Abstract
Code switching is the shift from one language to the other or use of more than one language during conversations or writings. The present research deals with intra-sentential (within one sentence) code switching in the language of television advertisements. To facilitate the socio-linguistic analysis, 12 advertisements of beauty and health care products have been recorded and transcribed from four television channels. The linguistic analysis focuses on the social aspect (gender, geographical background, socioeconomic class, and education) of code switched language in these advertisements. From the analysis and findings, it is concluded the language of advertisements for beauty and health care products reflects a change in linguistic practices and preferences of Pakistani consumers.
Highlights
In this age of technology, where information is on our fingertips, the need for communication is gaining a lot of importance
If we look at Pakistani television commercials, Saeed & Khan (2004) has observed in her research that English language in Urdu advertisements is employed to channel the purchasing decisions of customer into directions determined by advertisers
The socio-linguistic analysis focuses on the use of code switched language in these advertisements; and the instances of code switching/ code mixing have been viewed considering that English has achieved the status of lingua franca and in Pakistani linguistic scenario, high prestige is attached to this language
Summary
In this age of technology, where information is on our fingertips, the need for communication is gaining a lot of importance. Language conveys messages but it has become ones’ identity, an expression, and a source for socializing This technology, but language is making the world compact, where we find multilingual societies. As we know that media speak the language of people and influence their language behaviours, in Pakistan, media present a social change where social strength and values are attached with rich people, who are sophisticated and speak modern language. This change is observable in advertising messages in general and advertisements of beauty products in particular (e.g. shampoos, hair colour, fairness creams), which set new standards of beauty for men and women. The language along with the setting and characters attracts the viewers in a different way and makes people aware of their beauty needs in the modern world
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