English as a cultural symbol: The case of advertisements in French‐speaking Switzerland

Abstract

As a world language, freed from its ties with any country where it is a native language, English acts both as a linguistic resource and as a symbolic resource for the different countries that use it. The occurrence of English in advertisements in the Suisse Romande is analysed in this paper as an illustration of the symbolic use of English. In the Swiss advertisements that we analyse, English evokes connotations relating to stereotypes of countries where it is spoken as a native language, most notably the USA. It also evokes connotations associated with its use as an international language, symbolising, for instance, professionalism and international appeal. More significant, however, is the apparent appropriation of English as a symbol of Swiss national identity, allowing the French‐speaking Swiss to construct a self‐image that is consistent with the way in which they are seen by outsiders and to lay claim to a social identity that is not available to them through their own language.