Demystifying Rhetorical Persuasion Used by Sangguniang Kabataan Election Campaigns

This study aimed to unveil and explore the common linguistic features and persuasive techniques used by Sangguniang Kabataan election campaigns. The categories of linguistic features were referred to Finegan’s Language Structure and Use (2008). Using a discourse analysis approach, the research focused on three main dimensions: morphology, semantics, and syntax. Ten (10) videos of speeches in Sangguniang Kabataan were gathered from both Facebook and YouTube. Within the domain of morphology, the study revealed that out of the ten (10) speeches analyzed, all of them used compounding and initialisms. In the realm of semantics, the analysis uncovered common terms frequently used by Sangguniang Kabataan. In terms of syntax, the analysis reveals that ten out of six speeches of Sangguniang Kabataan used simple sentences, four used compound sentences, five complex sentence and three used compound-complex sentences. On the other hand, categories of persuasive strategies were referred to in Lamb’s Theory (2013). The result of the analysis showed the distribution as follows: five data on repetition, five data on inclusive words, five data on emotive language, five inclusive words, five data on generalization, five data on colloquial language, four data on connotation, four data of hyperbole, six data of imagery, five data of rhetoric question, two data of anecdotes, five data of simile and five data of appeals.