This study aims to investigate the types of deictic expressions used by Jack Ma in one of his speeches in Nairobi and how these deictic expressions helped him in motivating his audience. Drawing on Fillmore's (1997) category of deixis, this qualitative study found that three types of deixis were present in Jack Ma's speech with the person deixis as the most frequently used type. Furthermore, the use of these deictic expressions constructs the deictic field where Jack Ma situated himself at the deictic centre. The finding suggests that deictic expressions helped him to persuade the audience to trust the speaker and also to motivate them. This study is expected to contribute insights to how deictic expressions can be used to motivate the audience.
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