Question 1

What is the difference between power through language and power behind language?

Accepted Answer

Power through language refers to how speakers use linguistic features (e.g., imperatives, rhetorical questions, high-modality verbs) to influence or control others directly. Power behind language, on the other hand, is the social prestige or authority attached to certain language varieties (e.g., Standard English, legal jargon) regardless of how they are used. For example, a judge's power comes partly from the institutional status of legal language (power behind), but also from their choice of formal register and directives (power through).

Question 2

How do I analyse power in a political speech for my exam?

Accepted Answer

Start by identifying the speaker's purpose and audience. Look for linguistic features that assert authority: high-modality verbs ('must', 'will'), inclusive pronouns ('we', 'our') to build solidarity, and rhetorical devices like triples or contrasts. Also consider what is left unsaid—e.g., presuppositions that present certain ideas as given. Apply Fairclough's model: describe the language (e.g., 'the use of 'we' creates a shared identity'), interpret how it positions the audience, and explain the wider political context (e.g., during an election campaign).

Question 3

Can language be used to resist power? Give examples.

Accepted Answer

Yes, language can challenge power through strategies like reappropriation (e.g., the LGBTQ+ community reclaiming the word 'queer'), parody (e.g., satirical news shows mocking political rhetoric), or using non-standard dialects to assert identity against dominant norms. In everyday contexts, a patient might use direct questions to challenge a doctor's authority, or a student might use slang to subvert a teacher's formal register. These acts of resistance often involve breaking Grice's maxims or flouting politeness conventions.

Question 4

What is Fairclough's three-dimensional model and how do I use it?

Accepted Answer

Fairclough's model analyses discourse at three levels: (1) Text – describe the linguistic features (e.g., vocabulary, grammar, metaphors); (2) Discourse practice – interpret how the text is produced, distributed, and consumed (e.g., who wrote it, for what audience, through what medium); (3) Sociocultural practice – explain how the text reflects or shapes wider social structures (e.g., power relations, ideologies). In your essay, you can structure your analysis around these levels to show depth.

Question 5

How does language and power relate to gender?

Accepted Answer

Language and power often intersect with gender through phenomena like 'mansplaining' (where men explain things to women in a patronising way), gendered terms (e.g., 'chairman' vs. 'chairperson'), or the use of diminutives ('little lady'). Research by Deborah Tannen suggests men and women may use different conversational strategies (e.g., men more likely to interrupt, women more likely to use hedging), which can reflect or reinforce power imbalances. However, avoid overgeneralising—context and individual variation matter.

Question 6

What are some key theorists I should know for language and power?

Accepted Answer

Key theorists include Norman Fairclough (Critical Discourse Analysis), Paul Grice (Cooperative Principle and maxims), Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson (politeness theory), Pierre Bourdieu (linguistic capital and habitus), and Michel Foucault (discourse and power/knowledge). For gender, Deborah Tannen and Robin Lakoff are useful. Make sure you can explain their ideas concisely and apply them to texts—examiners reward specific, relevant use of theory.

Language and power

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Related Topics in WJEC A-Level English Language

Discourse

English in the twenty-first century

Grammar including morphology

Language acquisition

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