aims the way we structure information also depends on the aim of our discourse. information =>...

Aims

• The way we structure information also depends on the aim of our discourse.

• Information => meaning is structured as a genre

• A genre is a communicative event defined by the participants, the topic and the type of register used.

AIMS OF DISCOURSE

There exist four main aims of discourse:

Expressive LiteraryConversation NovelLetters short storyDiaries DramaBlog texts Poetry

Referential PersuasiveExploratory AdvertisingScientific political speechInformative religious sermons

PERSUASIVE DISCOURSE

• Persuasive discourse can be reached with the following:

the ethical argument (testimonials)

the pathetic argument (emotions)

the logical argument (deductions)

LANGUAGE

• It is the faculty of speech: the abstract system we possess in order to communicate

• It is the linguistic system employed by a community that has been recognized with official authority (English, Italian,French, Spanish, German, etc.)

LINGUISTIC VARIETY

• It is the language used by a community according to either the social context or the geographical area.

• Registers, dialects and idiolects may be considered as linguistic varieties

Register, Dialect, Idiolect (Style)

• Register = content + social context + speakers

• Dialect = personal preference of one variety rather than another within a geographic area

• Idiolect = personal preferences in terms of linguistic realization of a variety

– Style = linguistic choice related to the relationship between the speakers determined by the context

– Any linguistic variety has a suitable style for its context

Advertising = RegisterLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 7

• Advertising = linguistic variety of English

• It is a type of language adapted to a well defined social purpose

• => Advertising it as a form of REGISTER.

Register distinctionLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 7

• Formal

• Informal Style

• Spoken

• Written Medium

Register distinctionLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 7

• The difference between formal/informal and oral/written depends on:

– LEXICAL differences – GRAMMATICAL differences

• NB: the same elements are important in the identification of the product to be promoted

Register distinction: Lexical differenceLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 7

INFORMAL /ORAL FORMAL/WRITTEN

nice marvellous

get better ameliorate

doctor medical practitioner

quid pound

lab laboratory

Register distinction: Grammatical differences

INFORMAL FORMALI’ll I willDon’t go Do not goFrantic FranceE = mc2 Given an object of mass m traveling at velocity v the

energy and momentum are given by where γ (theLorenz Factor) is given by and c is the speed of light. The term γ occurs frequently in relativity, and comes from theLorenz transformation equation. The energy and momentum can be related through the formula

which is referred to as the relativistic energy-momentum equation.

Dimensions of register distinctionsLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 7

• Style of discourse – (relation between the participants)

• Mode of discourse – (medium of transmission)

• Role of discourse – (private or social function of discourse)

STYLELeech, English in Advertising, chapter 8

There are four sets of style of discourse:

Colloquial / formal

Casual / ceremonial

Personal / impersonal

Simple / complex

Style: Colloquial / formalLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 8

• Colloquial = private sphere of discourse

• Formal = public sphere of discourse

• Ad style is public-colloquial because of the necessity of reaching the general public

STYLE: CASUAL / CEREMONIALLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 8

• Casual /Ceremonial = private discourse.

• The choice depends on the degree of intimacy, and of superiority/inferiority between the speakers (cf TU vs. LEI, DU vs. SIE, TU vs.VOUS).

• Ceremonial style = patronizing or obsequious attitude => Copywriters steer to a neutral course so as not to alienate the audience.– NB: use of imperative in advertising

STYLE: Personal/ImpersonalLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 8

Personal style = free use of the 1st & 2nd person reference either directly or indirectly (with imperatives, questions, exclamations). Intimate and private.

Impersonal style = ample use of the 3rd person (as in such expressions as it is clear that). Extremely formal and public.

STYLE: Personal/Impersonal (2) Leech, English in Advertising, chapter 8

In advertising:

1. personal style in prestige ads (ample use of WE)

2. 2nd person reference YOU involves the audience.

3. 3rd person reference is employed in product-oriented ads

4. Passive forms (highly impersonal) are rarely used in advertisement, unless where an active voice would imply reference to those involved in the production.

STYLE: SIMPLE/COMPLEXLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 8

• The simplicity or the complexity of the style of discourse depends on the status of the audience as regards:– Age– Education – Willingness to participate.

Mode of discourseLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Spoken

• Written

• Scripted (written to be spoken) – Disjunctive (& block), abbreviated modes

Mode of discourse Leech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Written mode = preservation through time

• Oral mode = limited capacity of the linguistic memory

• REPETITION

• ALLITERATION

• RHYME

Mode of discourse : Orality Leech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Orality activates Short Term Memory (STM)• In STM we store grammatical elements in

sequence until the anticipations they create are solved.

• We then may store such elements as If you agree..; The only… (incomplete structures) which need at least one further element to acquire grammatical sense

Oral mode of discourse Leech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• The text if the only… is incomplete at three levels:

– incomplete sentence – incomplete clause – incomplete nominal group.

Expectations of if the only… may be satisfied with If the only train to London is the 2.00 am, lets’ go by bus.

3 levels of satisfaction:1) the noun train (complete nominal group), 2) the verb and complement is the 2.00 am (completing the clause)3) the independent clause let’s go by bus (completing the sentence).

Mode of discourse: scripted texts Leech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Scripted mode = text in which the oral mode is reproduced in details.

• This is not always true. See, for ex., intonation – how can we reproduce it? What about hesitations, false starting?

– What are you looking for?– What are you looking for?– What are you looking for?– What are you looking for?

Disjunctive & abbreviated modes of discourseLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• The disjunctive and abbreviated modes are a subcategory of the scripted mode used to augment the illusion of spoken language

• They are two restricted varieties of English which are heavily employed in advertising

Disjunctive & abbreviated modes Leech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Disjunctive mode is used– Public notices, signs– Posters– Catalogues, inventories, tabulated materials– Postal address– Labels and trade-marks– Titles and headings

Disjunctive & abbreviated modesLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Abbreviated mode is used in:– Telegrams– Newspaper headlines.

Disjunctive mode See Leech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Disjunctive language offers many clues so as to have a correct interpretation of the message.

Notices on 4 DOORS:Artizzu

Prof. FoddeNo exit

Staff onlyHow much of English grammar is needed for

their description??


• In disjunctive grammar, the only grammar we need is a knowledge of the structure of English proper names: one part of the nominal group.

GENTLEMEN’S WASHROOMENQUIRIES AND APPLICATIONS FOR VISA


• The disjunctive grammar that uses proper names or nominal group structures only is called BLOCK LANGUAGE.

• Block language is characteristic of many types of public announcements, in posters.

Disjunctive grammarLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 9


• Each NG = isolated unit • Relation between different

parts of the message is inferred (not grammatically indicated).

• In poster-like presentation the Z-reading path is waived for the sake of immediate visual impact


• For you this summer … a golden tan • (A Z structure – INDEPENDENT MINOR CLAUSE)

• The castle, at one time a royal residence, is now the property of the National Trust

• (A Z structure – DEPENDENT MINOR CLAUSE)

You…if you are aged 16-19 and are taking or have passed your G.C.E. …

and your future • (A Z structure – INDEPENDENT MINOR CLAUSE)


• Main difference between discursive and disjunctive grammar:

– in discursive grammar, minor and non-finite clauses are dependent;

– in disjunctive grammar, minor and non-finite clauses are independent

Abbreviated grammarLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Typical of newspapers headlines • Examples:

– “Customs accused of offering secret amnesty”

Abbreviated grammar

Abbreviated grammar

• There are a lot of pre-modifiers required to save space & to create ambiguity (which means to catch the interest of the reader)

British left waffles on Falkland islandsa) left Predicator + waffles Complement (waffle = a cake fried

in butter) => P Cb) left (British left) Head of S + waffles Predicator (to waffle =

to ramble, i.e. speak in a confused manner ) => S P.

Small AD

• Small ad uses disjunctive grammar abbreviated grammar & block grammar:

• LTD Company est 1981 for sale. No assets or liabilities. VAT registered. UK bank acc with chequebook. Avble now. Substantial offers over £15,000. Internet bkg nominee service avble on both. Tel.08000 152469 or 07845 495852. quote ref DPH

(The Sunday Times, Feb 27th, 2005)

Small ADClassifieds

• Small ad uses disjunctive grammar abbreviated grammar & block grammar:

“The landlord just finished this beautiful Salon and Spa and offering it for sale. Brand new equipment, retail displays, first class decoration, waiting room with fire place. Great Corner Visibility! Excellent retail displays with a great inventory. (4) chair Stations (2) Manicure and pedicure stations (1)Massage room Must see to appreciate, great investment for an active stylist or investment opportunity to run your own business”.

(The New York Times, Nov. 26th, 2013)

Advertising grammarLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Advertising is a variety of English in which discursive, disjunctive, abbreviated and block language are mingled together and sometimes in an inextricable way.

• This happens because of the variety of display methods and type faces of printed advertising.

•

• • …phew*

• You can now buy the emergency contraceptive pill

• from the pharmacy. It’s called Levonelle and

• works best within 24 hours but can be used • up to 72 hours after unprotected sex.

ROLE OF DISCOURSE Leech, English in Advertising, chapter 10

• Role may be:

– PRIVATE (greetings, socialization, jokes, orders condolence)

– PUBLIC (journalism, literature, politics, religion).

• The difference between private or social role of discourse depends on the social function of our speech.

ROLE SPECIALIZATION Leech, English in Advertising, chapter 10

• Each linguistic variety has specialized phonology, orthography, morphology, syntax, vocabulary, semantics

• => each linguistic variety has a ROLE SPECIALIZATION

ROLE SPECIALIZATION• PHONETICS: AMEN (religion)• ORTHOGRAPHY: CHEQUE (business)• MORPHOLOGY: THOU (religion)• SYNTAX:

– Deed of sale: Mr X herein after referred to as Seller agrees to sell and Mr Y herein after referred to as Buyer agrees to purchase at a price of $ # on the terms set forth herein…

• VOCABULARY: PNEUMOLOGY (in medicine) • SEMANTICS: MOUSE (informatics)

ROLE SPECIALIZATIONLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 10

• As the role expresses the social degree of the communicative event, a breach of the conventional and linguistic rules assigned to that role may be seen as a break of the behavioural and social codes adopted by the speaker.

• Yet there might be variations within role.


• If conformity is expected (legal speech, business) we have conservatism

• If creative, original, inventive language is expected (literature, journalism), we have liberal or ‘creative’ writing.


• Advertising language seems to be both creative and conservative.

• The choice between them depends on the copywriter, on the product, on the audience target, etc.

• Creative language (= eccentric style, new words, linguistic games and jokes) is adopted to stimulate curiosity and interest.

ROLE BORROWING Leech, English in Advertising, chapter 10

• In private role, we borrow some features of speech of other people or a style unsuitable to the situation whenever we want to be comic or sarcastic (cf the situation in which we imitate other people’s way of speaking).

• If the role is public, role borrowing happens whenever the artists want to imitate other authors’ style (cf Striscia la Notizia or T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land)

ROLE BORROWINGLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 10

• In advertising language role borrowing is often a form of disguise, or at least a means of decoying the public into taking notice of the sale message:

– The Royal Highland Gathering at Braemar. The most famous of all the Highland Games. Throwing the hammer here is champion William Anderson who, when he’s not winning trophies, is a hard working crofter…

A special Role Borrowing: the CHAMELEON TECHNIQUE

See Dispensa

• The advertisement seems – both in language and layout - a feature or an article of the publication in which it appears.

• It is typical of ads in women’s magazines, which have tended to adopt the freedom of visual presentation pioneered by advertising (see dispensa examples)

everyday angel indulgent angel party angel

indulgent angeleveryday angel

party angel

US California

US market street

US subway

Urban Angel

Catch Point Catch Phrase

Visual (picture/photo)

Copy/Slogan

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬►

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬►

Ideal

Real

Ideal

Real

Centre

New

Margin

Given

Margin

Given

MarginMargin

New

Light vectors

Botticelli’s Birth of Venus

light

Caravaggio’s La Madonna di Loreto

http://www.thais.it/speciali/Caravaggio/scheda22.htm

Centre

Given New

AND THERE SHE WAS. AN URBAN ANGEL. MADE NOT BORN

As she walked upon the sand

the eyes of the multitude followed.

And when she turned to speak to

them, they saw that the sea spritz

had blessed her with beautiful

natural movement. And she spoke to

them of the miraculous soothing effects

of GHD cooling mist, and astonished

them with sun survivor shampoo &

conditioner and they no longer

feared the sun

THE HOLY GOSPEL

Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, (…) when

they had heard what great things he did, came unto him. And he spake to his disciples, (…) For he had healed

many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.

And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

(St. Mark)

GHD

A new religion for hair

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