English in Macedonian television commercials

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Code‐switching to English in non‐English commercials has become a popular practice because it is associated with power, prestige, and modernism. For that reason, the purpose of the present study is to investigate the creativity of English use in Macedonian TV advertising as a site for active linguistic contact. Based on four commercials, the study explores how the narrative, musical, and visual aspects of TV commercials enhance the imaginative function of English in the Macedonian advertizing context. Findings suggest that commercials’ intermediality allows for parallel and complementary usage of Macedonian and English to complete the message of the commercial. In some cases, Macedonian narration disambiguates the English name of the product, and in other, English song lyrics support the visual representation of the local context. Furthermore, English borrowing is also inter‐generic, which means the choice of English is due to its identification with the genre to which the advertisement refers. Finally, English is not simply inserted into commercials to attract attention or address international consumers. Instead, it becomes a resource for lexical and semantic creativity and a tool for molding products’ and consumers’ identities. In the process of this identity development, English itself is changed to reflect local characteristics.