An Analysis of How Socio-demographic Variables Affect the Perception of English in German Advertising

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Advertising Language
  • The Aim of Advertising
  • The Importance of Advertising Language
  • The Slogan
• Why is English popular among Advertisers?
  • Pragmatic Reasons
  • Sociocultural Factors
  • Corporate Motivation for using English Slogans
• Varying Language Attitudes towards the Influence of English on the German Language
  • Adolescents
  • Criticism of Anglicisms and Purist Movement
  • Studies on the Perception of Anglicisms and English in Advertising
• Online-Survey: Researching the associative and connotative value of English in Advertising
  • Methodology
  • Results
    • Sociodemographic Characteristics of the Participants
    • The associative values of English and German Slogans
    • The Connotation of Anglicisms and English in German Advertising
• Discussion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This bachelor thesis will examine the research question of how sociodemographic characteristics affect the perception of English in German advertising. The associative and connotative value of English in advertising will be examined in relation to sociodemographic data. An empirical study will be conducted, in which an online questionnaire will be sent to 170 people. These people must be native German speakers, have grown up in Germany, and have spent most of their lives in Germany.

• The perception of English in German advertising
• The associative and connotative value of English
• Sociodemographic variables affecting perception
• The use of English in advertising in relation to cultural factors
• The influence of English on the German language

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The first chapter introduces the thesis and provides a brief overview of the research question and hypotheses. It discusses the current state of research on the perception of English in advertising and highlights the importance of understanding how sociodemographic variables affect this perception.

The second chapter provides a detailed analysis of advertising language, its characteristics, and its objectives. It discusses the importance of advertising language, the role of the slogan in advertising, and the reasons why English has become so popular among German advertisers.

Chapter three delves into the reasons why English is used in advertising. It explores both pragmatic reasons, such as the need for international communication, and sociocultural factors, such as the association of English with values like modernity and cosmopolitanism.

The fourth chapter examines varying language attitudes towards the influence of English on the German language. It discusses the positive reception of English among adolescents, the criticism of Anglicisms from purist movements, and past studies on the perception of English in advertising.

Chapter five outlines the methodology of the online survey, which was conducted to investigate the associative and connotative value of English in advertising. The chapter details the specific hypotheses being tested, the structure of the questionnaire, and the requirements of the participants.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This bachelor thesis focuses on the perception of English in German advertising, examining the influence of sociodemographic variables on the associative and connotative values of English in this context. It explores key themes such as the use of English in advertising, the prevalence of Anglicisms, the cultural and societal factors driving language attitudes, and the varying perceptions of English across different sociodemographic groups.