Formation of logical and communicative competence of higher education students as a factor in counteracting manipulative influences in the post-truth era (based on the speeches of J. Major)

Abstract

The article examines the role of an English-language political speech as an effective didactic resource for developing logical and communicative competence in higher education students, which helps counter manipulative influences in the post-truth era. The relevance of the study is determined by the transformation of the modern information space, where the displacement of rational criteria of truth, the spread of emotional narratives, populist strategies, and the echo chamber effect require higher education students to be able to critically decode manipulative technologies and resist them. Using the material of a public speech by former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Sir John Major, “A Pivotal Year for Democracy” (2026), the essence of logical and communicative competence is revealed. With the help of methodological tools (analysis, synthesis, critical discourse analysis, logical and semantic analysis, contextual analysis, and content analysis), the didactic potential of the speaker’s rhetorical techniques is highlighted. The examples of deconstruction of populist mechanisms, identification of logical fallacies (false cause, equivocation, turning truth upside down), application of evidence-based argumentation based on economic data, as well as use of rhetorical questions to stimulate analytical reflection are analyzed. The practical significance of the obtained results lies in the development of applied guidelines and didactic elements for analytical work with political discourse in higher education institutions. The research results contribute to the formation of a resilient immunity to disinformation among higher education students and the development of a culture of constructive dialogue.