Evaluative Language in High-Stakes Public Speaking: A Corpus Analysis of Miss Universe Q&A Sessions

This paper is part of a broader research project examining evaluative language in the high-stakes public speaking context of the Miss Universe (MU) pageant, contributing to our understanding of spontaneous speech patterns. It investigates the evaluative language patterns employed by MU candidates d...

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Main Authors: Long Viet Le, Lien-Huong Vo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universitas Andalas 2024-11-01
Series:Journal of Digital Sociohumanities
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Online Access:https://jds.unand.ac.id/index.php/jds/article/view/22
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author Long Viet Le
Lien-Huong Vo
author_facet Long Viet Le
Lien-Huong Vo
author_sort Long Viet Le
collection DOAJ
description This paper is part of a broader research project examining evaluative language in the high-stakes public speaking context of the Miss Universe (MU) pageant, contributing to our understanding of spontaneous speech patterns. It investigates the evaluative language patterns employed by MU candidates during the Q&A sessions, utilizing Appraisal Theory as a framework for analysis. The primary aim was to uncover the common patterns of evaluative language used by the candidates during such pivotal moments. Data were collected from MU Q&A sessions between 2000 and 2023, focusing on English-speaking candidates’ responses. Using Sketch Engine for corpus analysis, collocations and language patterns were extracted from 100 responses to analyze key linguistic elements. The results show a strong tendency toward positive evaluative language, particularly emphasizing themes of empowerment, inclusivity, and advocacy. These linguistic patterns reflect how candidates strategically employ language to project confidence, align with the ethos of the competition, and engage with global issues. Through their responses, candidates effectively use language to construct positive self-images and advocate for social change. These findings advance both theoretical and practical insights into the role of evaluative language in public speaking, offering implications for discourse analysis, corpus linguistics, and language use in media and performance contexts.
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spelling doaj-art-afa1380dec184b58944980e1e1475fef2025-08-20T02:45:10ZengUniversitas AndalasJournal of Digital Sociohumanities3032-78652024-11-012110.25077/jds.2.1.29-40.2025Evaluative Language in High-Stakes Public Speaking: A Corpus Analysis of Miss Universe Q&A SessionsLong Viet Le0Lien-Huong Vo1Hue UniversityHue University This paper is part of a broader research project examining evaluative language in the high-stakes public speaking context of the Miss Universe (MU) pageant, contributing to our understanding of spontaneous speech patterns. It investigates the evaluative language patterns employed by MU candidates during the Q&A sessions, utilizing Appraisal Theory as a framework for analysis. The primary aim was to uncover the common patterns of evaluative language used by the candidates during such pivotal moments. Data were collected from MU Q&A sessions between 2000 and 2023, focusing on English-speaking candidates’ responses. Using Sketch Engine for corpus analysis, collocations and language patterns were extracted from 100 responses to analyze key linguistic elements. The results show a strong tendency toward positive evaluative language, particularly emphasizing themes of empowerment, inclusivity, and advocacy. These linguistic patterns reflect how candidates strategically employ language to project confidence, align with the ethos of the competition, and engage with global issues. Through their responses, candidates effectively use language to construct positive self-images and advocate for social change. These findings advance both theoretical and practical insights into the role of evaluative language in public speaking, offering implications for discourse analysis, corpus linguistics, and language use in media and performance contexts. https://jds.unand.ac.id/index.php/jds/article/view/22Evaluative languageAppraisal TheoryMiss UniverseQ&A sessionsbeauty pageantscorpus analysis
spellingShingle Long Viet Le
Lien-Huong Vo
Evaluative Language in High-Stakes Public Speaking: A Corpus Analysis of Miss Universe Q&A Sessions
Journal of Digital Sociohumanities
Evaluative language
Appraisal Theory
Miss Universe
Q&A sessions
beauty pageants
corpus analysis
title Evaluative Language in High-Stakes Public Speaking: A Corpus Analysis of Miss Universe Q&A Sessions
title_full Evaluative Language in High-Stakes Public Speaking: A Corpus Analysis of Miss Universe Q&A Sessions
title_fullStr Evaluative Language in High-Stakes Public Speaking: A Corpus Analysis of Miss Universe Q&A Sessions
title_full_unstemmed Evaluative Language in High-Stakes Public Speaking: A Corpus Analysis of Miss Universe Q&A Sessions
title_short Evaluative Language in High-Stakes Public Speaking: A Corpus Analysis of Miss Universe Q&A Sessions
title_sort evaluative language in high stakes public speaking a corpus analysis of miss universe q a sessions
topic Evaluative language
Appraisal Theory
Miss Universe
Q&A sessions
beauty pageants
corpus analysis
url https://jds.unand.ac.id/index.php/jds/article/view/22
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AT lienhuongvo evaluativelanguageinhighstakespublicspeakingacorpusanalysisofmissuniverseqasessions