Language investigation - investigating the difference in the language Essay

Language investigation - investigating the difference in the language used in boys and girls toys televison adverts - Essay Example For example, when language used in advertisements designed for boys reinforces concepts of strength and career or those designed for girls emphasize concepts of motherhood and housewife, gender roles are being reinforced for both the parent and the child. However, growing attention into the effects of violence in the media on young children and the development of the mind suggests that perhaps these strong gender roles used in toy advertisements are no longer employed as openly. In order to determine whether the language used in advertisements for children presents specific gender roles, six advertisements appearing during a particular mid-afternoon show on a children’s television network entitled Nickelodeon were analyzed in terms of lexis, semantics and phonology. While all of the advertisements are for toys and do function to appeal to the parent in some way, there remain significant differences in the types of toys marketed to boys versus girls as well as in the language u sed. In this analysis, lexis refers to the use of adjectives, common nouns, verbs and other specific words; semantics refers to the denotation, connotation and language change used; and phonology refers to the rhythm, alliteration and repetition of words. The analysis of these six advertisements in terms of lexis, semantics and phonology does indeed demonstrate traditional gender stereotypes and societal roles are being reinforced through today’s advertising. Advertisements for toys targeted to boys’ use include a great deal of competitive energy and expected momentum. For example, in an advertisement for Biker Mice, boys are encouraged to be strong, invincible fighting forces with nerves of steel based upon the specific words selected for the toy’s description. The name of the toy itself brings up connotations of frightening men (or rather creatures) on motorbikes. They are described as