CDA and advertising discourse: an analysis of the advertisements of language franchises

Abstract

English has been considered an international language (PENNYCOOK, 1994, CRYSTAL, 1997) due to the current search for information and to the need for global communication. As a consequence, this language has assumed the category of product being sold and becoming an object of desire and consumption nowadays (RAJAGOPALAN, 2003; LACOSTE; RAJAGOPALAN, 2005). In order to satisfy this need and its consumer public, several franchises emerged to allow learners the contact with the language, investing heavily in advertising through multiple genres (BAKHTIN, 1997; SWALES, 1999). To attract customers, franchises resort to hegemonic (GRAMSCI, 1988, 1995) and ideological practices (THOMPSON, 1995) to manipulate consumers, favoring the sustenance of power through the advertising discourse (MAGALHÃES, 2005). Given this reality, we intend to analyze the advertisements of five language franchises regarding the teaching and learning of English, aired in 2013. Aiming at a critical analysis, we will use the contributions of Critical Discourse Analysis proposed by Fairclough (2003), supported by Systemic Functional Linguistics (HALLIDAY, 1985). The analysis of advertisements confirms a hegemonic capitalist discourse of English as a necessity, as a consumer product that leads to social mobility, ensuring the success of who owns it, what empowers potential consumers of the language, providing them social acceptance and marginalizes other subjects. Advertisement not only reflects the current context, but also produces it.