AN ANALYSIS OF ENTAILMENT IN

OBAMA’S FAREWELL SPEECH

Isal Salman Al-farizi1, Rena Oktaviani2, Via Fitriani Nuryadin3, Yuli Aryanti4

isalsalman0@gmail.com1
renaoktaviani86@gmail.com2
yuliaryanti1216@gmail.com3
via.fitriani72@gmail.com4

English Education Study Program

Suryakancana University

ABSTRACT

This study focuses on analysis of entailment in the speech. The speech that we observed is
speech from Barack Obama when he was in farewell speech as the president of America. This
study looks at the background and foreground entailment that appears in that speech. Data
obtained from visual analysis to analyze the data of this research, and also researchers makes
the transcript from the speech. The objective of this study is identifying foreground and
background entailment that exist in the utterance of the speech. Every utterance has a
meaning, in this study researchers try to discover foreground entailment and describe
background entailment of Obama’s speech. The method that researchers used for this
research is qualitative approach. Data were collected from the video. Monologue became
context of data. Next, the source of data is a speech video in its transcript. The data collection
was conducted by downloading the sources, watching the video, reading and note taking the
transcript, sorting the kinds of entailment, and arranging the obtainable data. As a result, the
researchers present what kind of entailment that appears in the speech and also the implied
meaning in entailment of the speech.

Keywords: Entailment, Foreground Entailment, Background Entailment, Speech.

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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background

Entailments are inferences that can be drawn solely from our knowledge about the
semantic relationship in a language (Zainurrahman, 2010). Moreover, Khalil, H
(2016) stated that entailment is also considered to be the most central truth relation in
semantics. It is a type of semantics dependence holds between one sentences to
another. Its mean one sentence can entail to another one when the truth of the first
guarantees the truth of the second.

According to Sapir, E (1921) speech is a significant function and the sound as

such has no significance. It is supported by Bilingual Kidspot (2018) stated that
speech is the production of sounds that make up words and sentences. These sound
units are combined so that they make up words and sentences. Speech involves the
co-ordination of our breathing, vocal cords, vocal tract, nasal tract tongue, jaw, tongue
and lips. Briefly, Speech is human vocal communication using language. Every
utterance in the speech will have a meaning, so researchers try to observe through the
title “An Analysis of Entailment in Obama’s Farewell Speech”

1.2 Key Terms

In this part, researchers try to explain terms as follows:
1.2.1 Entailment
Entailment is semantic relation associated with formal approaches that
employ the notion of truth to characterize meaning. Entailment may be defined as
follows:
An expression A entails B if the truth of A guarantees the truth of B and the
falsity of B guarantees the falsity of A.
Entailment is traditionally taken to be a semantic rather than pragmatic
relation because it resists cancellation by contextual knowledge, or additional
qualification (Cummings, 2010: 144)
1.2.2 Speech
Speech is as aspect of language represented by the use of signals produced
by means of human exhalation, phonation, articulation, and resonance
communicated by acoustic and auditory means (Milloy, 2013: 2).

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 1.3 Research Questions
Based on those considerations, this research will focus on the following research
questions:
1. What are the types of entailment occur in Obama’s speech?
2. How does the entailment work in Obama’s speech?

1.4 Research Aims

As stated in research question, the aims of this study are:
1. To show types of entailment that occurs in Obama’s speech
2. To describe how the entailment works in Obama’s speech

2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
In this chapter, writer wants to tell about method that used for this study. It covers research
design, technique of data collecting and data sources.

2.1 Research Design

The method that used in this research is descriptive qualitative method. The focus
investigation of approach is analysis of entailment in Obama’s farewell speech.
According to Malik & Hamied in Research Methods (2014;188) they state
“Qualitative research is an umbrella term which encompasses enormous variety in terms
of paradigm, approaches to data and methods for data analysis. Qualitative research is
also much eclectic, in using multiple strategies and methods than quantitative research.”

2.2 Technique of data collecting

Vanderstoep and Johnston (2009:189) state that visual analysis is one of data
collecting techniques. Therefore, visual analysis became the method for collecting the
data. There were some steps which were used to analyze the data of this research.
First, the researcher identified the data. Then, the researcher classified the
identified data based on types of entailment. After that, the researcher began to analyze
the classified data. The researcher also checked the analyzed data again to ensure the
accuracy of the data. Finally, the researcher reported the data and drew conclusions.

2.3 Data Source

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 The data sources for this study took from the script of several videos which were
downloaded from the internet. This script become the data to support the writer analyze
the data.

3. FINDING AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Finding
Researchers was looking at the video and also making its transcript to make the
analysis of entailment of that speech. Overall there were two kinds of entailment that
appears in the speech, foreground entailment and background entailment. These are brief
description about entailment which researchers taken from the transcript:

No Foreground entailment Background entailment

A great gift that our Founders gave to 1) The government frees its citizens to pursue their
own dreams.
us: the freedom to chase our
2) They pursue dreams through sweat and hard
1 individual dreams through our sweat
work and imagination, and are required to fight
and toil and imagination, and the together

imperative to strive together

1) The work of democracy in America is always

The work of democracy has always
difficult.
2
been hard. 2) Democratic work in America is always difficult
to resolve
Sometimes it’s (democracy) been 1) Many challenges facing American democracy.
3
bloody 2) It considers American democracy is very hard.
America would reverse a great 1) America is rebuilding the automotive industry
recession, reboot our auto industry, 2) American democracy is very concerned about
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and unleash the longest stretch of job the progress of the country
creation in our history
1) Equality between husband and wife
5 we would win marriage equality 2) Outperform and complete each other in the
existing criteria, it is also considered equal.
I committed to president-elect Trump 1) There is a commitment that committed by
6 that my administration would ensure previous president to the president-elect.
the smoothest possible transition, just 2) Obama will make the smooth transition between

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 as President Bush did for me. Obama to Bush
1) Democracy does not divide citizen, it will make
Democracy does not require
unity in the end.
uniformity our founders argued they
7 2) There is a government system that does not need
quarreled eventually they
uniformity because people in the past said it will
compromised
make compromised.
They expected us to do the same but
1) There is a hope from government to citizen.
8 they knew that democracy does
2) Democracy needs unity
require a basic sense of solidarity.
The idea that for all our outward
1) An idea makes all becomes one
9 differences, we’re all in this together,
2) Humans are born of a difference
that we rise or fall as one
After my election, there was talk of a
post-racial America and such a 1) After Obama elected becomes President there
vision, however well-intended, was was the issue about racial.
10
never realistic race remains a potent 2) Obama hopes that racial does not make force in
and often divisive force in our the society.
society.
11 Because of our intelligence officers, 1) Foreign terrorists have not managed to attack the
and law enforcement, and diplomats homeland.
who support our troops, no foreign 2) Unsuccessful foreign terrorists in attacking the
terrorist organization has homeland.
successfully planned and executed an 3) Foreign terrorist plans to execute attacks in the
attack on our homeland these past country were unsuccessful.
eight years.

12 We have taken out tens of thousands1) 1) Terrorists have been killed successfully.
of terrorists including bin Laden. 2) 2) Bin Laden was one of tens of thousands of
terrorists killed.
3) 3) Tens of thousands of terrorists were killed.

13 Democracy can buckle when it gives 1) Fear can defeat democracy.

in to fear 2) Giving in to fear will affect democracy.

14 So just as we, as citizens, must 1) As citizens, they must remain vigilant against
remain vigilant against external external aggression.
aggression, we must guard against a 2) Important vigilance in weakening the values that
weakening of the values that make us make us who we are.
who we are.

15 The most important office in a 1) It is citizens who are demanded in democracy.

democracy: Citizen. Citizen. So you 2) Citizens are the most important office in
see, that’s what our democracy democracy.
demand.
16 The most important office in a 1) People become the important things of

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 democracy: Citizen
17 If you’re tired of arguing with
strangers on the internet, try
talking with one of them in real
life
18 If you’re disappointed by your
elected officials grab a clipboard,
get some signatures, and run for
office yourself
19 Sometimes you’ll win. Sometimes
you’ll lose
20 Maybe you still can’t believe we
pulled this whole thing off.
government system
2) Democracy needs citizen
1) Internet becomes social media that a lot of
people argued
2) Obama suggest that Americans should try to
talk in real life
1) It is possible that Americans are disappointed
with elected officials
2) Americans can nominate themselves
1) In the competition there will be a winner and a
loser
2) You can be a winner or loser
1) Americans do not put the trust to government
2) Government have done the whole thing

3.2 Discussion
Based on the result of the research, foreground entailment exist in the utterance,
meanwhile background entailment will implied in the utterance. Observing implied
meaning should know the context first, in order to avoid misunderstanding. Overall,
every utterance spoken by Barack Obama in that speech has great meaning because he
delivered the last speech as a President, so he tries to make Americans become
peaceful in transition moment between Barack Obama to the next President.

4. CONCLUSION

Based on the explanation, researchers conclude that entailment is the implied and
stated that in the utterance. Speech is a formal address or discourse delivered to an
audience. There is a monologue activity and many utterances produced by the speaker.
Utterance can observe because it has meaning. Entailment often appears in the speech
because entailment is meaning that exist in the utterance. In this case, number of
background entailment is more than foreground entailment because in a foreground
entailment will have several background entailment, it depends on the interpretation of
audience or researchers.

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REFERENCES

Cumming, L. (2010). The Pragmatics Encyclopedia. New York: Routledge

Khalil, H. (2016). Entailment in Meaning. ResearchGate

LoCastro, V. (2012). Pragmatics For Language Educators. New York: Routledge

Malik, Singh Ranbir & Hamied, Fuad Abdul (2014) Research Methods: A guide for first time
Researchers. Bandung. UPI PRESS.

Milloy, N., R. (2013). Breakdown of Speech: Causes and Remediation. London: Springer
Science Bussiness Media, B. V.

Vanderstoep, S. W. and Johston, D. D. (2009). Research Method for Everyday Life: Blending
Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. San Francisco: John Willey & Sons Inc

Zainurrahman. (2010). Entailment and Presupposition. Zainurrahman’s Home.