From Political Speech to Critical Literacy: Pedagogical Insights from a Faircloughian Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

Political speech is increasingly encountered by students through short-form and networked digital media, yet language education often treats public texts primarily as sources of information rather than as sites where power, identity, and responsibility are linguistically constructed. This study analysed two Indonesian political speeches concerning the proposed formation of Sumbawa Island Province to identify pedagogical insights for critical literacy. Using Fairclough's three-dimensional Critical Discourse Analysis framework, the analysis integrates textual features, discursive practice, and sociocultural practice. Four themes emerged: (1) modality as a marker of commitment and accountability; (2) metaphor as a mechanism of naturalization; (3) lexical classification as a resource for constructing regional hierarchies and othering; and (4) audience interjection as a moment of resistance and negotiated meaning. The contrast between the high-certainty statement 'Saya yakin ...' and the later 'Kami doakan saja ...', the recurring 'pindah kamar' metaphor, and the audience challenge 'Atur bos!' show how authentic political discourse can make otherwise abstract linguistic concepts visible to learners. The paper argues that political speech can function as productive material for critical language awareness when pedagogy moves from identifying forms to interrogating positioning, context, silenced alternatives, and audience uptake. The study does not claim classroom effects; rather, it offers a theoretically grounded pedagogical framework for future classroom-based investigation in English and literacy education.