Marketing Language Proficiency: A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of IELTS Advertisements and Their Impact on Consumers’ Perception and Their Experience

Abstract

This study investigates the marketing of language proficiency through a Multimodal Discourse Analysis of International English Language Testing System (IELTS) advertisement brochures in Pakistan. This research investigates how these advertisement brochures present language proficiency as a commodification and analyzes its effect on the stakeholders’ perceptions. The study focuses on the commodification and the marketing strategies that are adopted in analysing five IELTS brochure advertisement brochures. Further, following the Visual Grammar Framework of Kress & van Leeuwen (2006), the study examines the visual elements the advertisements employ to persuade consumers to enrol in academies or language centres for coaching purposes. Furthermore, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is employed for textual analysis. Firstly, the language used in the advertisement brochures was qualitatively analysed. Secondly, a questionnaire is used to assess learners’ perceptions of advertisement brochures. The findings of the study reveal that language centres employ linguistic and visual strategies in their advertisement brochures to make them attractive to persuade potential students, often highlighting the idealized image of language proficiency and institutions that sometimes do not match the ground realities.