LINGUISTIC SPECIFICITY OF INSTRUCTIVE COMMUNICATION IN ENGLISH-LANGUAGE TED TALKS MOTIVATIONAL DISCOURSE

Abstract

The article studies language features of instructive communication in the English-language TED Talks motivational discourse. The paper identifies and describes the main characteristics of TED Talks motivational discourse, including the features of functioning of instructive communication within the framework of the discourse under study, presents the analysis of TED Talks public lectures from the perspective of actualizing the addressee’s motivation for changes. Drawing on a set of 15 TED Talks transcripts the study identifies around 420 target speech acts and then classifies them according to their linguistic form and communicative function. Special attention is paid to how speakers alternate between direct and indirect formulations, along with explicit (clearly stated) and implicit (covert) directives and recommendations. Findings reveal that motivational TED Talks mostly employ indirect phrasing and implicit speech acts to establish rapport with the audience and soften otherwise directive appeals. The study reveals the significant role of instructive motivational language in effectively engaging the audience and shaping behavioral change.