O papel do comentário metadiscursivo em debate eleitoral polilogal: estratégia discursiva no jogo de faces

Abstract

This research had the aim of studying the role of metadiscursive comment’s role on a polylogal presidential election debate. We intended to analyse how the metadiscursive comment (MC) can contribute to the interaction’s facework as a discursive strategy. Our hypothesis was that the MC can develop specific functions on a polylogal interaction, such as being used to attack or defend another candidate’s face, or a third party, as an example, an absent candidate. We studied the last Brazilian presidential election debate from 2018, broadcasted by Rede Globo, in order to analyse the MC’s functions on a polylogal debate. To test our hypothesis and to meet our goals, we used the Modular Analysis Model as our theoretical and methodological approach. To do it so, firstly we investigated the notions of metadiscourse and metadiscursive comment intending to better understand the metadiscursivity phenomenon. As for the metadiscursive comment, we concluded that this notion is frequently used in a broad and non-theorized way. Then, we analyzed the generic discourse relation comment and its linguistics, textuals, and situationals functions. Afterwards, using the theoretical and methodological instruments offered by the Modular Analysis Model, we identified which comments were, in fact, metadiscursive comments; in other words, which designated a represented discourse. Once the MC’s were identified, we analysed their function on the election debate’s facework. In conclusion, the MC’s roles on the election debate were: mark a compliment or self-praise, signal the agreement or disagreement between interactants and signal the (non)achievement of the monologic completion constraint, of the interlocutor or a third party. Thus, this research sought to appease the conceptual fluctuation related to the MC, as well as to offer a complete, although not exhaustive, linguistic, textual, and situational investigation of the metadiscursive commentary.