A Study Of Engagement Markers In English Public Service Advertisements In Light Of Communicative Action Theory

According to Habermas' communicative action theory,the lifeworld as the background of achieving valid communication contains shared reasons for which people can reach consensus.Therefore,the reasons for achieving valid communication can be explained by analyzing the relationship between components of the lifeworld and language.Moreover,valid communication needs to follow universal validity claims and should be realized by language.Engagement markers as one subtype of metadiscourse have various functions of fulfilling these claims and achieving consensus.Thereby,language users can realize valid communication through employing the functions of engagement markers to fulfill universal validity claims.Communication in the lifeworld is always developed by language interaction.At present,plenty of researches have analyzed the construction of valid communicative action in academic thesis by interactional metadiscourse.However,based on the research studied by Wang Qiang(2018),the frequencies of engagement markers in academic thesis are rare and their kinds lack diversity.Therefore,the genre should not be constrained in academic theses.Thompson and Thetela(1995)believe interaction can be embodied evidently in advertisements.Besides,Cheng Minghui(2009)finds the most frequent interactional metadiscourse in advertisements is engagement markers.Moreover,the functions of engagement markers and public service advertisements are closely associated with the contents of communicative action theory.Therefore,this study researches engagement markers in English public service advertisements in light of communicative action theory.The research questions of this paper are proposed as follows:Firstly,what are the frequencies of various engagement markers in English print public service advertisements? Secondly,what are the underlying reasons for the uses of engagement markers in light of communicative action theory? Thirdly,what functions can be performed by engagement markers to fulfill universal validity claims,thereby realizing valid communication?To ensure the accuracy of the research and provide rich contexts for engagement markers to perform different functions,150 print public service advertisements covering various topics are collected from authoritative English magazines and form the content of the self-built corpus.This study further elaborates the classification model of engagement markers put forward by Hyland(2005a).The frequencies of various types of engagement markers in advertisements have been identified and analyzed through AntConc(version 3.5.0.0)and manual rechecking.This quantitative study prepares for the following qualitative analyses based on the concept of the lifeworld and universal validity claims of communicative action theory.According to the results,in English print public service advertisements,the frequencies of direct reader reference and directives are highest,followed by asides and questions.The frequencies of reference to shared knowledge are lowest.Analyzed from the perspective of the lifeworld,the cultural reasons like individualism,the collective spirit,the influence of usual situation and logical thinking are related to the uses of direct reader reference,reference to shared knowledge,asides and questions.Social reasons can explain the use of directives.The comprehensive content of personality can account for the combinative uses of directives and one or multiply other engagement markers.Furthermore,engagement markers can perform different functions to fulfill corresponding universal validity claims as follows: through emphasizing the reliability of advertisements,the truthfulness claim can be satisfied.Through showing writers' sincere attitudes and win readers' trusts,the sincerity claim can be met.Through stressing persuasiveness,interactivity,and conciseness of the advertisements,the correctness claim can be fulfilled.Apart from theoretical meanings such as enriching the application of communicative action theory and deepening the study of engagement markers,the practical meanings of this paper lie in helping advertisers or writers with persuasive purpose better establish their awareness of readers and perceive the relationship between the lifeworld and engagement markers.Besides,they can realize valid communicative action through appropriately employing engagement markers to fulfill universal validity claims.At the same time,readers can be aware of the reasons and purposes of using engagement markers.Moreover,since the underlying reasons for the uses of engagement markers are analyzed in light of the concept of the lifeworld,readers can know more about American culture and society.The practical meaning can also be embodied in publicizing the positive attitudes advocated by public service advertisements.