Abstract

The seminar will focus on linguistic strategies used by manufacturers to promote products. We will look at claims such as: “2 out of 3 doctors prescribed Medicine X”. Would this statement be false or merely misleading if exactly three doctors were included in the sample? The fundamental semantic distinction between entailment (what is stated) and implicature (what is implied) will be used to probe issues of truth in the language of advertising. The course will explore the topic in the wider context of conversational dynamics. Students will gain an understanding of the field of theoretical linguistics and of its practical application to the world of advertising