A Study of Subjectivity in the Verbal Communication of University Teachers

Abstract

Subjectivity is the attribute of being predisposed or guided by personal sentiments, tastes, or opinions. Oral communication is significant in communicating ideas, knowledge, and insights and also promotes active learning and critical thinking, especially in institutions of learning. Nevertheless, it is noted that the oral communication of individuals is remarkably subjective, which is a sign of social degradation. Plenty of research has been done to find Subjectivity in written student discourse, but the field of finding Subjectivity in oral discourse among university teachers is an uncharted territory. Thus, drawing upon Allan Mckee's textual analysis model within the larger canopy of Emile Benveniste's theory of Subjectivity, the present study seeks to explore Subjectivity in the oral discourse of university teachers qualitatively. The results indicate the prevalence of subjectivity in verbal communication of university teacher. Self-referring pronouns, emotive language, and generalizations lacking scientific evidence were all frequently employed by participants. In addition, a great majority of the wording was imprecise and depended on anecdotal evidence and abstract terms. In practical terms, these findings show the necessity of systematic oral communication education in university and pedagogy that places a high value on developing objective discourse skills, criticalness, and rhetorical consciousness. Through examining how pedagogical interventions influence the establishment of subjectivity in teachers' speech over time and across disciplinary contexts, future research can proceed from here.

Keywords: Subjectivity, Verbal Communication, Emotive Language, University, Teachers’ Discourse.