The effects of the use of English in Polish product advertisements: Implications for English for business purposes

Abstract

English has come to be widely used for the specific purpose of advertising to reach international target groups in various countries. However, few studies to date have investigated the use – and effects of – English in advertising in Eastern European countries. This study investigated the effect of English in advertisements from Polish glossy magazines on their audience, young educated Polish women. Respondents evaluated different versions of six product advertisements: either the original ads in English or the same ads translated into Polish. Perceptions of the product/brand image and attitudes towards the ad, as well as purchasing intentions and degrees of comprehension, were measured in a written questionnaire. Respondents presented with the English ads did not evaluate the product/brand image or the ad significantly differently than respondents who saw the Polish ads. Similarly, the use of English (versus Polish) did not bring about a significant difference in purchasing intentions, and led to only few statistically significant differences in comprehension. It can be concluded that claims in the literature about the positive effects of using English in product advertising were not borne out, and that the use of English led to few comprehension problems for the intended (non-native) target group. The findings are relevant for teaching English for Business Purposes to present and future business communication specialists and marketing practitioners, and, in general, can promote students’ awareness of how English is used for business in the world around them.