Just Because You Can Say It, Doesn’t Mean You Should Say It : A Discourse Analysis About the Legitimation in Arguments on Controversy Over the Usage of a Chinese Word That Sounds Like the N-Word

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the arguments in news video clips and comments on social media on whether it was right or wrong of the professor who used a Chinese filler word that sounded like the N-word. I examined the legitimation strategies of the arguments reflected in the social media report and comments on the controversy. The method chosen for this study is a discourse analysis of two video clips on YouTube. Examples from news videos and the comments section were analysed and categorised based on two of van Leeuwen's categorisations of legitimation; authority legitimation and moral legitimation. In summary, the two YouTube videos seem to show more different opinions on whether or not it was right of the professor to use “那个” as an example of a filler word in Chinese compared to the comment sections. Only one of the comments was unclear on whether the author of the comment thought it was right or wrong of him to say the Chinese filler word. In conclusion, although it is not forbidden or illegal for the professor to say it, the school made it clear that it was not right by suspending him from further teaching the communication course.