Al-Shamary H. Structure and Pragmatics of English Diplomatic Discourse: A Study of Welcome Speeches

This thesis focuses on the study of the English welcome speech discourses used in the sphere of diplomatic communication. The theoretical framework for the discourse analysis in terms of discursive practice approach and through the ideas of Peace Linguistics has been outlined. A complex research methodology has been applied to the framing, formatting and pragmatics of the English welcome speech genre. The lexical and grammatical features of the four main sections of the discourse structure have been highlighted. The assertive conversational and pragmatic peculiarities of the welcome speech discourse have been revealed. The non-verbal profile of welcome speeches has been described through the guidelines of the diplomatic protocol.