Critical Discourse Analysis of Language Used on Billboard Advertisements

Abstract

This study entitled Critical Discourse Analysis of Language Used on Billboard Advertisements intended to analyze the linguistic features used on billboard advertisements and to explore the discursive strategies used by the advertisers to attract audience. A Qualitative research design was used in this study. Billboard advertisements around Kathmandu valley that used linguistic features such as pronouns, adjectives, metaphors, reiteration, and ellipsis were selected purposively as a sample. In this study observation checklist was used as a research tool. After the data collection, one hundred billboard advertisements were analyzed descriptively by employing Fair clough’s three dimensional framework of critical discourse analysis. The findings of this study showed that billboard advertisers used various linguistic features including grammatical devices, cohesive devices and metaphors to attract people toward their products. Similarly, they used various strategies like, celebrity endorsement, attractive slogans and big claims about the productsto manipulate the mind of consumers. The advertisers manipulate people to buy their products and make them believe that whatever advertised by them is true. Likewise, advertisers used their power and ideologiesand they spread message accordingly through billboards to change people’s behavior and action.They practice their ideology without concerning its impact on society. The present study consists of five chapters. The first chapter deals with the introduction of the study. The second chapter contains the review of related literature and conceptual framework. The third chapter deals with methods and procedures of the study. The forth chapter is about the analysis and interpretation of the result and the final chapter consists the findings, conclusion and recommendations. The last section of this research includes the references and appendices.