Citation: Bashir ABUBAKAR & Maikudi USMAN (2021). Language and the Fight Against Drug Abuse: Experiential Meta-Function in Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo’s Speech at International Day Against Drug Abuse and Trafficking 2017. Yobe Journal of Language, Literature and Culture (YOJOLLAC), Vol. 9, Issue 1. Department of African Languages and Linguistics, Yobe State University, Damaturu, Nigeria. ISSN 2449-0660
LANGUAGE AND THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUG ABUSE: EXPERIENTIAL
META-FUNCTION IN VICE PRESIDENT YEMI OSINBANJO’S SPEECH AT INTERNATIONAL DAY
AGAINST DRUG ABUSE AND TRAFFICKING 2017
And
Bashir ABUBAKAR &
Maikudi USMAN
Abstract
This article analyses a speech by Nigerian English user
at a national event on drug abuse as a societal worry which is perceived as
excessive and persistent self-administration of drug without regard to
medically accepted patterns. The speech of Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo at
International Day against Drug Abuse is selected because it is concerned with a
contemporary societal issue. At the political level, power and authority are
exercised through speech. Consequently, in the control of drug abuse, language
is of utmost importance. The analysis is
carried out by using Experiential Meta-function, an aspect of Systemic
Functional Linguistics. In this article, library research is used as a means of
collecting required data and information because it is a qualitative research
then the theoretical framework applied is Experiential Meta-function which
refers to using language to talk about the world where language is used to talk
about what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen. Based on this
approach, texts are approached and explained based on six processes: material,
mental, verbal, behavioural, relational and existential. It is found that Meta-Function Language
Processes are very effective in conveying intended meaning in a speech. The
study concludes that for one to achieve effective listening and reading as well
as understanding one needs the knowledge of how the processes work in speeches.
Keywords: Language, Experiential Meta-function, Drug
Abuse, and Drug Trafficking
1.1 Introduction
In language study,
words we use and the way we organize them encode meanings. Opeibi (2009) posits
that English serves as the language of wider communication in the
socio-political context of the Nigerian nation. In language use, three purposes
are served. Firstly, language is used to talk about what has happened, what is
happening, and what will happen; secondly, it is used to interact with people
or express a point of view; and thirdly, it is used to organize the text itself
(Butt et-al, 2003). In this regard, Thompson (2014) points that using language
to talk about the world is the experiential meta-function, where using language
to interact with other people is interpersonal meta-function, and organizing
language to fit in its context is textual meta-function. However, Halliday
(2004) calls these main functions of language the ideational, interpersonal and
textual meta-functions. To Eggins (2004), the ideational function of texts
explains our experience of the outer world in the environment. She adds that
the textual function is language oriented and deals with cohesion and coherence
in text production by structuring the linguistic information in the clause. The
interpersonal function deals with the social and power relations among language
users. Similarly, Bloor and Bloor (2004) state that the ways in which human
beings use language are classified in Systemic Functional Linguistics into three
broad categories known as meta-functions. From the foregoing, the approach
explores how language is used in social context to achieve particular goals.
Therefore, in the
control of drug abuse, language is of paramount importance. Drug abuse is the
use of drugs to the extent that it interferes with the health and social
function of an individual (Okunloye, et al, 2011). According to Orebanjo, et al
(2009), drug abuse is excessive use of drugs and deliberate use of illegal
drugs mostly bought outside medical recommendation. Moreover, Abdulahi (2009)
opines that drug abuse is use of drugs to the extent that it interferes with
the health and social function of an individual. However, it is excessive and
persistent self-administration of drug without regard to medically accepted
patterns which may lead to damage of health status and social relation of the
affected individual. According to Legal Dictionary (2019), drug trafficking
refers to the process by which individuals provide illegal drugs to the public
which include all aspects of illegal drug trade from the processing of illicit
drug to their distribution and sale. Orebanjo, et al (2009), refers drug trafficking
as the illegal process of trafficking hard drugs from one place to another.
Thus, it is a process by which individuals manufacture and distribute illegal
drugs in a society. Individuals involve in this issue are communicated to
through spoken or written medium.
Consequently, speech
which is meant to be spoken also comes in a written form. The enormous
significance of speech, as a means of communication and interaction, is
noticeable when individuals are confined in a situation in which they are not
allowed to communicate with others. At the political level, power and authority
are exercised through speech. Speech involves conveying a particular message to
a specific audience at a given time in such a way that the said audience get
the message clearly (Sunday, 2012). Speech has remained an indispensable
component of human live and interaction (Sunny and Ofulue, 2008). Speeches are
expressed to meet the expectation of different audience (Superceanu, 2011). In
this essence, every speech ought to address certain audience who listen to it
for a particular purpose. Written speeches provide research opportunities into
the principles and practices of persons (Sunny and Ofulue, 2008). In this
regard, English speakers and writers manipulate the experiential meanings of the
language in order to encode their experiences of the world around them.
1.2
Statement of the Problem
Speeches offer
linguistic research possibilities but little has been done to the knowledge of
the researcher. For instance, Ayoola (2005) focuses on the critical discourse
analysis of a political speech by Olusegun Obasanjo. Similarly, Adetunji (2006)
explores deixis in Olusegun Obasanjo speeches. Moreover, Christian and Uchenna
(2020) focus on A Speech Act Analysis of President Buhari’s Media Political
Discourses. With these studies, analysis of leaders’ speeches while in
governance in general and on drug abuse in particular is neglected leaving a
gap worthy of study. Therefore, this article considers an aspect that is worthy
of study by analyzing Vice President
Osibanjo’s Speech at International Day against Drug Abuse using Experiential
Meta-function as analytical approach in order to identify and explain how the
speech is produced so as to properly communicate the message. This is through
analysing the meta-function language processes used in the speech.
Consequently, this study finds out how the writer employed experiential
meta-function in the production of the speech to convey the message to the
audience and readers.
1.3 Aim
and Objectives of the Study
The aim of this study
is to apply the experiential meta-function as an aspects of Systemic
Linguistics Theory in the analysis of Osibanjo’s speech at International Day
against Drug Abuse so as to identify and explain how the speech is produced.
The objectives of the study are to:
a.
identify the types of experiential
meta-function processes in Osinbanjo’s Speech at International Day against Drug
Abuse;
b.
examine the types of experiential
meta-function processes employed to produce the speech of Osinbanjo at
International Day against Drug Abuse;
c.
investigate the effectiveness of the experiential
meta-function processes in
which the writer/presenter of the selected speech uses English to perform the
functional role of communication.
2.0 Theoretical Framework
This article is
Systemic Functional Linguistics in orientation and it
depends on Experiential Meta-function of (Thompson 2014, Halliday and
Mathiessen 2014, 2004). In this regard, text are approached and explained based
on six processes: material, mental, verbal, behavioural, relational and
existential. Also, Thompson (2014) states that experiential meta-function is
when language is used to talk about our experiences of the world, including the
worlds in our own minds, to describe events and states and the entities
involved in them. According to Butt et-al (2003), this meta-function uses
language to represent experience. In addition, Bloor and Bloor (2004) point
that the ideational meta-function is concerned with using language to organize,
understand and express our perceptions of the world and that of our own
consciousness. The experiential meta-function is classified into two sub
functions. These are the experiential and the logical. In this regard,
experiential meanings encode the experiences and logical meanings show the
relationships between them. That is, the experiential is largely concerned with
content or ideas while the logical is concerned with the relationship between
ideas. In ideational meta-functions, there are six processes: material, mental,
verbal, behavioural, relational and existential.
2.1 Material Process
Material
process or the process of doing, construes doings and happenings including
actions, activities, and events. A material clause is characterized by
particular structural configurations, such as Process+ Actor+ Goal
(+Recipient), and Process+ Range (Thompson 2014). There is always an Actor,
which can be realized by a nominal group or even a non-finite clause. Further
options determine whether the process is directed’, in which case there is a
Goal as well [the policeman (=Actor) hunted (=Process) the demonstrator
(=goal)], or not [the policeman (Actor) ran (=Process)]. If the process is
directed, it may be ‘benefactive’, and if it is, there may be a Recipient [the
judge (Actor) gave (Process) the demonstrator (Recipient) a legal document
(Goal)]. This indicates that participants in material process include Actor,
Goal and Circumstance. Actor is the doer of material process. As a participant
who performs the action, it may be human, inanimate or entity. Goal refers to a
participant in material process affected by the process or at which the action
is being done to. Like Actor, Goal can be human, inanimate or abstract entity.
Circumstance refers to a participant that provides detail of the verb in terms
of place, time, manner, conditions among others.
2.2 Mental Process
Mental process
construes sensing, perception, cognition, intention, and emotion;
configurations of a process of consciousness involves a participant endowed
with consciousness and typically a participant entering into or created by that
consciousness, configured as Process+ Senser+ Phenomenon (Bloor and Bloor
2004). That is, in mental process the participants are Senser and phenomenon.
Senser, in this regard, is a participant that thinks, perceives or emotionally
feels in the clause. Phenomenon is a participant which is perceived, reacted to
or thought of in mental process. That is phenomenon is thought about, perceived
or emotionally felt. There is always a Senser, which is realized by a nominal
group denoting a being endowed with consciousness (e.g. she in ‘She saw them
crossing the road’). It is much more constrained than the Actor and in fact the
most constrained of all the participants in any of the process types.
2.3 Relational
Process
Relational
process serves to characterize and to identify. If ‘material’ process is
concerned with our experience of the material world and ‘mental’ process is
concerned with our experience of the world of our own consciousness, both of
this outer experience and this inner experience may be construed by relational
processes; but they model this experience as ‘being’ or ‘having’ rather than as
‘doing’ or ‘sensing’ (Thompson 2014). Relational process has carrier and
attribute or value and token as participants for attributive and identifying
relational processes respectively. Carrier refers to an entity that carries the
attribute where attribute is a quality ascribed to an entity. And value is the
meaning where token is the holder. They are concerned with the relationship set
up between two things or concepts, e.g. ‘Edward is clever’ and ‘Mary is the
doctor’. Relational processes are expressed in two modes: ‘attributive’ and
‘identifying’. In the attributive mode, an Attribute is ascribed to some entity
(carrier), while in the Identifying mode; one entity (identifier) is used to
identify another (identified). In the example, Edward is clever, Edward is the
Carrier; the verb is signifying an Attribute Relational Process and clever is
the Attribute. But, in the example, Mary is the doctor, Mary is the Identified
element, is represents an Identifying Relational process, and the doctor is the
Identifier.
2.4 Behavioural
Processes
Behavioural Processes
are processes of physiological and psychological behavior, like smiling,
coughing, laughing, breathing, etc. they usually have one participant only the
Behaver; for example, John smiled gently (Bloor and Bloor 2004). They are
intermediate between material and mental processes, in that the Behaver is
typically a conscious being, like the Senser, but the process functions more
like one of ‘doing’.
2.5 Verbal Processes
Verbal
processes are processes of ‘saying’ of any kind. It covers “any kind of
symbolic exchange of meaning”. Sayer, verbiage and target are participants in
verbal process. In this regard, Sayer is the individual speaker and the
addresser in the clause; target is the addressee, receiver or entity targeted
by the saying in the clause; and verbiage refers to the message both Sayer and
target exchange or the content of what is said or indicated (Thompson 2014).
That is, the verbalization (the message) itself is termed ‘verbiage’ and the
participants associated with it are ‘sayer’, the one who gives out the message,
and ‘Receiver’, the one to whom the message is addressed. For example, in she
told me a story, she is the Sayer, the verb told represents a ‘Verbal Process’,
me is the ‘Receiver’ of the message, and finally a story is the ‘Verbiage.’
2.6 Existential
Processes
Existential
processes show that something exists or happens. The word there is frequently used in such clauses, but it has no identified
function or meaning, and is merely subject filler. The typical verbs used in
these clauses are ‘be’, ‘exist’, ‘arise’ and other verbs expressing existence
(Bloor and Bloor 2004). The nominal group that follows these verbs is called
‘Existent’. For example, in There was no choice, no choice is the ‘Existent’
and was the ‘Existential Process.
3.0 Experiential
Meta-Function Analysis of Osinbanjo’s Speech at International Day against Drug
Abuse and Trafficking
The research is
designed as a textual study in which instruments such as questionnaire,
interview and recording were not used. It is a text-based linguistic research
where data was gathered directly from the selected speech. In due course,
complete text of the selected speech was obtained from the internet for the
research purpose. Selected parts of the speech were analysed. The technique
adopted for this study is purposive also known as judgmental sampling
(Akuezuilo and Agu, 2002).
In
this work, to enable thorough analysis, a speech of Nigerian Vice President
Yemi Osinbajo is chosen. This is because, in descriptive analysis, it is more
interesting to investigate some characteristics of English in depth rather than
to give superficial categorization of particular texts (Stubbs 1980). The
selected speech was downloaded from the Internet and analysed to show the
meta-function processes used in the course of delivering the intended meaning.
For the purpose of analysis, the speech is divided into four parts where four
excerpts are extracted. So, specific portions with clauses containing
meta-function processes are extracted from the speech. In the course of data
presentation and the analysis, the processes are bolded in the clauses.
3.1 Excerpt One: Greeting and Theme
In this excerpt, the speech writer
acknowledges the personalities present and gives the theme for that year’s International Day against Drug Abuse. He also highlights on the theme
to readers of the speech.
I bring you
greetings and felicitations…
It is indeed an
honour and privilege…
The theme for…Day… reminds
us of yet another opportunity…
…Listening to children and youths is
the first step…
…to support strategies that are evidence based…
3.1.1 Experiential Meta-Function Processes and their
Function in Excerpt One
This excerpt is dominated with relational processes. This is
because it is from the beginning of the speech. The three relational processes
(It is, listening to children and youths is, and strategies that are) identify the situation of the drug
abuse and trafficking as a serious issue in the society. However, the material
process in this excerpt (I bring), as a process of doing and action,
contains action of honour to the personalities present at the occasion. Then,
the mental process in the excerpt (Day… reminds)
expresses perception of the writer-presenter as well as that of the
listener/reader.
3.2 Excerpt two: Nigerian Effort on Drug Abuse and
Trafficking and Burden of Psychoactive Drugs.
This excerpt contains measures and action
taken and those at hand in fighting drugs abuse. Also, the writer identifies
intensity of the situation and how it affects health condition and lives of
populace as well.
The increasing menace of …and its impact on the State and
society is not in doubt.
Nigeria joined
member nations… to affirm the 2009 policy document…
It is gladdening to note that the country has
in place a National Drug Control Master Plan
These include
drug supply and drug demand reduction as well as control of illicit substances…
While Government is
committed to supporting efforts to
prevent drug use among the children and youths in order to help them grow
healthy and safe, we are going to be paying serious attention to
the issue…
…psychoactive drug use is
responsible for more than 450,000 deaths per year.
The drug-attributable disease burden accounts for about 1.5% of the global burden of disease, and
injecting drug use accounts for an
estimated 30% of new HIV infections… and contributes
significantly to the epidemics.
3.2.1 Experiential Meta-Function Processes and their
Function in Excerpt Two
In contrast with Excerpt One, this excerpt is dominated by
material processes. This is because it expresses measures taken by government
of the present administration on drug abuse and trafficking. The five material
processes in this excerpt (Nigeria joined,
we are going, disease burden accounts,
drug use accounts, and contributes) express actions and
activities of the Nigerian government in its efforts towards tackling drug
abuse and trafficking. This
serves as an indication of commitment from the government side. However, the
three mental processes (it is gladdening,
these include, and government is committed), as those dealing with
experience of the world of our own concerns, express the state of mind of
personalities and individuals on drug abuse and trafficking. Furthermore, the
relational processes (society is,
and drug is) as processes of being
and having, identify the level and effect of the menace of drug abuse and
trafficking in society.
3.3 Excerpt Three: Response by MDAS to Drug Trafficking
This excerpt comprises appreciation of
measures and action taken and those at hand by MDAS to Drug
Trafficking.
Similarly, the writer identifies the necessity for support of the government
and collaboration among NDLEA/NAFDAC and Civil Society
Organizations (CSOs) as well as implementing partners such as United Nations
Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) in the fight against drug abuse and
trafficking.
…I wish to
commend the UNODC and the EU who jointly supported
the Government of Nigeria…
I am told the report of the two surveys,
which will be out before the end of
the year, will provide evidence based information…
It is worthy to
note, the commitment demonstrated by
the Federal Ministry of Health…
I also wish to,
once again, commend the UNODC-implemented and EU-funded project…
The Government…will
continue to support the FMOH and
other MDAs working on drug control…
The FMOH is in
the process of finalizing the development of the maiden edition of the National
Policy for Controlled Medicines in Nigeria.
This policy, which is
anchored on patient’s need, human rights and best practice, when implemented will ensure sustained availability and accessibility of controlled
medicine…
It is also expected to promote rational
prescribing, dispensing and use of controlled medicine in Nigeria.
3.3.1 Experiential Meta-Function Processes and their
Function in Excerpt Three
In the above excerpt, the four material processes (who
jointly supported, the report… will provide, the commitment demonstrated,
and The Government…will continue) express activities and
performance of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in response to
drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria as well as actions of the Nigerian
government towards facilitation of her partners’ efforts in tackling the situation.
Where, the two mental processes (I wish,
I also wish, and This policy… will ensure) the state of mind and appreciation of the writer towards
the performance of the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC), the
European Union, FMOH and other MDAs. That is, the mental processes show the
concern of the government through the writer of the speech. And the five
relational processes (I am told, which will be out, It is, The FMOH is, and It is also expected) identify the state of the writer as regard to the
response demonstrated by the MDAs. These processes also identify the extent at
which the MDAs are in terms of tackling the menace of drug abuse and
trafficking as well as the level of what is expected to be done in this
respect.
3.4 Excerpt Four: Appreciation to our Partners
In this excerpt, the writer appreciates the
performance of the partners in form of international
organizations that support and sponsor projects to ensure Nigeria is free of
drug abuse.
We appreciate and
acknowledge United Nations Office of
Drug and Crime (UNODC) for executing this large-scale project…
We also appreciate
the European Union for funding the Project…
You remain a
shining example of developmental partners who have keyed into the
Federal Government’s (FG) efforts to ensure Nigeria is free of drug abuse, drug trafficking and ...
Finally, may I wish you a successful campaign to
entrench in our society…
I wish you a
happy celebration!
3.4.1 Experiential Meta-Function Processes and their
Function in Excerpt Four
The five mental
processes in excerpt four (We appreciate and acknowledge, We also appreciate,
may I wish, and I wish) show
writer’s gratefulness as regard to efforts and actions of the international
organisations as partners in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking.
Also, the processes indicate writer’s hope for achievement in the campaign and
the activities of the day as well. Besides, the two relational processes in
this excerpt (You remain and Nigeria
is) identify the situation of the
country and that of the leadership as a result of the activities of the
partners in struggle against drug abuse and trafficking. The material process
(who have keyed) expresses briefly the effects of activities performed by the
organisations towards safeguarding Nigeria from drug abuse and trafficking.
3.5 Experiential Meta-Function Processes and their
Function in Osinbanjo’s
Speech at International Day against Drug Abuse and Trafficking
Material process can
actually be said to involve doing and action. The application of this type of
process indicates that the writer of the speech is intentionally hoping the
reader to react. They express the notion that some unit does something which may
be done to some other unit. Mental process is a process of sensing. It involves
phenomena described as state of mind our psychological events. To encourage the
readers, Osibanjo used mental processes to fulfill different effects. He
applied different mental process verbs in the speech which shows his different
attitudes and particular emotion. The relational processes show that drug abuse
and trafficking is really in a serious all-inclusive level. The use of
relational processes in the speech made it clear that the situation of drug
abuse and trafficking is certainly a burden. The remaining three types of
processes, existential process, verbal process and behavioral process, are not
used in the speech.
4.0 Conclusion
In this study, the
Experiential Meta-Function is applied in analyzing Vice President Osinbanjo’s
speech at International Day against Drug Abuse and Trafficking. The qualitative
analysis has proved the Experiential Meta-Function Processes in Systemic Functional
Linguistics as an effective method in encoding and decoding this speech. With
the analysis, it is found that:
-
Three of the six processes types were
found to have occurred in the speech. These are the material process, the
relational process and the mental process. These processes are prominent in
different parts of the Osinbanjo’s Speech. The remaining three types of
processes, existential process, verbal process and behavioral process, have not
occurred in the speech. This adds to Zhang (2017) that material processes,
relational process and mental processes are relatively dominating processes,
while verbal processes, behavioral processes and existential processes are
rarely used.
-
Vice President Osinbanjo’s Speech is
one of the typical administrative speeches with specific administrative aims.
In administration, a speaker can convey his idea only through his speech. Thus,
the political administrator chooses more objective and more persuasive
processes to reach his goals. Both material and relational processes are the
best options for his goals in political administration because material and
relational processes presented as the statement of reality from the perception
of readers/listeners. That is, they seem to be more objective than other
processes.
-
Through examining main processes of a
text, a reader/listener can better comprehend the Experiential Meta-Function of
the text and choices of words. Introducing Experiential Meta-Function Processes
analysis in English language teaching will help the readers/listeners advance
their reading comprehension and their competence to understand the world as
well as support them enquire into the essence of expressions.
However, if aiming at
a more complete conclusion, sample speeches should be added. And including
study of the participants and circumstantial elements may add more insight in
analysis of Experiential Meta-Function Processes. Besides further improvements mentioned
above, a study may be conducted to explore pragmatic functions in the speech to
disclose more administrative skills and speech skills as well. Thus, these are
some limitations in the study.
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