Analysis of Moves and Linguistic Features in Valedictory Speeches

This paper analyses the moves and linguistic features in valedictory speeches of ten graduating students of some Colleges of Education in the Western and Central Regions of Ghana. Ten speeches ranging from 2013 to 2019 were selected from Holy Child College of Education, Takoradi, Our Lady of Apostle College of Education, Cape Coast and Foso College of Education, Fosu. Valedictory speech is important to graduating students of tertiary institutions and some high schools; as a specific form of genre, it shares the characteristics of both oral and written genre in the context of English for specific purposes which is geared towards English for Academic Purposes (EAP). The exemplars were analysed according to move patterns and their textual space as well as its linguistic features. This study adapted mix method design. Interview, focus group discussions and questionnaires were the instruments used. The study revealed that, communicative elements in the valedictory speech are very important to the graduating students and their message they intend to send to the audience. It also identified that it brings out a picture of issues that had contributed to the success of the graduating students and the end result of they being awarded their diplomas or degree. It was clearly established of linguistic features of valedictory speeches. For the analysis of moves and linguistic features in valedictory speeches, one relevant theory is Swales’ Genre Analysis. This theory is instrumental in understanding the structure (moves) and language use (linguistic features) in specific types of discourse like valedictory speeches. This investigation was underpinned by genre analysis theory foundered by Swales, J. (1990). Swales’, Genre Analysis focuses on how different types of texts (genres) are structured to achieve particular communicative purposes. The theory is especially useful in understanding academic and professional communication, as it provides a framework for analyzing the “moves†within a text—segments of discourse that serve specific functions. It was recommended that linguistic features within these moves should realize the functions and contribute to the overall purpose of the genre. Again, framework can be applied to valedictory speeches to analyze the rhetorical structure and the specific linguistic choices made to achieve the communicative goals of the speech.