Language and Diplomacy

It is, I think, paramount for you as diplomats to recognise the relevance of metaphors to politics. The connection is simple: if we adopt the approach to metaphors, generally referred to as the cognitive approach, which states that metaphors do not simply describe but largely create reality, then the way an issue is framed is going to determine the way in which that issue is acted upon, and by whom. For example, defining the use of illegal drugs as a 'problem of addiction' directly implies strategies to deal with the situation of the individual drug abuser and to assign pride of place to counsellors, therapists and social reformers. On the other hand, declaring 'war' on drugs leads to strategies that interdict supply or punish demand, highlighting the role of law enforcement and quasi-military techniques and agencies and legitimating their involvement (Thompson, 1996:190). Metaphors therefore have implications for action because of their ability to frame issues, and convincing metaphors determine which policies win approval.

- excerpt from Language and Diplomacy course materials


Description and Objectives

This course explores how language works and how it can best be put to work in the service of diplomacy and international relations. It promotes language awareness as a means of improving diplomatic and political skills. Close attention is paid to case studies of treaties, presidential speeches, public announcements, government advertising and media material in order to link theoretical discussion to practical examples.

The objectives of this online course are twofold: 

  1. To provide participants with a linguistic toolkit which will enable them to use - and defuse - the most frequent tripwires of diplomatic and political language, such as ambiguity, analogy and inference.
  2. To provide an insight into the use of both verbal and visual language in spin, public diplomacy, media management and other emergent political practices.

 

Course Outline

  1. Semantics: What influences word meaning? Why does meaning change? Who decides and what are the limits? An introduction to the sense vs. reference distinction, semantic categories, speech communities, conventions and consensus, with an exploration of the extent to which meaning is negotiable. All examples are drawn from topical political and media sources.
  2. Ambiguity: Why does ambiguity exist? What types of ambiguity can we identify, and what uses or abuses can we put them to? An introduction to narrow vs. broad ambiguity, underspecification, euphemisms, double-speak, fudging, constructive ambiguity, and the all-important role of context in disambiguation, with examples from UNSC Resolutions (242, 1441 among others).
  3. Metaphor & Analogy: “Military strategists stress the importance of controlling the high ground; political strategists stress the importance of controlling metaphor.” Is metaphor, which is generally perceived as a poetic device, really so important to politics? This lecture provides an introduction to both the prevalence and the perils of metaphor and analogy in everyday language, and their use in structuring thoughts and influencing actions.
  4. Verbal Spin: The aim of this lecture is two-fold: First, to explore the relationship between language and thought, and second, to alert you to the uses and potential abuses of spin in contemporary politics. You will be supplied with a checklist of methods used in political spin and introduced to the distinction between spin, PR, propaganda and other forms of persuasion. At what point does it become dishonest to put one’s argument across in as favourable a light as possible?
  5. Visual Spin: How do images influence, and indeed change, our perception of the world? You are introduced to the cognitive processes involved in reading images and are given examples of how variables such as perspective, cropping, context, captions, manipulations as well as frequency of publication all influence our reaction to an image. You are also asked to evaluate the relative power of language and image, and to consider the role of compassion fatigue and political satire.
  6. Speech Acts & Signalling: Is "all words, no action" a false dichotomy? This lecture examines the two-fold relationship between language and action: on the one hand certain utterances can be understood as a form of action; on the other, actions can be interpreted as means of “signalling” (i.e. of communicating non-verbal messages). 
  7. Hard Talk: This lecture considers the way in which language is used in argumentation, defined as “the study of effective reasoning.” The BBC programme Hard Talk and other similar interviews provide examples of logical fallacies, disputed evidence, emotional appeals, ad hominem attacks and other topics, many of which can be used as “interview tricks.”
  8. Open Topic: The topic of this last lecture is left open for participants to choose. Available topics include: 
    • Media Power and the Culture of Distrust: what is the role of the media in shaping socio-political reality and what is its responsibility towards truth and trust?
    • Soft Power and Public Diplomacy: an introduction to the power of attraction and persuasion as practised in Public Diplomacy.
    • Narrative Power and the Paradox of Plenty: The Information Age is characterised by a surplus of information and a shortage of attention. Power resides not only in military might or economic influence, but in securing attention to one’s own narrative. How is this done and what are the pros and cons of a dominant narrative?
    • Rhetorical Power and the Redress of Poetry: From the poet-orators of old to the most rousing political speeches of today, we find a common use of rhetorical, lyrical and imaginative resources and a common objective: to offer an alternative, redressive reality.

 

Who Should Apply

  • Practicing diplomats, civil servants, and others who work in international relations who want to refresh or expand their knowledge under the guidance of experienced practitioners and academics;
  • Post-graduate students of diplomacy or international relations wishing to study topics not offered through their university programmes or diplomatic academies and to gain deeper insight through interaction with practicing diplomats;
  • Post-graduate students or practitioners in other fields seeking an entry point into the world of diplomacy;
  • Journalists, staff of international and non-governmental organisations, translators, business people and others who interact with diplomats and wish to improve their understanding of diplomacy-related topics.

 

Structure and Methodology

This course is conducted entirely online over a period of 10 weeks. Reading materials and tools for online interaction are provided through an online classroom. Each week, participants read the provided lecture text, adding questions, comments and references in the form of hypertext annotations and links. Lecturers and other participants read and respond to these annotations and links, creating interaction based on the lecture text. During the week, participants complete additional online activities (for example, further discussion via blogs or forums, quizzes, group tasks, simulations or short assignments). At the end of the week, participants and lecturers meet online in a chat room to discuss the week’s topic. To complete the course successfully, participants must also write one or two essay assignments and a final examination. Courses are based on a collaborative approach to learning, involving a high level of interaction.

 

Lecturer(s)

Dr Biljana Scott
Language and Diplomacy, Public Diplomacy

Dr Biljana Scott lectures at the Faculty of Oriental Studies, Oxford University. She studied Chinese and Linguistics and divides her time between teaching and photography. Her research interests all revolve around the nature of categorisation and extend from complex predicates and syntactic recategorisation on the one hand to visual tropes in photography on the other. Her current focus is on political spin, as realised both verbally and visually.

 

 

Andrej Skrinjaric
Language and Diplomacy

Mr Andrej Skrinjaric, born in Karlovac, Croatia, studied in Chinese Language and Literature at the Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade, graduating in 1999. In 2000 he attended a postgraduate course in European Studies at the Alternative Academic Educational Network (AAEN), Belgrade. In 2003 he obtained his Postgraduate Diploma in Diplomacy from DiploFoundation, University of Malta. His thesis was entitled Multilingualism and the Internet. From 1999-2002 he worked as a free-lance interpreter/translator, Chinese-Serbian, Chinese-English and English-Serbian. He currently works for DiploFoundation as Training Coordinator and resides in China.

 


Words from Former Participants

DIPLO’s Language and Diplomacy course explores the fascinating world of intricate word plays underlying current day diplomacy. The content is stimulating and thought-provoking, not in the least due to the outstanding contributions of Dr Biljana Scott. I gained a deeper understanding of language’s complexity and creativity, and a greater appreciation of its limitations and susceptibility to misuse. I believe this course will benefit those wishing to engage in diplomacy or keen to unravel the twists and turns of spin doctors.

Kristen Daglish - International Project Coordinator
Peace and Reconciliation Program, Medellin Local Administration, Colombia

My first online experience with DiploFoundation was excellent. I learned in fact a lot, and mainly due to the great and wonderful online-professor, Dr. Biljana Scott, who was just amazing, very knowledgeable, professional and with a great personal e-touch. It was a pleasure to get to know her and the other and interesting online classmates, and we even got close, as much as it is possible in the virtual place. One would only hope to continue and strengthening the lessons learned and connections made also on personal and face-to-face seminars. It was certainly most enriching.

Ramin Kaweh - UN-NGLS, Programme Officer

 

Prerequisites

Applicants must have:

  • an undergraduate university degree; OR three years work experience and appropriate professional qualifications in diplomacy or international relations;
  • sufficient ability in English language to undertake postgraduate level studies;
  • unrestricted access to the Internet using Firefox or Internet Explorer web browsers (please contact us for more details if you are in doubt about your level of access).

 

Fees

Course fees depend on whether you wish to obtain university credit for the course:

  • 730 euros (University of Malta Credit Course)
  • 550 euros (Diplo Certificate Course)

Applicants must pay full fees upon official acceptance into the course. The fee includes:

  • University of Malta application fee (where applicable)
  • Tuition fee
  • Course orientation pack (where applicable - may include text and/or references and Textus Learning User Guide)
  • Access to all required course materials online, via Diplo’s online classroom
  • Personal interaction via the online classroom with course lecturers, staff and other participants
  • Online technical support: requests will be answered within 24 hours
  • Certificate of completion issued by DiploFoundation (upon meeting all course requirements for participation, assignments and examination)

 

Financial Assistance

Discounts are available for more than one participant from the same institution. A limited number of partial scholarships are available for diplomats from developing countries. To apply for a scholarship please include your CV or resume, and a letter outlining your interest in the course and financial need, with your application package.

 

How to Apply

A number of routes for application are available, depending on the needs of the applicant: