughout this research. Her insightful comments and thoughtful suggestions at every stage of the study have contributed to the successful completion of this study and have also played a significant role in shaping me as a person. I am immensely grateful to my family and friends for their support and encouragement throughout this journey.
Their presence and belief in me have been instrumental in my success. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Tan, Nathania, Nicté, and Jacques for their constant support and love, always being there for me when I needed it the most. They are truly remarkable individuals and amazing friends, and I feel fortunate to have them in my life. A special acknowledgment goes to my mother, whose support in my academic pursuits and life decisions has been a constant source of strength and motivation.
I am eternally grateful to have her as a mother. Finally, I would like to dedicate this work to the memory of Edward and Elly, who will always hold a special place in my heart. Their absence is deeply felt, but their legacy will carry on and inspire me to live a life of purpose and meaning. I am committed to honouring their memory and carrying their spirit with me in all of my endeavours.
iv Table of Contents PART 1: INTRODUCTION. Aims and objectives of the study. Scope of the study. Methods of the study.
Significance of the study. Structure of the study. 6 LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUND. The politics of climate change and the role of language.
The controversial nature of climate change. The role of language in climate change communication. Political speech on climate change. The 26th annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Semantic features analysis. The grammatical category of verbs. 23 METHODOLOGY AND STUDY DESIGN. Computerized assistance used.
Preparation of the corpus. 32 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. Most frequently used action verbs. Connotations of all action verbs used during COP26.
Action verbs denoting general activities. Action verbs denoting efforts. Action verbs denoting social interactions. Action verbs denoting annihilation and degradation.
Action verbs denoting economic activities and technicality. Other noticeable connotations. Implication of the study. Limitations of the study.
Future potential research avenues. All the speech files in the corpus. Categories of action verbs used in COP26. Parameters to classify a token as an action verb using spaCy.
xxii vi LIST OF TABLES Number of Title of tables Page tables Most frequently used action verbs in the Table 4.1 32 speeches at COP26 Typical uses of the action verbs “make” and Table 4.2 33 “take” Typical uses of the action verbs “address” and Table 4.3 34 “work” Typical use of the action verbs denoting Table 4.4 49 initiation Typical use of the action verbs denoting Table 4.5 50 confrontation Typical use of the action verbs denoting Table 4.7 Typical use of the action verbs denoting struggle 51 Typical use of the action verbs denoting Table 4.8 52 emotional expression vii LIST OF FIGURES Number of Title of figures Page figures Percentage of most commonly used action verbs in Figure 4.1 35 COP26 Connotations of action verbs in the speeches at Figure 4.2 36 COP26 viii LIST OF ACRONYMS No. Acronyms Expanded forms 1. CDA Critical discourse analysis The 26th annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations 2. COP26 Framework Convention on Climate Change 3.
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 4. POS Part-of-speech 5. UNFCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 6. UN United Nations 1 PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1.
Rationale The 26th annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP26, is an international gathering where representatives from countries come together to discuss and negotiate global efforts to combat climate change. It stands as a critical event in the global fight against climate change as world leaders, policymakers, scientists, and activists converge to discuss, negotiate and gather the political will to strengthen their commitments under the Paris Agreement, which was signed by almost all countries at COP21 in Paris in 2015. Due to the high-profile nature of the event, and its consequential outcome resulting from strenuous work and constant engagement between parties, the conference is a vital platform for leaders to express their stance on the issue of climate change, drive policy decisions, and mobilize support. This is further compelled by the fact that COP26 took place at a critical juncture in the fight against climate change, as the 2021 report made by the IPCC underscores the chance of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees can only come to fruition if global emissions are halved by 2030 and reach “net-zero” by 2050 [58].
This sense of urgency gives the conference immense significance, and because of this, the choice of language used during this event reflected how world leaders orchestrated their speeches to communicate climate change to justify the resources and focus needed to reach some of the targets set out during the event. Despite this, there has been a very restricted number of research that dive into the content of the speeches presented by public officials and key figures during such a high-profile international event on climate change, and the subject of research on this topic is even more limited. Previous studies highlight important insights into communicative strategies used and how climate change is framed by political figures and the media [12, 14, 15, 39]. In the context of COP26, some researchers [22] compared lexical choices made by the news to find out similarities and differences between certain news outlets while conveying material and information related to.
Yet the question remains: how do world leaders view and articulate an issue as complex as commitment and priorities 2 related to climate change, not only to communicate but also to rally collective efforts to tackle the task of mediating responses to climate change in the context of COP26? Henceforth, this study is an attempt to fill in that gap of knowledge. As world leaders, policymakers, scientists, and activists converge to discuss and negotiate climate change policies, the speeches delivered during this conference serve as vital platforms for speakers to articulate their visions, commitments, and proposed actions, and action verbs are one of the powerful linguistic tools that can be used for that purpose. Therefore, by understanding the action verbs employed in COP26 speeches, this study hopes to ravel some insights into the rhetoric, themes, recurring priorities expressed during the event, and how the speakers try to persuade the audience to concede to their messages. Aims and objectives of the study 2.
Aims The study aims to examine the usage of action verbs in the speeches delivered during the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) and analyze their semantic significance within the context of climate change discourse. This is done by adopting a semantic approach to categorize the action verbs into different types based on their meaning and function. The study also examines the frequency, and distribution of the action verbs across different speakers and contexts. Objectives The objectives of this study are as follows: a.
To identify and compile a comprehensive list of action verbs used in the speeches at COP26 b. To categorize and analyze the action verbs based on their semantic properties c. To explore the implications of the choice and emphasis on specific action verbs in conveying messages, priorities, and commitments related to climate change 3 3. Research questions To fulfill the above objectives, the following questions are set as follows: (1) What are the prominent action verbs used in the speeches delivered during COP26? (2) What are the semantic characteristics associated with the action verbs used in the speeches? (3) How do the action verbs employed in the speeches reflect the priorities, commitments, and actions advocated by the speakers and their respective countries? 4.
Scope of the study The scope of the study encompasses the analysis and examination of action verbs specifically used in the speeches delivered during the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26), which was held in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom from October 31 to November 13, 2021. The study focuses on action verbs within the context of climate change discourse and aims to explore their semantic significance in the context of COP26. Some of the speeches are excluded from the corpus as they did not meet certain criteria which will be discussed in detail in the Methodology section.