IJoLE: International Journal of Language Education
Vol. 10 No. 3, 2026

Linguistic Representations of Power in Online Political Discourse: Implications for Language Education

Ismail Marzuki (Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia & Universitas Pendidikan Muhammadiyah Sorong, Indonesia)
Teguh Setiawan (Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
Else Liliani (Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
Adi Iwan Hermawan (Universitas Pendidikan Muhammadiyah Sorong, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
12 Oct 2026

Abstract

Language education increasingly requires learners to understand not only grammatical structures but also how linguistic choices construct authority, position audiences, and shape interpretations of social reality. This study examines linguistic forms, discursive strategies, and power relations in quotations from Indonesian political party officials published in online mass media and explores their implications for language education. A critical discourse analysis framework was combined with systematic content analysis to examine 261 verbatim quotations from five national online media outlets published between January and July 2024, producing 1,216 codings. The findings show that declaratives were substantially more frequent than imperatives and interrogatives, while modality, polarity, and person reference further shaped meanings of certainty, authority, inclusion, and responsibility. Linguistic strategies were also more frequent than overt ideological strategies, and interactional power predominated over structural and positional power. The findings indicate that apparently neutral linguistic forms can naturalize power through layers of grammatical choice and media mediation. These patterns provide a basis for developing critical language awareness by encouraging learners to move beyond identifying linguistic structures toward interpreting how language constructs authority and social meaning in authentic online discourse.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ijole

Publisher

Subject

Arts Humanities Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences

Description

IJoLE: International Journal of Language Education is an international peer reviewed and open access journal in language education. The aim is to publish conceptual and research articles that explore the application of any language in teaching and the everyday experience of language in education. ...