Aim: to identify key linguistic and contextual features of different sub- genres of adverts. Classroom research forms a key part of AO2 – you can reference it in your exam.

Investigation your Adverts TASK 1 1.Individually annotate key features of lexis (words) and grammar (sentence level) 2.Share your findings and summarise the key findings. 3.Suggest a reason for this linked to the audience and purpose – what it is aiming to sell and to whom.

Language Features of Adverts Lexis Grammar On each post-it write a key feature and your thoughts on why it is used in your genre of adverts then add to the board.

The Diction of Advertising Use of emotive words especially adjectives Use of superlatives Verbs in the imperative mood Short, crisp and forceful verbs often used Get is used more often than buy Negated imperatives eg Why not… Use of advice Use of imperatives eg you’ll find

The Grammar of Advertising Use of an imperative without a subject is common Headline style writing rather than conventional prose, dependent clauses and phrases used in their own right. (more impact and less concentration needed) Single word sentences Unconventional spelling

Creative use of language in advertising Neologisms eg peelability Subvert conventional meanings eg ‘in the best circles washing machine is pronounced Parnell’ Figurative language such as similes and metaphors ‘eating sunshine’ Puns and clichés Intertextuality ‘I think therefore IBM’

Patterns in the language of adverts Use of metaphors, similes, alliteration, assonance, rhyme, onomatopoeia and repetition make adverts memorable.

Investigating your Adverts Link your findings about features to Fairclough’s theory of synthetic personalisation What image is your advert projecting? What ideology / set of ideas / lifestyle aspirations / does it assume (the reader shares? What member resources does it assume the reader shares? (background knowledge) How does it use language to position the reader as an ideal consumer? Spend 5 minutes making notes on your own advert then share your finding s with your group.

Envoys Send three members of your group to another table to learn about their category of adverts. One person should stay to teach the rest of the class about your findings, Return and take detailed notes on the key findings about each category of adverts. Remember: these findings can be a key part of AO2

How does the language of this text attempt to influence its audience. Refer to any frameworks you consider relevant and any relevant ideas from language study.

How to get started 1.Read the text 2.Decide what the text is and establish its audience, purpose and context 3.Annotate linguistic features 4.Write a brief plan ensuring that you have covered a range of frameworks 5.In your plan you may wish to group your points under frameworks to ensure a systematic approach

Approaching the Exam First annotate all comment-worthy language features Lexis / semantics 1.Lexical fields 2.Advertising lexis – new, easy, superlatives etc 3.informal, formal, complex, simple 4.Jargon 5.Loaded words – chosen words with positive / negative connotations Grammar 1.Types of sentence – imperatives, declaritives 2.Passive / active voice 3.Use of modal Discourse 1.Register 2.How does it address the reader Pragmatics 1.How does the text create a relationship with the reader (synthetic personalisation) 2.What impression is it trying to create of the product? What ideology underpins this advert? 3.How does it position the reader as an ideal consumer – build the assumption you share its values?

Remember your OATs Observation – identify a telling language feature and describe it using linguistic terminology Analysis – what does this feature reveal about this specific text? How is it explained by the context? Theory - Develop your analysis using ideas from language study, theorists, research etc

Assessment Objectives AO1 – linguistic terminology, clarity and systematic application of frameworks. (0) AO2 – Apply relevant theories (16) AO3 – Context: how does language use change according to the situation and what can it reveal or suggest? Perceptive insights into what’s going on in the text – the more sophisticated the better. (32)

AO3 – Language in Context How does language change according to the situation? What can you tell about the relationships involved? (can be text to audience) About social attitudes and ideology behind the text / transcript? About how language reveals power dynamics? How language persuades – Think Fairclough (synthetic personalisation) – Dyer (creates an idealised image)

AO2– Ideas from language study How can ideas, theory, research, deepen your analysis of the text? How far do your observations about the specific text conform to or appear to contradict research or theories you are aware of? Do your observations of the exam text conform to or contradict research you have carried out yourself?

For example The text producer’s direct imperative address to the reader (imagine flipping from your music) sets up a relationship in which the text producer is seen as a single human addresser rather than the faceless representative of a corporate organisation. This is maintained through lexical choices such as the second person pronouns you and yours and the implied familiarity of the reader of ‘both sides of your personality. This persuades the reader that this is a personal offer and encourages them to accept it. This represents what Fairclough calls synthetic personalisation and in this instance makes the reader feel he or she is being addressed by a warm, friendly person who understands them and their needs.