Taofeek Dalamu
University Of Lagos Akoka, English, Faculty Member
The study attempted to explain fundamentals of Systemic Functional Theory as textual analytical instruments. The basis was to demonstrate the applications of Ideational, Interpersonal and Textual Metafunctions as alternative semiotic... more
The study attempted to explain fundamentals of Systemic Functional Theory as textual analytical instruments. The basis was to demonstrate the applications of Ideational, Interpersonal and Textual Metafunctions as alternative semiotic resources that provide composite meaning potential to the structure of the clause. For illustration, six clauses in the advert of Premium Pension Limited were used as textual elements which the three metafunctions were applied. The study revealed conditionality, sensitizationality, judgmentality as well as integrity as the nuggets of the message. In addition, the ad tends to propound solutions to the financial security of the future of the people. The solution is for the recipients to negotiate and begin savings with Premium Pension Limited whose concern is how to care for the people in their old age. Above all, the study concluded that Halliday's theory is a very practicable tool of textual analysis for researchers.
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It seemed that the issue of maternal ideology as a device to curb social menaces has not attracted scholars. Thus, the study examined the use of maternal ideology in mobile telephone network (MTN®) as a means of influencing recipients... more
It seemed that the issue of maternal ideology as a device to curb social menaces has not attracted scholars. Thus, the study examined the use of maternal ideology in mobile telephone network (MTN®) as a means of influencing recipients against vices instead of the primary assignment of the product advertising. The author utilised an advert of MTN, Sharing is good, as an object of analysis. The theoretical underpinning of the investigation was the concept of Theme as a functional approach to social semiotics. Theme interconnects the text with visual images to elucidate the meaning-making potential of the framework. The study revealed that the mother and the daughter operate in the same functional environment without any objections from either. The relationship demonstrates humility, complementarity, shareability and generosity. The message of the advert could influence corrupt elements of society such as terrorists, kidnappers, and violence campaigners to abandon nefarious acts and to...
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The study investigated word formation experience in Yorùbá names. At the deployment of ellipsis, as the instrument of analysis, one observed the effectiveness of terminologies of competence and performance, being operational in the... more
The study investigated word formation experience in Yorùbá names. At the deployment of ellipsis, as the instrument of analysis, one observed the effectiveness of terminologies of competence and performance, being operational in the clipping of statements to nominal lexemes, illustrated with names of ten towns in South West Nigeria. The study exhibited flexibility in the development of Yorùbá, which depended largely on users’ needs. Historical facts of business, religion, hunting, war and conquest supported the formations, without seemingly consistent linguistic principles. Eliminations of linguistic components occurred to the statements and sometimes with twists in pronunciations, displaying new lexemes and meanings. Although, individuals might attempt to regulate ways that people employ language to formulate words, the study suggested that language communicators should be allowed to deploy language as pleased. As language analyses seem descriptive, utilizing language as delighted m...
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Language and social concerns facilitate every communicative text. Based on that, the study considered the advertising text, as a test ground to explore the relationships between language and socio-cultural norms as revealers of the... more
Language and social concerns facilitate every communicative text. Based on that, the study considered the advertising text, as a test ground to explore the relationships between language and socio-cultural norms as revealers of the Register of advertising. Considered for the investigation are ten advertisements of Guinness®, Peak Milk®, Gulder®, Coca cola®, Pepsi®, Stanbic IBTC®, etc., upon which Ideational, Interpersonal and Textual Metafunctions served as tools of analysis. Besides the report that Material Processes such as come to, reshaped, make, is wasting, etc. dominate the contents, a Behavioral Process of rests on also performs a role in the Register analysis. The study further reveals digitization (*945#), local language intrusion (Oga), personification (bourn = born), clipping (diff) as context devices in the business environment. There are also Register(s) of neologism (Pecadomo), poetic and sermonized texts to persuade recipients. As the investigation has revealed SFL as...
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The meaning that a communicator intends to make determines the choice of the lexemes that the individual employs. Thus, this study explored the textual choices of MTN advertisements; as such entities were utilised to generate meaning... more
The meaning that a communicator intends to make determines the choice of the lexemes that the individual employs. Thus, this study explored the textual choices of MTN advertisements; as such entities were utilised to generate meaning potential. Seven advertisements of MTN functioned as the objects of analysis. The application of Halliday’s Theme-Rheme theoretical lens permitted the processing of the MTN advertisements into various semiotic slots. Such conceptual procedure informed the calibration of the textual components into different frequencies, using the table and graph to demonstrate clearer pictures of the outcomes. Observations showed the kinds of MTN advertising textual choices in two distinct sequences. The first was the thematic choices in the form of marked (As Nigerians, we can weave…), unmarked (Friends are the reason…) and conjunctive logical (so, and, that) constructs. The second aspect was the clause choices available in the texts. These clause choices emanated as d...
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The study, as an attempt, considered narrative as a good resource of advertising in the Nigerian environment. In other words, advertisers perceive narrative as a strategy that can stimulate consumers to patronize advertised goods and... more
The study, as an attempt, considered narrative as a good resource of advertising in the Nigerian environment. In other words, advertisers perceive narrative as a strategy that can stimulate consumers to patronize advertised goods and services. Four adverts of FBN®, MTN®, Orijin® and FIRS® have been chosen to propagate the course appeared on the frameworks. Beside the application of the Labovian schema on narrative, the Halliday's transitivity system plays an analytical role by assigning semiotic slots to the textual devices. The study reveals that advertising copies a similar pattern of narrative in the society. Apart from the texts serving as relays to the images, the construction of the message is in the resolution sequential string. This provides an opportunity for advertisers to present to the public the gains and benefits of taking decision parallel to the messages of the adverts. Advertisers capitalize on the efforts of past leaders, the challenges of the present and the f...
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Language, a central device in social domains, began from somewhere; and it has witnessed unstoppable development. The growing behaviour influenced this study with a goal to appraise the contributions of advertising in Nigeria to the... more
Language, a central device in social domains, began from somewhere; and it has witnessed unstoppable development. The growing behaviour influenced this study with a goal to appraise the contributions of advertising in Nigeria to the development of English. Thus, thirty-two creative-cum-new lexicons of MTN® and Etisalat® served as analytical data. Morphological tools of derivation, compounding and blending assisted in processing the formation of novel words. The study revealed that the competitive market had informed copywriters to chart a new credible course. That spirit has motivated advertising experts to create exciting lexicons, which are convenient to sensitise readers. Given that factor, word formation processes become arbitrary where phonemic units [k], [z], [j] and [a] were employed to realise morphemic elements of Kulturefest, callertunez and Nigeria. Some formations follow compounding procedures (F@stLink, biztime; 9javaganza and easyflex) as well as deviations (Thank Yous...
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Communication through language, irrespective of the model of its structure and deployment, entails the making of meanings. Publicity professionals seem to understand that meaning making in communicating the target audience does not need... more
Communication through language, irrespective of the model of its structure and deployment, entails the making of meanings. Publicity professionals seem to understand that meaning making in communicating the target audience does not need to be either clausal or sentential-dependent. Meaning productions can be pungent with fragmented structures. Thus, the ways that advertising experts produce meaning through disjunctive grammar was the concern of this study. The analysis considered twelve advertisements of beverages and telecommunications for examination to explicate meanings. The Hallidayan 'below the clause' was the conceptual facilitator of meanings in texts. The application of technological tools of the table and graph assisted in computing the frequencies of the disjunctive facilities of the texts. The study drew a conclusion that nominal group is the most employed device to fascinate readers to consumption. Having observed that advertisers utilized health matters, belief...
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The thrust of the study explicates the utilization of grammatical and lexical devices in the texts of advertisements in Nigeria. This exploration aimed at demonstrating the way that advertising professionals wisely move from disjunctive... more
The thrust of the study explicates the utilization of grammatical and lexical devices in the texts of advertisements in Nigeria. This exploration aimed at demonstrating the way that advertising professionals wisely move from disjunctive organic elements to clause complexes as a convincing strategy. The advertisements of UBA®, Toyota®, Wema®, etisalat®, Standard Chartered® and Stanbic IBTC® were chosen as analyzable data to explain the behavior of the clause and its complexes in advertising. The conceptual framework is cohesion. Cohesive facilities have been applied as sub-concepts to interpret the constituents of the texts. The study demonstrates that reference, repetition, synonym, fragmented structure are deployed as inciting devices in the discursive strategy. In that sense, the study has the capacity to assist scholars to understand the nature of linguistic elements in clause complexes of advertisements. The analysis also reveals to advertising experts the cohesive resources tha...
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Advertising texts are significant to manufacturers to promote and skyrocket products' consumption. This study examined kinds of textual choices in advertising, accounting for their frequencies. Two advertisements each from MTN ® and... more
Advertising texts are significant to manufacturers to promote and skyrocket products' consumption. This study examined kinds of textual choices in advertising, accounting for their frequencies. Two advertisements each from MTN ® and Etisalat ®-of the Nigerian advertising universe-were chosen for sample analysis, employing Transitivity and word-formation procedures, as the conceptual frameworks. Transitivity allowed tables and graphs to compute the recurrence of textual components. The research revealed Material Processes of has offered, go rock (MTN); and get, pick up (Etisalat) as pronounced choices. Circumstances of Location such as This week… (MTN); and on weeknights… (Etisalat) are choices of communicative augmentations. The investigation further recapitulated creative over-generalization (yous), word play fragmentation (Y'ello), and alphanumeric code (9javaganza) as communicative facilities of MTN and Etisalat constructs. Hence, the researcher suggested that an extensiv...
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The study traces the historical phenomenon of Saint Nicholas, the renowned icon known as Santa Claus. The objective is to demonstrate how advertisers have seized the virtues of Santa Claus as an article of persuading consumers. Owing to... more
The study traces the historical phenomenon of Saint Nicholas, the renowned icon known as Santa Claus. The objective is to demonstrate how advertisers have seized the virtues of Santa Claus as an article of persuading consumers. Owing to the interdisciplinary nature of this enquiry exemplified in the domains of history, linguistics and advertising, the concept of ideology enraptured in interpellation is adopted as both the analytical tool and discursive assistant to unravel the data meaning-making potentiality. The author utilizes twelve adverts associated with Santa Claus as illustrations in which six of them are from the Coca-cola Company ® as a reference of honour as well as a signal to the role the institution plays in promoting the heroic persona. The study reveals the universality and acceptability of Santa Claus in global affairs during the Yuletide season. That hegemonic influence is perceived as motivation for advertisers to project Santa Claus in a civilized way as a cook, ...
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The focus of the study is the application of Systemic Functional Grammatics (SFG) to text as a facility of meaning-making. Having provided a wide room for technological devices to read and account for elements of a text, it portrays the... more
The focus of the study is the application of Systemic Functional Grammatics (SFG) to text as a facility of meaning-making. Having provided a wide room for technological devices to read and account for elements of a text, it portrays the exercise within the scope of Digital Humanities (DH). The theory, championed by Halliday, describes a text from its systemic configurations to chain structures and social relationship frameworks. To explain the weight of SFG as an interface between text and technology, the author chose a poem, ‘Area Boy’, in which three perspectives of the mood system, thematic system, and transitivity system are instrumental to expose its nuances. The approach was followed by correlating the three systems together as a comparative analysis. The study reveals that ‘Area Boy’ operates in declarative clauses with heavy utilization of Subject and Finite. These are organized in marked themes. The contents of the text are represented in material processes (e.g. spent) wit...
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It seemed that the issue of maternal ideology as a device to curb social menaces has not attracted scholars. Thus, the study examined the use of maternal ideology in mobile telephone network (MTN ®) as a means of influencing recipients... more
It seemed that the issue of maternal ideology as a device to curb social menaces has not attracted scholars. Thus, the study examined the use of maternal ideology in mobile telephone network (MTN ®) as a means of influencing recipients against vices instead of the primary assignment of the product advertising. The author utilised an advert of MTN, Sharing is good, as an object of analysis. The theoretical underpinning of the investigation was the concept of Theme as a functional approach to social semiotics. Theme interconnects the text with visual images to elucidate the meaning-making potential of the framework. The study revealed that the mother and the daughter operate in the same functional environment without any objections from either. The relationship demonstrates humility, complementarity, shareability and generosity. The message of the advert could influence corrupt elements of society such as terrorists, kidnappers, and violence campaigners to abandon nefarious acts and t...
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The study analyzed the 2016 Trump’s acceptance speech, as a peace negotiating mechanism. The breaking down of text into clauses illustrated and reflected their grammatical eminence, domain of concentrations, and systemic comprehensions.... more
The study analyzed the 2016 Trump’s acceptance speech, as a peace negotiating mechanism. The breaking down of text into clauses illustrated and reflected their grammatical eminence, domain of concentrations, and systemic comprehensions. Transitivity, as Halliday & Matthiessen (2004) espouse, processed the text, allowing technological devices to account for variegated componential nuances. The study revealed declaratives and gratitude as Trump’s persuasive inputs. Relational and Material processes; Location, Cause, and Manner circumstantials were realized as systemic sub-domains of function. The demonstration of humility, acknowledgement of Hillary, reenergizing of the American Dream, and a call for collective responsibilities projected Trump as a promoter of peace. The investigation also exhibited Trump’s willingness to partner with nations, anchored on mutual agreements. Significantly, this kind of discourse analysis could assist the teaching of speech styles to EFL/ESL learners. B...
A communication strategy in advertising can take any shape, provided it meets both intentions of manufacturers and demands of recipients. That is why the study focused the bottle gourd (Akèrègbè) as a communicating device, utilized in a... more
A communication strategy in advertising can take any shape, provided it meets both intentions of manufacturers and demands of recipients. That is why the study focused the bottle gourd (Akèrègbè) as a communicating device, utilized in a Guaranteed Trust Bank® (GTB) advertisement. The study considered a GTB advertisement that propagates *737# and the image of a palm wine tapper as a device of influencing consumers. The advertisement, collected from the GTB branch of the University of Lagos, Nigeria was processed through the application of denotative and connotative terminologies from the Barthesian perspective. The advertisement constructed a relationship between the past culture (bottle gourd) and present culture (computerization) as a means of persuasion. The investigation demonstrated the application of the alphanumeric code, Bank*737# as the motif of the advertisement with the bottle gourd playing a supportive role of communicating a consistent service and protection to customers...
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The study examines Systemic Functional Theory (SFT) as a tool of examining text, and perhaps, text of any dimension as long as it falls within the grammatical organs of the clause. The author provides explanations for the theory from its... more
The study examines Systemic Functional Theory (SFT) as a tool of examining text, and perhaps, text of any dimension as long as it falls within the grammatical organs of the clause. The author provides explanations for the theory from its relevant source(s). The chronological appreciation involves the efforts of Saussure, Firth, Malinowski, Hjelmslev, etc. However, Halliday’s insight seems prominent and upon which Systemic Functional Theory receives a global status that it has assumed today. Halliday constructs numerous concepts e.g. lexicogrammar, processes, cohesion, coherence, system, system network with background from traditional grammar and sociological tokens. In addition to that, the three metafunctions are characterized as its core operational concepts. Out of these, the mood system serves as the instrument of analysis of Psalm one utilized in this endeavor as a case study. Although the clauses fall within the profile of the indicative and imperative, the study reveals that ...
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Children are not only precious in society; they are the future of any nation. These are assertions that sensitize this study as an examination of the ways that advertising professionals utilize children to achieve persuasive goals. Eight... more
Children are not only precious in society; they are the future of any nation. These are assertions that sensitize this study as an examination of the ways that advertising professionals utilize children to achieve persuasive goals. Eight advertisements oriented in the features of children were considered for analysis. The Barthesian idea of semiotic analysis alongside with Halliday’s clause as representation assisted in processing the advertising contents functioning in the domains of images and texts. The Halliday’s experiential concept helped in breaking the wording systems into interpretative organs that allow tables and graph to take a course. The study reveals that educational materials, memes, and a reference to the future of children, expatiated through texts, are devices of convincing parents and guardians to consumption. Also observed are the terminologies of commitment, foresight, partnership, etc. as behavioral values to augment product patronization. The study suggests t...
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Images-cum-texts are remarkable instruments of persuasion; that seems the reason for their romantic intimacy in many advertising communications. Thus, this paper examined some connections that exist among the product, image, and text as... more
Images-cum-texts are remarkable instruments of persuasion; that seems the reason for their romantic intimacy in many advertising communications. Thus, this paper examined some connections that exist among the product, image, and text as devices communicating a single message to readers. Ten advertisements focusing on food items and telecommunications were utilized for analysis. The concepts of coherence as well as cohesion, expressed through interpersonal interactions were prerogatives of expounding the textual interconnectivity of the clauses. This study revealed an association of meaning potential within the generic domains of poetry and prose as fascinating devices to attract consumers. Texts played a distinct role of relaying images and a collaborative function to anchor images to achieve persuasion. Contextually, socio-cultural settings of enjoyment, happiness, self-exaltation and vigor in the form of personification characterized consumers’ sensitizations. Besides, the adverti...
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This study investigated cultural pieces of advertising to indicate the ways that publicists deploy socio-cultural resources as normative channels of persuading readers to consumption. To achieve that goal, ten advertisements of financial,... more
This study investigated cultural pieces of advertising to indicate the ways that publicists deploy socio-cultural resources as normative channels of persuading readers to consumption. To achieve that goal, ten advertisements of financial, food, and telecommunications industries, harvested from The Punch newspaper, the Internet and erected advertising frameworks, functioned as data of analysis. After stratifying the advertisements into appropriate organizations, the terminology of ‘Below the clause’, functioned as the processing instrument. This allowed the application of graphic illustrations to account for the frequency of communicative components. The analysis revealed the employment of nominal groups (the lessons; this Eid) as playing dominant roles in the constructs, verbal groups (taste; celebrate) and prepositional phrases (from all of us at Fidelity Bank®; of commerce), also operated as stimulating structures. Although negligible, minor clause (Happy Workers’ Day; Eid Mubarak...
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Creativity is a usual behavior in advertising practices. The focus of the industry as a business of persuasion informs the copywriter’s flair for creativity. It is in that regard that the etisalat® communications have not proved... more
Creativity is a usual behavior in advertising practices. The focus of the industry as a business of persuasion informs the copywriter’s flair for creativity. It is in that regard that the etisalat® communications have not proved otherwise. The study examines the textual choices that are usually deployed in etisalat (now rebranded as 9mobile) advertisements to influence subscribers. Four adverts of etisalat were considered as a demonstration of how etisalat utilizes creativity as a choice of meaning-making. The mood system serves as a means of analyzing the chosen texts. Table and graph are statistical devices assisted in value and visual deductions. The study revealed that two distinct features operate in the textual choices: (i) creative fallacy which appears as internet familiarization (e.g. wwwant), letter superfluity (e.g. freeeee), compounding abnormality (e.g. easylife), and (ii) alphanumeric codes (e.g. 9javaganza). It is our suggestion that attempts should be made to generat...
Institutions are known through the names-cum-titles shown on their signboards, internet websites, letterheads, etc. However, it seems that such cultures could not satisfy the yearning of most organizations. So, they further propagate ... more
Institutions are known through the names-cum-titles shown on their signboards, internet websites, letterheads, etc. However, it seems that such cultures could not satisfy the yearning of most organizations. So, they further propagate their core values and traits by constructing short linguistic bursts-cum-contents that can expatiate on what the institutions really stand for and what the consumers situate to gain. This study has explained selected institution’s shibboleths that serve as convincing phrases in order to facilitate the audience’s patronage. The grammatical rank sequence is employed to analyze the catchword. Nominal group and their complexes are observed as prioritized structures deployed to influence consumers. The study characterizes its socio-economic benefits to humanity thus: (i) it shows that institutions are desperate in differentiating their products one from another through linguistic cliches; (ii) it creates awareness for consumers to make a reliable product a...
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The thrust of the study explicates the utilization of grammatical and lexical devices in the texts of advertisements in Nigeria. This exploration aimed at demonstrating the way that advertising professionals wisely move from disjunctive... more
The thrust of the study explicates the utilization of grammatical and lexical devices in the texts of advertisements in Nigeria. This exploration aimed at demonstrating the way that advertising professionals wisely move from disjunctive organic elements to clause complexes as a convincing strategy. The advertisements of UBA®, Toyota®, Wema®, etisalat®, Standard Chartered® and Stanbic IBTC® were chosen as analyzable data to explain the behavior of the clause and its complexes in advertising. The conceptual framework is cohesion. Cohesive facilities have been applied as sub-concepts to interpret the constituents of the texts. The study demonstrates that reference, repetition, synonym, fragmented structure are deployed as inciting devices in the discursive strategy. In that sense, the study has the capacity to assist scholars to understand the nature of linguistic elements in clause complexes of advertisements. The analysis also reveals to advertising experts the cohesive resources tha...
Research Interests:
The study traces the historical phenomenon of Saint Nicholas, the renowned icon known as Santa Claus. The objective is to demonstrate how advertisers have seized the virtues of Santa Claus as an article of persuading consumers. Owing to... more
The study traces the historical phenomenon of Saint Nicholas, the renowned icon known as Santa Claus. The objective is to demonstrate how advertisers have seized the virtues of Santa Claus as an article of persuading consumers. Owing to the interdisciplinary nature of this enquiry exemplified in the domains of history, linguistics and advertising, the concept of ideology enraptured in interpellation is adopted as both the analytical tool and discursive assistant to unravel the data meaning-making potentiality. The author utilizes twelve adverts associated with Santa Claus as illustrations in which six of them are from the Coca-cola Company ® as a reference of honour as well as a signal to the role the institution plays in promoting the heroic persona. The study reveals the universality and acceptability of Santa Claus in global affairs during the Yuletide season. That hegemonic influence is perceived as motivation for advertisers to project Santa Claus in a civilized way as a cook, ...
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The study investigated the shades of the Anglo-Nigerian Pidgin application in advertising. It described the constructs in the ads with their meaning potential as convincing edifices. Eight ads in the domains of food, telecommunications,... more
The study investigated the shades of the Anglo-Nigerian Pidgin application in advertising. It described the constructs in the ads with their meaning potential as convincing edifices. Eight ads in the domains of food, telecommunications, and financial industries were considered for analysis. The conceptual slope rests on the ‘clause as message’ which Halliday (1994) construes as Theme/Rheme as an illustration of the point of departure of the textual information. The study reveals that the Anglo-Nigerian Pidgin components are constructed in ads in order to meet communicative demand between products and consumers. However, there are no guiding principles in the organic structures of the clauses. The absence of grammatical rules makes the clauses to be disorganized for each communicator determines the weave of the constituents. As a result of the linguistic anarchy, there is no one-on-one structural translation into English. The study demonstrates further that clipping (e.g wazo), neologism (e.g. confam), reconstruction (e.g. orijinal), local language (e.g. shikini), etc. are linguistic facilities of persuasion in the texts. The study concluded that Anglo-Nigeria Pidgin constructions demonstrate language dynamism in terms of syntactic and semantic realizations.
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Language and social concerns facilitate every communicative text. Based on that, the study considered the advertising text, as a test ground to explore the relationships between language and socio-cultural norms as revealers of the... more
Language and social concerns facilitate every communicative text. Based on that, the study considered the advertising text, as a test ground to explore the relationships between language and socio-cultural norms as revealers of the Register of advertising. Considered for the investigation are ten advertisements of Guinness ® , Peak Milk ® , Gulder ® , Coca cola ® , Pepsi ® , Stanbic IBTC ® , etc. upon which Ideational, Interpersonal and Textual Metafunctions served as tools of analysis. Besides the report that Material Processes such as come to, reshaped, make, and is wasting dominate the contents, a Behavioral Process of rests on also performs a role in the Register analysis. The study further reveals digitization (*945#), local language intrusion (Oga), personification (bourn = born), clipping (diff) as context devices in the business environment. There are also Register(s) of neologism (Pecadomo), poetic and sermonized texts to persuade recipients. As the investigation has reveal...
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This study attempted to explain text-switching in advertising as a communicating means of persuading the target audience about a particular product in Nigeria. It is probable that the use of common coinages in advertisements serves a... more
This study attempted to explain text-switching in advertising as a communicating means of persuading the target audience about a particular product in Nigeria. It is probable that the use of common coinages in advertisements serves a massive advantage in product consumption. Patterns of switching texts have been analyzed to indicate a form of strategy whereby consumers are cajoled in order to be familiarized with the products in question. This study employed the concept of Conversational Code Switching (CCS) as a vehicle of analysis of advertisements collected from billboards and the Punch newspaper in Nigeria. The findings characterize code alternation as a phenomenon in Nigerian advertising. It reveals that the relationships between English and Nigerian languages are very strong because they are easily smoothly interchangeable. In addition, English is hegemonic over Nigerian languages and dialects. This study positions English as playing a domineering utilitarian role in Nigerian advertisements. This study concludes that the structures of the alternated codes function consistently in the nominal group. Even in a case where a minor clause is observed, text-switching in advertisements appears more conversational.
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This study examined advertising, exhibiting multilingual structures to reach the Nigerian audience. Halliday's mood system and morphological processes served as the theoretical configurations for analyzing textual elements of... more
This study examined advertising, exhibiting multilingual structures to reach the Nigerian audience. Halliday's mood system and morphological processes served as the theoretical configurations for analyzing textual elements of advertisements. These contextual terminologies permitted quantitative and qualitative approaches to thrive in order to culminate the investigation. Thus, the analysis showed political motifs, religious spheres, royal domains, musical settings, and friendship environment, as the fascinating panaceas to motivate readers. English, Yorùbá, and Hausa languages were functional facilities to mesmerize consumers. However, the advertisements displayed textual interruptions: FE-BUHARI, FELABRATION, OBIdiently, and ATIKUlating, being strong prerequisites in persuasive designs. Creativity indicates the logically-minded behavior of publicists in blending grammatical structures of different languages together, yielding a unified whole, generating novel semantic values for regurgita-tion. It seems indisputable that such textual constructs have the capability to influence lexicographers, increase word-stock(s) of languages, and projecting the advertising industry as possessing cerebral pro-ficiencies in linguistics' advancement.
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This study analyzes campaign resources that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump deployed to persuade the American electorate during the 2016 US Presidential Campaigns. The researcher considers eighteen advertisements as well as selected... more
This study analyzes campaign resources that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump deployed to persuade the American electorate during the 2016 US Presidential Campaigns. The researcher considers eighteen advertisements as well as selected critical speeches representing their expansive campaign substances. Halliday's Ideational Metafunction serves as the device for processing the texts. A combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches is adopted to illuminate textual discourse features. The study demonstrates the extensive deployment of Material Processes for getting things done and Mental Processes to influence voters' psychological perspectives on issues to avoid any turbulent incitements. Further revelations exhibit the greatness of America as prime and sacred, outweighing personal interest of Hillary or Donald, becoming the next American President. That seems the reason for utilizing discourse materials negating enmity. As linguistic choices are great communicative tools in political domains, such strategies, the study suggests, might be employed to inspire peaceful coexistence in our world.
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This study illuminated the strategy of Zenith Bank®, employing characteristics of children as fascinating instruments to persuade parents-cum-guardians to open a ZECA account for their children. Mrs. Bonke and the author randomly... more
This study illuminated the strategy of Zenith Bank®, employing characteristics of children as fascinating instruments to persuade parents-cum-guardians to open a ZECA account for their children. Mrs. Bonke and the author randomly collected the advertisements for one year and nine months with a camera, utilizing a laptop to adjust the advertising frameworks. The author stratified the advertisements, enabling nine advertisements, entwined with features of children, for appropriate analysis. The application of Systemic Functional Linguistics' 'Clause as Representation' facilitated the calibration of the recurrences of the clause processes and circumstantial devices. Nevertheless, tables and graphs explicated the frequency and flow of the grammatical components. The study revealed that Material (holds, give and starts), Mental (matters to, smiles and experience), and Behavioral (speaks and mimic) processes dominated the texts; whereas Location (in your best interest, today and away from me) and Cause (for the first time and of building towards a brighter future) are major enhancing informative mechanisms. The verbal modes and non-verbal modes exhibited general facilities and specific elements in the communications. Some of the universal aspects are open a ZECA account, special memories, the grey background and the Zenith Bank logo. The Hold, The Smile, The Step and The Mimic are parts of the definite building blocks of the advertisements, which appeared in the form of maternal affiliation, paternal partnership, and the child's image. The investigation further demonstrated these modes in connotative figures. Among others, the images of hands in Plates 1 and 9 reflected strong ties among Zenith Bank's stakeholders. Owing to the innovativeness of these advertisements, one might call for the production of advertisements in marital domains because such constructs might engender deep love in family affairs.
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The meaning that a communicator intends to make determines the choice of the lexemes that the individual employs. Thus, this study explored the textual choices of MTN advertisements; as such entities were utilised to generate meaning... more
The meaning that a communicator intends to make determines the choice of the lexemes that the individual employs. Thus, this study explored the textual choices of MTN advertisements; as such entities were utilised to generate meaning potential. Seven advertisements of MTN functioned as the objects of analysis. The application of Halliday's Theme-Rheme theoretical lens permitted the processing of the MTN advertisements into various semiotic slots. Such conceptual procedure informed the calibration of the textual components into different frequencies, using the table and graph to demonstrate clearer pictures of the outcomes. Observations showed the kinds of MTN advertising textual choices in two distinct sequences. The first was the thematic choices in the form of marked (As Nigerians, we can weave…), unmarked (Friends are the reason…) and conjunctive logical (so, and, that) constructs. The second aspect was the clause choices available in the texts. These clause choices emanated as declarative (Love is a feeling…), imperative (So reach out) with predicated themes (Share the priceless gift of love), and interrogative (Are you in love?) elements. One could also acknowledge disjunctive grammar (A year of new challenges…) and minor clauses (Happy Valentine's Day), operating in the communications. Contextually, the study might influence the MTN telecommunications operator to review the nature of textual choices of persuasion, having understood the structures available in the current analysis. Keywords advertising choice rheme textual metafunction theme Ethical Lingua
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Advertising texts are significant to manufacturers to promote and skyrocket products' consumption. This study examined kinds of textual choices in advertising, accounting for their frequencies. Two advertisements each from MTN ® and... more
Advertising texts are significant to manufacturers to promote and skyrocket products' consumption. This study examined kinds of textual choices in advertising, accounting for their frequencies. Two advertisements each from MTN ® and Etisalat ®-of the Nigerian advertising universe-were chosen for sample analysis, employing Transitivity and word-formation procedures, as the conceptual frameworks. Transitivity allowed tables and graphs to compute the recurrence of textual components. The research revealed Material Processes of has offered, go rock (MTN); and get, pick up (Etisalat) as pronounced choices. Circumstances of Location such as This week… (MTN); and on weeknights… (Etisalat) are choices of communicative augmentations. The investigation further recapitulated creative over-generalization (yous), word play fragmentation (Y'ello), and alphanumeric code (9javaganza) as communicative facilities of MTN and Etisalat constructs. Hence, the researcher suggested that an extensive study of language choice in advertising domains can strengthen government policies to benefit, among others, readers, researchers, manufacturers, and advertising practitioners.
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This paper argued that advertising contains variegated texts that theoretical terminologies are capable of exemplifying. Thus, ten beverage advertisements, among other types were chosen for analysis. Halliday's mood exchange resources... more
This paper argued that advertising contains variegated texts that theoretical terminologies are capable of exemplifying. Thus, ten beverage advertisements, among other types were chosen for analysis. Halliday's mood exchange resources decomposed the texts into meaningful components, which were further calculated with tables and graphs. The calibration indicated that Complement (official milk, Uncle Thomas), Adjunct (with *826#, of Akwa Ibom), and Predicator (Dial, Drink) were dominant grammatical forms of semiosis sometimes appearing without the Subject and Finite elements. Moreover, the examination revealed exchanges initiated in the "interactions" as operating in the spheres of half-constitutive and half-ancillary organs that are significantly associated with socio-cultural norms. Prominent in the text were features of products, personal benefits and textual exaltations. Theoretical mediums, as this study suggests, would serve to uncover communication details to influence the authorities on advertising regulations. RESUMO: Este artigo argumenta que a publicidade contém uma variedade de textos que terminologias teóricas são capazes de exemplificar. Assim, dez propagandas de bebidas, entre outros tipos, foram escolhidas para análise. Os recursos de mudança de tom de Halliday decompuseram os textos em componentes significativos, que posteriormente foram tabulados com tabelas e gráficos. A calibragem indicou complementos (leite oficial, Uncle Thomas), adjunto (com *826#, de Akwa Ibom, e predicado (ligar, beber) foram formas gramaticais de semiose dominantes, por vezes aparecendo sem sujeito e sem elementos finitos. Além disso, a análise indicou que as mudanças iniciadas nas "interações" operavam nas esferas de órgãos meio-constitutivos e meio-auxiliares que são significativamente associados a normas socioculturais. Destacam-se no texto as características dos produtos, benefícios pessoais e Rev. Bras. Linguíst. Apl., v. 19, n. 3, p. 407-454, 2019 408 exaltações textuais. Meios teóricos, como sugerido por este estudo, poderiam ser utilizados para revelar os detalhes da comunicação para influenciar as autoridades sobre a regulamentação da publicidade.
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The study demonstrated the resourcefulness of Halliday's system network for defining a semantic field of text. The application of the terminological strands of from below, from around, and from above to an advertisement of Central Bank of... more
The study demonstrated the resourcefulness of Halliday's system network for defining a semantic field of text. The application of the terminological strands of from below, from around, and from above to an advertisement of Central Bank of Nigeria permitted the computation of the grammatical communicative facilities. Structurally, the study revealed imperatives and declaratives, accommodated prominently in Adjunct, Predicator, and Complement as functional elements, exhibited in nominal groups. The semantic derivatives relied on giving information and demanding goods-&-services to persuade readers. Importantly, observations revealed modulated instruments of can and will, and modal adjuncts of now and simply, authenticating user-friendly method, urgency, and the merits of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) registration. The interaction further demonstrated the easy steps of the registration exercise with material processes such as walk, fill, submit, and collect. Given these illuminations, employment of Halliday's system network is a fascinating appliance for generating meaning potential in interactional spaces. Such application might further enlighten citizens to their statutory responsibilities.
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Communication through language, irrespective of the model of its structure and deployment, entails the making of meanings. Publicity professionals seem to understand that meaning making in communicating the target audience does not need... more
Communication through language, irrespective of the model of its structure and deployment, entails the making of meanings. Publicity professionals seem to understand that meaning making in communicating the target audience does not need to be either clausal or sentential-dependent. Meaning productions can be pungent with fragmented structures. Thus, the ways that advertising experts produce meaning through disjunctive grammar was the concern of this study. The analysis considered twelve advertisements of beverages and telecommunications for examination to explicate meanings. The Hallidayan 'below the clause' was the conceptual facilitator of meanings in texts. The application of technological tools of the table and graph assisted in computing the frequencies of the disjunctive facilities of the texts. The study drew a conclusion that nominal group is the most employed device to fascinate readers to consumption. Having observed that advertisers utilized health matters, beliefs and values, monetary gifts, contents of commodities, globalization, etc. to persuade consumers, the study suggested that advertisements could continue to deploy punctuated structures to reveal the true contents of the advertised products for proper decision making in the products' patronization. Such behavior of disjunctive deployment could also stimulate the public from being recalcitrant to reading advertising artifacts, as convincing the public, in one way or another, is actually the goal of persuasion in advertising.
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The focus of the study is the application of Systemic Functional Grammatics (SFG) to text as a facility of meaning-making. Having provided a wide room for technological devices to read and account for elements of a text, it portrays the... more
The focus of the study is the application of Systemic Functional Grammatics (SFG) to text as a facility of meaning-making. Having provided a wide room for technological devices to read and account for elements of a text, it portrays the exercise within the scope of Digital Humanities (DH). The theory, championed by Halliday, describes a text from its systemic configurations to chain structures and social relationship frameworks. To explain the weight of SFG as an interface between text and technology, the author chose a poem, ‘Area Boy’, in which three perspectives of the mood system, thematic system, and transitivity system are instrumental to expose its nuances. The approach was followed by correlating the three systems together as a comparative analysis. The study reveals that ‘Area Boy’ operates in declarative clauses with heavy utilization of Subject and Finite. These are organized in marked themes. The contents of the text are represented in material processes (e.g. spent) with supports from both mental (e.g. remember) and verbal (e.g. said) processes. Some of the processes along with circumstances (e.g. Of washing …, Now that …) recur as repetitions for emphatic and enhancement purposes. On the one hand, the article concludes that SFG can assist in interpreting textual elements to generate meaning potential. On the other hand, through the SFG’s metafunctional applications to ‘Area Boy’, one can suggest that the society should give a helping hand to the less privileged. Such a behavior can eradicate vices experienced through the ‘Area Boys’ from the society.
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The proficiency of Yorùbá users has influenced the formation of towns’ names, which this study investigated, revealing their haphazard formation processes. Ten towns of Yorùbá-land in Nigeria functioned as exploratory samples. Ellipsis,... more
The proficiency of Yorùbá users has influenced the formation of towns’ names, which this study investigated, revealing their haphazard formation processes. Ten towns of Yorùbá-land in Nigeria functioned as exploratory samples. Ellipsis, serving as the analytical instrument, elucidated the effectiveness of competence and performance, being operational in the clipping of statements to nominal lexemes. The study exhibited flexibility in the development of Yorùbá names, influenced by users’ needs. The historical facts of business, religion, hunting, war, and conquest supported the formations, without seemingly consistent linguistic principles. The study further revealed the deletion of linguistic components (Ilè̩ tó ń fè̩ = Ilé-Ifè̩ – a piece of land that expands), twists in pronunciations with a meaningless derivative (Ọjà kò tà – business is not picking up = Ọjó̩ta), manipulation of English words to Yorùbá (Bad agric = bà dá gìrì [Badagry]), and the production of novel lexemes-cum-meanings (Amúkokò – a person who catches a leopard = Amùkòkò – someone who smokes his pipe). Although, individuals might attempt to regulate ways that people employ language to formulate words, the study suggested that language communicators should be allowed to deploy language as pleased. As language analyses seem descriptive, utilizing language as one wishes, might yield novel items which can enhance unique language development.
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Language, a central device in social domains, began from somewhere; and it has witnessed unstoppable development. The growing behaviour influenced this study with a goal to appraise the contributions of advertising in Nigeria to the... more
Language, a central device in social domains, began from somewhere; and it has witnessed unstoppable development. The growing behaviour influenced this study with a goal to appraise the contributions of advertising in Nigeria to the development of English. Thus, thirty-two creative-cum-new lexicons of MTN ® and Etisalat ® served as analytical data. Morphological tools of derivation, compounding and blending assisted in processing the formation of novel words. The study revealed that the competitive market had informed copywriters to chart a new credible course. That spirit has motivated advertising experts to create exciting lexicons, which are convenient to sensitise readers. Given that factor, word formation processes become arbitrary where phonemic units [k], [z], [j] and [a] were employed to realise morphemic elements of Kulturefest, callertunez and Nigeria. Some formations follow compounding procedures (F@ stLink, biztime; 9javaganza and easyflex) as well as deviations (Thank Yous, hynet; wwwhenever and freeeee) to achieve persuasion. The construction of lexicons is fundamental, where MTN adopts Y'ello and Etisalat associates with 0809ja as business identities. As these constructs are fascinating and functional in the social system, the study suggested that lexicographers might take advantage of the development to integrate new lexemes in dictionaries, as observed from the Nigerian perspectives. [es] El desarrollo de la lengua inglesa en la sociedad nigeriana: derivados de la comunicación publicitaria Resumen. El lenguaje, un dispositivo central en los dominios sociales, tuvo su origen en algún lugar y ha sido testigo de un desarrollo imparable. Este creciente desarrollo ha influido en este estudio con el objetivo de evaluar las contribuciones de la publicidad en Nigeria al desarrollo del inglés. Así, se han usado como datos analíticos treinta y dos léxicos creativos y nuevos de MTN ® y Etisalat ®. Las herramientas morfológicas de derivación, composición y mezcla ayudaron a procesar la formación de nuevas palabras. El estudio revela que el mercado competitivo ha arrojado información a los creadores para que estos tracen un nuevo rumbo que resulte creíble. Ese espíritu ha motivado a los expertos en publicidad a crear lexicones estimulantes que resulten adecuados para sensibilizar a los lectores. Teniendo en cuenta este factor, los procesos de formación de palabras se vuelven arbitrarios cuando las unidades fonémicas [k], [z], [j] y [a] son empleadas para crear elementos morfémicos de 'Kulturefest', 'callertunez' y 'Nigeria'. Algunas formaciones siguen los procedimientos de composición (F @ stLink, biztime; 9javaganza y easyflex), así como desviaciones (Thank Yous, hynet; wwwhever y freeeee), para resultar persuasivas. La construcción de léxicos es fundamental, y se aprecia cómo MTN adopta a Y'ello y Etisalat se asocia con 0809ja como identidades comerciales. Dado que estos constructos son muy interesantes y funcionales en el sistema social, este estudio invita a los lexicógrafos a aprovechar ARTICLES Olaiwola Dalamu, T. Complut. j. Engl. stud. 26 2018: 263-286 264 el desarrollo para que integren nuevos lexemas en los diccionarios, tal y como se observa desde esta perspectiva nigeriana. Palabras clave: Comunicación publicitaria; Lenguaje, desarrollo del lenguaje; Morfemas; Procesos de formación de palabras.
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The thrust of the study explicates the utilization of grammatical and lexical devices in the texts of advertisements in Nigeria. This exploration aimed at demonstrating the way that advertising professionals wisely move from disjunctive... more
The thrust of the study explicates the utilization of grammatical and lexical devices in the texts of advertisements in Nigeria. This exploration aimed at demonstrating the way that advertising professionals wisely move from disjunctive organic elements to clause complexes as a convincing strategy. The advertisements of UBA ® , Toyota ® , Wema ® , etisalat ® , Standard Chartered ® and Stanbic IBTC ® were chosen as analyzable data to explain the behavior of the clause and its complexes in advertising. The conceptual framework is cohesion. Cohesive facilities have been applied as sub-concepts to interpret the constituents of the texts. The study demonstrates that reference, repetition, synonym, fragmented structure are deployed as inciting devices in the discursive strategy. In that sense, the study has the capacity to assist scholars to understand the nature of linguistic elements in clause complexes of advertisements. The analysis also reveals to advertising experts the cohesive resources that can help communicators to achieve intended goals of excitement. The study illuminates the extent at which advertisers take advantage of and associate with events in society to campaign their goods and services to consumers.
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This study focused on the Airtel's Always On slogan to elucidate alternating choices constructed to build strong relationships with subscribers. The proceeding semiotic paradigms were strategic discourses communicated to dominate some... more
This study focused on the Airtel's Always On slogan to elucidate alternating choices constructed to build strong relationships with subscribers. The proceeding semiotic paradigms were strategic discourses communicated to dominate some facets of human endeavors serving, perhaps, as signals to operational capacities of Airtel®. Halliday's concepts of the Paradigmatic Order and Circumstantial facilities of the Transitivity system were applied to seven ads of the Always On to assist in deriving both structural and semantic values from the switching linguistic elements. Tables and a graph provided supports for the analysis as indicators of the recurring components of the analyzed structural choices. The study showed that Always On is synonymous with Airtel in terms of operational consistency. It revealed further that creativity was not limited to the phrases proceeding Always On but that the choice inventions were extended to background images playing supportive roles in the persuasion. The Circumstantial functioned as cause, manner and role with reliable service provisions. The switches provided recipients avenues to generate diverse meaning potential that could naturally stimulate individuals to consumption. The study concluded that the alternating devices did not only fascinate persuasion but also demonstrated systemic creativity of enlightenment.
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Children are not only precious in society; they are the future of any nation. These are assertions that sensitize this study as an examination of the ways that advertising professionals utilize children to achieve persuasive goals. Eight... more
Children are not only precious in society; they are the future of any nation. These are assertions that sensitize this study as an examination of the ways that advertising professionals utilize children to achieve persuasive goals. Eight advertisements oriented in the features of children were considered for analysis. The Barthesian idea of semiotic analysis alongside with Halliday's clause as representation assisted in processing the advertising contents functioning in the domains of images and texts. The Halliday's experiential concept helped in breaking the wording systems into interpretative organs that allow tables and graph to take a course. The study reveals that educational materials, memes, and a reference to the future of children, expatiated through texts, are devices of convincing parents and guardians to consumption. Also observed are the terminologies of commitment, foresight, partnership, etc. as behavioral values to augment product patronization. The study suggests that materials that can add positive values to the lives of children must be given utmost priority in advertising communications.
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The study investigated the waves of information of Osundare's Harvestcall to show textual movements as layered by the poet. To achieve that objective, the poem of about 76 lines was collapsed into 44 clauses as a tradition that paves a... more
The study investigated the waves of information of Osundare's Harvestcall to show textual movements as layered by the poet. To achieve that objective, the poem of about 76 lines was collapsed into 44 clauses as a tradition that paves a way for systemic analysis of texts in different shapes, sizes and constructs. Halliday's Theme and Rheme served as analytical tools that processed the text after which the investigation utilized tables and graphs as indicators of waves of information of Harvestcall. The analysis reveals three separate waves of the text, namely: (i) sectional organization – perceives Sections I, II and III as the Theme while Section IV is the Rheme; (ii) clause constructs – demonstrate multiple Themes that flow to rhematic structures; and (iii) time frame exposition – espouses the past farming commitment as Theme and its current neglect as Rheme. In addition, observation shows waves interference. That is, the switching of Theme 2 and Subject Theme in Sections I, II and III for Subject Theme and Theme 2 respectively in Section IV. As linguistic concepts can reveal so much meanings of a literary device, the study suggests their applications across the board of genres of literature.
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The study traces the historical phenomenon of Saint Nicholas, the renowned icon known as Santa Claus. The objective is to demonstrate how advertisers have seized the virtues of Santa Claus as an article of persuading consumers. Owing to... more
The study traces the historical phenomenon of Saint Nicholas, the renowned icon known as Santa Claus. The objective is to demonstrate how advertisers have seized the virtues of Santa Claus as an article of persuading consumers. Owing to the interdisciplinary nature of this enquiry exemplified in the domains of history, linguistics and advertising, the concept of ideology enraptured in interpellation is adopted as both the analytical tool and discursive assistant to unravel the data meaning-making potentiality. The author utilizes twelve adverts associated with Santa Claus as illustrations in which six of them are from the Coca-cola Company ® as a reference of honour as well as a signal to the role the institution plays in promoting the heroic persona. The study reveals the universality and acceptability of Santa Claus in global affairs during the Yuletide season. That hegemonic influence is perceived as motivation for advertisers to project Santa Claus in a civilized way as a cook, a dove or an angel, a car lover or owner, an alcoholic or a lover of alcohol, and a banker. Santa Claus with his traditional values enthralled in kindness to humanity is further represented as a parsimonious person somehow addicted to sugary contents without any unhealthy resultant effects. In all, the traditional etiquette of Santa Claus established by Saint Nicholas and promoted by Coca-cola ® , the study suggests, is worthy of emulation for all. Perhaps, through such characteristic adoption the political violence and terrorism intimidating the world can be laid to rest in no time and at less cost.
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A communication strategy in advertising can take any shape provided it meets both intentions of manufacturers and demands of recipients. That is why the study focused the bottle gourd (Akèrègbè) as a communicating device utilized in a... more
A communication strategy in advertising can take any shape provided it meets both intentions of manufacturers and demands of recipients. That is why the study focused the bottle gourd (Akèrègbè) as a communicating device utilized in a Guaranteed Trust Bank ® (GTB) advertisement. The study considered a GTB advertisement that propagates *737# and the image of a palm wine tapper as a device of influencing consumers. The advertisement, collected from the GTB branch of the University of Lagos, Nigeria was processed through the application of denotative and connotative terminologies from the Barthesian perspective. The advertisement constructed a relationship between the past culture (bottle gourd) and present culture (computerization) as a means of persuasion. The investigation demonstrated the application of the alphanumeric code, Bank*737# as the motif of the advert with bottle gourd playing a supportive role of communicating a consistent service and protection to customers. The study concluded that campaigning of a product with the blend of the past and the present resources can increase sales. Besides, such a socio-cultural merger has the capacity to stimulate knowledge not only in the advertising industry but also in the exploration of the Yorùbá cultural past to the entire world.
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Institutions are known through the names-cum-titles shown on their signboards, internet websites, letterheads, etc. However, it seems that such cultures could not satisfy the yearning of most organizations. So, they further propagate... more
Institutions are known through the names-cum-titles shown on their signboards, internet websites, letterheads, etc. However, it seems that such cultures could not satisfy the yearning of most organizations. So, they further propagate their core values and traits by constructing short linguistic bursts-cum-contents that can expatiate on what the institutions really stand for and what the consumers situate to gain. This study has explained selected institution's shibboleths that serve as convincing phrases in order to facilitate the audience's patronage. The grammatical rank sequence is employed to analyze the catchword. Nominal group and their complexes are observed as prioritized structures deployed to influence consumers. The study shows that (i) institutions are desperate in differentiating their products one from another through linguistic clichés; (ii) it creates awareness for consumers to make a reliable product among the numerous ones in the market; (iii) it indicates the level of language constructs and choices that advertisers can coin to sell their ideas to consumers; (iv) it reveals the value that institutions place on words to influence consumers; (v) it enhances competitiveness that will propel institutions to produce quality products; (vi) it boosts sales and market share; and (vii) it could pave way for new firms to fashion their clichés in new grand styles, having obtained the knowledge of some institutions' shibboleths. Beside viewing shibboleths as a mark of exalting consumers as kings; it compels linguists to investigate the dynamisms in the lexemic constructs of advertising professionals.
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It is no gainsaying that English is not only renowned in world affairs; its hegemony over other languages seems incontestable, and perhaps, unchecked. The domineering behavior has persuaded an L2 speaker to seek the knowledge of the... more
It is no gainsaying that English is not only renowned in world affairs; its hegemony over other languages seems incontestable, and perhaps, unchecked. The domineering behavior has persuaded an L2 speaker to seek the knowledge of the language at all costs. It is fascinating to propose that the Halliday's mood system could play a vibrant role in the understanding of the structures of English. This basis inspired the study to elucidate the arms of the mood system as consisting of grammatical structures of declarative, imperative, and interrogative; semiotic domains of Mood and Residue; and interpersonal grammatical transposition of MOOD. For a practical purpose, the study examined ten texts of advertisements processed through the mood system. The analysis revealed the verbal group as containing the finite and the predicator. Moreover, in a situation of fusion, both Finite and Predicator shared the verbal functional entity in terms of tense and natural 'process' statuses. Furthermore, Subject, Finite, Predicator, Complement, and Adjunct (SFPCA) are the components of the declarative, Predicator, Complement, and Adjunct (PCA) represent the jussive imperative; and SPCAs are units of the suggestive imperative. The study suggested that the appreciation of mood systemic sequences could quicken an L2 speaker to a better-cum-fuller understanding of English grammatical system. Resumo: Não é novidade que o inglês é reconhecido mundialmente; sua hegemonia parece incontestável e talvez, sem julgamento. A dominância dessa língua persuade seus falantes como L2 a buscarem conhecimento sobre ela de todas as formas. É fascinante propor que o sistema de modo de Halliday poderia ter um papel importante na compreensão das estruturas do inglês. Essa ideia inspirou esse estudo a elucidar o papel do sistema de modo, o qual consiste de estruturas gramaticais declarativas, imperativas e interrogativas; que pertencem ao domínio semiótico de Modo e Resíduo e à transposição gramatical interpessoal de MODO. Para o estudo dez testos de propagandas foram processados através do sistema de modo. A análise revelou que o grupo verbal contém formas Finitas e Predicadores. Ademais, numa situação de fusão, ambos o sistema Finito e Predicador dividiam a função verbal de entidade funcional em termos de tempo e processos naturais. Além disso, Sujeito, Finito, Predicador, Complemento e Adjunto (SFPCA) são componentes de declarativas; Predicador, Complemento e Adjunto (PCA) representam o imperativo jussivo; e SPCAs são unidades do imperativo sugestivo. O estudo sugere que a observação de sequências sistêmicas de modo poderiam agilizar o conhecimento de um aprendiz de inglês L2 do sistema gramatical da língua. Palavras-chave: gramática do inglês; aquisição de língua; aprendizagem de língua; letramento; sistema de modo
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Politeness is a concern and necessity in advertising because of sensitization goals to be achieved in the midst of cultural, legal and competitive challenges. Thus, this study examined the utilization of euphemistic devices that... more
Politeness is a concern and necessity in advertising because of sensitization goals to be achieved in the midst of cultural, legal and competitive challenges. Thus, this study examined the utilization of euphemistic devices that facilitate mild persuasion in advertisements. Ten advertisements served as the data of investigation. The theoretical explication rested on Barthesian denotative and connotative annotations and Halliday's transitivity concepts. The study revealed concealments in forms of the socio-cultural affiliation and association (solo), domination (power, the Hero), distinction (made of more), and superiority (Indomitables). Also, personification and personalization (bigger boy; your world), self-worth (greatness), borrowing (Naija), and transfer of professional meaning (credit card) functioned as replacements for seemingly inappropriate lexicons. Advertisers hide behind the metaphor (a taste of black), discrimination (choose greatness), and comparison (more, bigger) to expedite recipients' response. Therefore, as euphemisms are everyone's linguistic behavior, the study suggested that their analyses and applications need to follow a similar course. That might assist language users to curb communication crises. Eufemismo: o lugar comum da cultura publicitária RESUMO. Polidez é uma preocupação e necessidade na publicidade por causa dos objetivos de sensibilização a serem alcançados em meio a desafios culturais, legais e competitivos. Assim, este estudo analisou a utilização de dispositivos eufemísticos que facilitam a persuasão em anúncios. Dez anúncios serviram como dados de investigação. A explicação teórica baseou-se nas anotações denotativa e conotativa barthesianas e nos conceitos de transitividade de Halliday. O estudo revelou encobrimentos em formas de afiliação sócio-cultural e associação (solo), dominação (poder, o herói), distinção (feita de mais) e superioridade (indomáveis). Além disso, personificação e personalização (maior menino; seu mundo), auto-estima (grandeza), empréstimo ('Naija') e transferência de significado profissional (cartão de crédito) funcionavam como substitutos para os léxicos aparentemente inapropriados. Anunciantes escondem-se por trás da metáfora (um gosto de preto), discriminação (escolha de grandeza) e comparação (mais, maior) para agilizar a resposta dos destinatários. Portanto, como os eufemismos são o comportamento lingüístico de todos, o estudo sugeriu que suas análises e aplicações precisam seguir um curso semelhante. Isso pode ajudar os usuários de idiomas a reduzir as crises de comunicação.
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It seemed that the issue of maternal ideology as a device to curb social menaces has not attracted scholars. Thus, the study examined the use of maternal ideology in mobile telephone network (MTN ®) as a means of influencing recipients... more
It seemed that the issue of maternal ideology as a device to curb social menaces has not attracted scholars. Thus, the study examined the use of maternal ideology in mobile telephone network (MTN ®) as a means of influencing recipients against vices instead of the primary assignment of the product advertising. The author utilised an advert of MTN, Sharing is good, as an object of analysis. The theoretical underpinning of the investigation was the concept of Theme as a functional approach to social semiotics. Theme interconnects the text with visual images to elucidate the meaning-making potential of the framework. The study revealed that the mother and the daughter operate in the same functional environment without any objections from either. The relationship demonstrates humility, complementarity, shareability and generosity. The message of the advert could influence corrupt elements of society such as terrorists, kidnappers, and violence campaigners to abandon nefarious acts and to embrace good behaviours. The idea propagated, perhaps, deserves voluntary emulation. Thus, the article argues that national and international stakeholders could make policy to direct advertising professionals to communicate their thoughts with materials that can support peace and harmony in our society. Such an exercise could persuade advertisers to reduce their focus on mental capitalism alone.
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The study, as an attempt, considered narrative as a good resource of advertising in the Nigerian environment. In other words, advertisers perceive narrative as a strategy that can stimulate consumers to patronize advertised goods and... more
The study, as an attempt, considered narrative as a good resource of advertising in the Nigerian environment. In other words, advertisers perceive narrative as a strategy that can stimulate consumers to patronize advertised goods and services. Four adverts of FBN®, MTN®, Orijin® and FIRS® have been chosen to propagate the course appeared on the frameworks. Beside the application of the Labovian schema on narrative, the Halliday's transitivity system plays an analytical role by assigning semiotic slots to the textual devices. The study reveals that advertising copies a similar pattern of narrative in the society. Apart from the texts serving as relays to the images, the construction of the message is in the resolution sequential string. This provides an opportunity for advertisers to present to the public the gains and benefits of taking decision parallel to the messages of the adverts. Advertisers capitalize on the efforts of past leaders, the challenges of the present and the future of the children to sensitize the audience. The study concludes that narrative should be encouraged in advertising not only as a persuasive approach but also as a means of promoting Nigerian social heritage and treasures.
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Language and social concerns facilitate every communicative text. Based on that, the study considered the advertising text, as a test ground to explore the relationships between language and socio-cultural norms as revealers of the... more
Language and social concerns facilitate every communicative text. Based on that, the study considered the advertising text, as a test ground to explore the relationships between language and socio-cultural norms as revealers of the Register of advertising. Considered for the investigation are ten advertisements of Guinness ® , Peak Milk ® , Gulder ® , Coca cola ® , Pepsi ® , Stanbic IBTC ® , etc. upon which Ideational, Interpersonal and Textual Metafunctions served as tools of analysis. Besides the report that Material Processes such as come to, reshaped, make, and is wasting dominate the contents, a Behavioral Process of rests on also performs a role in the Register analysis. The study further reveals digitization (*945#), local language intrusion (Oga), personification (bourn = born), clipping (diff) as context devices in the business environment. There are also Register(s) of neologism (Pecadomo), poetic and sermonized texts to persuade recipients. As the investigation has revealed SFL as a viable processor of Register(s), it thus suggests that its application to other texts outside advertising might yield meaningful results. Such exercise could assist in the understanding of novel items that could contribute to language constructs and development.
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This study is an investigation of an aspect of the Yorùbá language where metaphorical expressions are employed to represent sexual related terms in interpersonal communications. It attempts to demonstrate the views of Yorùbá users... more
This study is an investigation of an aspect of the Yorùbá language where metaphorical expressions are employed to represent sexual related terms in interpersonal communications. It attempts to demonstrate the views of Yorùbá users concerning the application of words in sexual related discourses. The use of philosophical conventions is explicated and deployed as the representation of certain amusing statements in relationship building – between a man and woman, and between the elders and young folks. Sexual related words are seen as prohibited. The proscription inspires a care handling of their social engagement and usage connectivity. Yorùbá culture does not permit their public usages without a check. The Yorùbá language is perhaps padded with metaphorical devices that cut across several lengths of their usages. Among other reasons, the socio-cultural values might have informed the litany of figurative expressions in the language. Moreover, it could be mentioned that the people do handle the phenomena (i.e. sexual related matters) with respect and dignity. This reflects in the daily deployment of the language as a facility of communication. It is shown in the study that sexual related linguistic items are 'very heavy' to be pronounced openly publicly, however, a means of presenting them has to be sorted for. The representation of sexual amusing phrases with symbols as indirect terms addresses the question of immorality in our social systems. As a matter of morality, the language tends to depict sexual expressions with symbolic codes 1 Dalamu, T. O. (2017). Yorùbá sexual related symbo-figurative expressions: A metaphorical description. In D. Medubi, D. Gbadebo & A. Bello (Eds.), Current studies in Yorùbá culture, language and literature: A festschrift for Olugboyega Alaba, pp. 842-858. Ibadan, Oyo State: Joytal Press.
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The study analyzed the 2016 Trump’s acceptance speech, as a peace negotiating mechanism. The breaking down of text into clauses illustrated and reflected their grammatical eminence, domain of concentrations, and systemic comprehensions.... more
The study analyzed the 2016 Trump’s acceptance speech, as a peace negotiating mechanism. The breaking down of text into clauses illustrated and reflected their grammatical eminence, domain of concentrations, and systemic comprehensions. Transitivity, as Halliday & Matthiessen (2004) espouse, processed the text, allowing technological devices to account for variegated componential nuances. The study revealed declaratives and gratitude as Trump’s persuasive inputs. Relational and Material processes; Location, Cause, and Manner circumstantials were realized as systemic sub-domains of function. The demonstration of humility, acknowledgement of Hillary, reenergizing of the American Dream, and a call for collective responsibilities projected Trump as a promoter of peace. The investigation also exhibited Trump’s willingness to partner with nations, anchored on mutual agreements. Significantly, this kind of discourse analysis could assist the teaching of speech styles to EFL/ESL learners. Besides, students could understand the influence of Transitivity on texts, producing meaningful evaluative parts. Words of leaders are highly motivational. Thus, the study suggested that the political class must communicate their language as a catalyst of peace in society; and ought to justify their speeches with appropriate actions.
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The study attempted to explain fundamentals of Systemic Functional Theory as textual analytical instruments. The basis was to demonstrate the applications of Ideational, Interpersonal and Textual Metafunctions as alternative semiotic... more
The study attempted to explain fundamentals of Systemic Functional Theory as textual analytical instruments. The basis was to demonstrate the applications of Ideational, Interpersonal and Textual Metafunctions as alternative semiotic resources that provide composite meaning potential to the structure of the clause. For illustration, six clauses in the advert of Premium Pension Limited were used as textual elements which the three metafunctions were applied. The study revealed conditionality, sensitizationality, judgmentality as well as integrity as the nuggets of the message. In addition, the ad tends to propound solutions to the financial security of the future of the people. The solution is for the recipients to negotiate and begin savings with Premium Pension Limited whose concern is how to care for the people in their old age. Above all, the study concluded that Halliday's theory as a very practicable tool of textual analysis for researchers.
Research Interests:
The study examines Systemic Functional Theory (SFT) as a tool of examining text, and perhaps, text of any dimension as long as it falls within the grammatical organs of the clause. The author provides explanations for the theory from its... more
The study examines Systemic Functional Theory (SFT) as a tool of examining text, and perhaps, text of any dimension as long as it falls within the grammatical organs of the clause. The author provides explanations for the theory from its relevant source(s). The chronological appreciation involves the efforts of Saussure, Firth, Malinowski, Hjelmslev, etc. However, Halliday's insight seems prominent and upon which Systemic Functional Theory receives a global status that it has assumed today. Halliday constructs numerous concepts e.g. lexicogrammar, processes, cohesion, coherence, system, system network with background from traditional grammar and sociological tokens. In addition to that, the three metafunctions are characterized as its core operational concepts. Out of these, the mood system serves as the instrument of analysis of Psalm one utilized in this endeavor as a case study. Although the clauses fall within the profile of the indicative and imperative, the study reveals that some of the structures are inverted in order to propagate the intended messages. To that end, there are inverted indicative clauses expressed as inverted declarative statements, inverted imperative questions and inverted negativized polarity. In sum, Systemic Functional Theory is a facility for explaining different shapes of texts.
The role of language in the construction of socio-cultural reality is inevitable. That is why text is used as a pillar that supports the explication of the intended purpose of images applied in multifaceted ad plates. It is a phenomenal... more
The role of language in the construction of socio-cultural reality is inevitable. That is why text is used as a pillar that supports the explication of the intended purpose of images applied in multifaceted ad plates. It is a phenomenal tradition that has remained strong in ad campaigns. Advertisers make images and text as discrete components that are inseparable. Images and texts are sedimentary devices in ads, which we can consider as the social position that motivates this enquiry. After the selection of ten ads from various social strata, semiotics viewed from the stances of Saussure and Peirce has been applied along with social semiotics to analyze the ads. The study reveals that ads and advertisers are keen to the promotion of culture with the use of images with textual collaboration. Reference to antiquity has been exposed as a very useful material in ads because it fascinates the public by reproducing their about-to-be-forgotten cultural heritage. Social exercises in the ads create side attractions that lead to assorted photographic entertainment. Besides boosting the audience social knowledge, socio-cultural reproduction experienced in ads can propel the concerned agencies to repackage our cultural beauties as a means of economic growth and emancipation.
The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, exudes excesses, a certain superfluity that jumps at you whether you study her instill images or actual life. From her outsized personality of her self-aesthetization, one sees a woman whose... more
The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, exudes excesses, a certain superfluity that jumps at you whether you study her instill images or actual life. From her outsized personality of her self-aesthetization, one sees a woman whose effervescence is not self-containing. In the past five years, Mrs. Jonathan has impressed her persona on Nigeria's cultural imagination and she qualifies as a subject of academic studies on a wide-ranging number of topics. …This past election season, she went all out and even beyond the bounds of her Self that Nigerians have known. Her relentless abuses of Muhammadu Buhari, and her many gaffes while campaigning (including her sincere non-understanding of what constitute 'corruption') was like a faucet turned on at full speed; it was perhaps no surprise her cup was soon full 1 .
The study investigated the shades of the Anglo-Nigerian Pidgin application in advertising. It described the constructs in the ads with their meaning potential as convincing edifices. Eight ads in the domains of food, telecommunications,... more
The study investigated the shades of the Anglo-Nigerian
Pidgin application in advertising. It described the constructs in
the ads with their meaning potential as convincing edifices. Eight
ads in the domains of food, telecommunications, and financial
industries were considered for analysis. The conceptual slope rests
on the ‘clause as message’ which Halliday (1994) construes as
Theme/Rheme as an illustration of the point of departure of the
textual information. The study reveals that the Anglo-Nigerian
Pidgin components are constructed in ads in order to meet
communicative demand between products and consumers.
However, there are no guiding principles in the organic structures
of the clauses. The absence of grammatical rules makes the clauses
to be disorganized for each communicator determines the weave
of the constituents. As a result of the linguistic anarchy, there
is no one-on-one structural translation into English. The study
demonstrates further that clipping (e.g wazo), neologism (e.g.
confam), reconstruction (e.g. orijinal), local language (e.g. shikini),
etc. are linguistic facilities of persuasion in the texts. The study
concluded that Anglo-Nigeria Pidgin constructions demonstrate
language dynamism in terms of syntactic and semantic realizations.
Pidgin application in advertising. It described the constructs in
the ads with their meaning potential as convincing edifices. Eight
ads in the domains of food, telecommunications, and financial
industries were considered for analysis. The conceptual slope rests
on the ‘clause as message’ which Halliday (1994) construes as
Theme/Rheme as an illustration of the point of departure of the
textual information. The study reveals that the Anglo-Nigerian
Pidgin components are constructed in ads in order to meet
communicative demand between products and consumers.
However, there are no guiding principles in the organic structures
of the clauses. The absence of grammatical rules makes the clauses
to be disorganized for each communicator determines the weave
of the constituents. As a result of the linguistic anarchy, there
is no one-on-one structural translation into English. The study
demonstrates further that clipping (e.g wazo), neologism (e.g.
confam), reconstruction (e.g. orijinal), local language (e.g. shikini),
etc. are linguistic facilities of persuasion in the texts. The study
concluded that Anglo-Nigeria Pidgin constructions demonstrate
language dynamism in terms of syntactic and semantic realizations.
Research Interests:
This study attempted to explain text-switching in advertising as a communicating means of persuading the target audience about a particular product in Nigeria. It is probable that the use of common coinages in advertisements serves a... more
This study attempted to explain
text-switching in advertising as a communicating means of
persuading the target audience about a particular product in
Nigeria. It is probable that the use of common coinages in
advertisements serves a massive advantage in product
consumption. Patterns of switching texts have been analyzed to
indicate a form of strategy whereby consumers are cajoled in
order to be familiarized with the products in question. This
study employed the concept of Conversational Code Switching
(CCS) as a vehicle of analysis of advertisements collected from
billboards and the Punch newspaper in Nigeria. The findings
characterize code alternation as a phenomenon in Nigerian
advertising. It reveals that the relationships between English
and Nigerian languages are very strong because they are easily
smoothly interchangeable. In addition, English is hegemonic
over Nigerian languages and dialects. This study positions
English as playing a domineering utilitarian role in Nigerian
advertisements. This study concludes that the structures of the
alternated codes function consistently in the nominal group.
Even in a case where a minor clause is observed,
text-switching in advertisements appears more conversational.
text-switching in advertising as a communicating means of
persuading the target audience about a particular product in
Nigeria. It is probable that the use of common coinages in
advertisements serves a massive advantage in product
consumption. Patterns of switching texts have been analyzed to
indicate a form of strategy whereby consumers are cajoled in
order to be familiarized with the products in question. This
study employed the concept of Conversational Code Switching
(CCS) as a vehicle of analysis of advertisements collected from
billboards and the Punch newspaper in Nigeria. The findings
characterize code alternation as a phenomenon in Nigerian
advertising. It reveals that the relationships between English
and Nigerian languages are very strong because they are easily
smoothly interchangeable. In addition, English is hegemonic
over Nigerian languages and dialects. This study positions
English as playing a domineering utilitarian role in Nigerian
advertisements. This study concludes that the structures of the
alternated codes function consistently in the nominal group.
Even in a case where a minor clause is observed,
text-switching in advertisements appears more conversational.