" Conceptual Blending of Covid-19 in Political and Administrative Discourse of Vietnam and the United States"

Abstract

This study explores the conceptual blending of COVID-19 in political discourse and administrative texts in Vietnam and the United States. Grounded in Fauconnier and Turner’s Conceptual Blending Theory, the research aims to identify and visualize blended space structures through conceptual blending diagrams. Two salient dimensions are examined, namely the transmission of the virus and the control of COVID-19. By analyzing the configurations of mental spaces, the study reveals how novel meanings arise from conceptual integration. In addition, the communicative effectiveness of the pandemic-related discourse is revealed in relation to the cultural and ideological characteristics of the two speech communities.