Mass Media in English (Radio & TV) PDF

The mass media in the English language (II): Radio and television. Advertising in the English-speaking world. Linguistic & semiotic aspects. 1 1. INTRODUCTION The term ‘media’ may include any form of communication through which people are informed, educated and entertained. It r...

The mass media in the English language (II): Radio and television. Advertising in the English-speaking world. Linguistic & semiotic aspects. 1 1. INTRODUCTION The term ‘media’ may include any form of communication through which people are informed, educated and entertained. It refers mainly to the press (newspapers), periodicals, magazines; the radio; terrestrial (or earth-based) television, cable and satellite television, and video. To these we should add the Internet. They are all product of the twentieth century; before then, even though such activities as the press and advertising did exist, their forms would not have allowed to be properly called mass media. All of them share many common characteristics: they are addressed regularly to large audiences which are undifferentiated by social status, sex, race and cultural or geographical background; technological development, and affluence and interest on the part of such audiences. These communication systems overlap in certain areas, have become profitable businesses, and are tied closely to commerce, industry, advertising and sponsorship. Media forms have evolved from simple methods of production, distribution and communication to the present sophisticated and technological complexities. They now cover homes and places of business, and their influence is very powerful and an inevitable part of daily life. As language teachers, mass media offer us the chance to enliven our lessons with a plethora of authentic material thanks to which students can grasp the way in which the language is used in truly communicative settings, thus, boosting their communicative competence, the acknowledged target of foreign language teaching and learning, as far as the development of the linguistic, sociolinguistic and pragmatic components are concerned. Such is the view held by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR, 2001) and its Companion Volume with New Descriptors (2020). They, obviously enough, go in line with the latest trends in methodology and serve the basis for the curricular development of Compulsory and Non-Compulsory Secondary Education within our current legal framework: Royal Decree 217/2022 plus Decree 102/2023, and Royal Decree 243/2022 plus Decree 103/2023, respectively. The present unit, Unit 68, aims to provide a useful introduction to the mass media in English, which comprises the main means of communication: press, radio and television. Yet, we shall namely concentrate on the last two, radio and television. It is within the field of broadcasting that we shall examine the main types of radio and TV channels in both Great Britain and the United States in terms of aims, style, and language. In doing so, we shall also approach the question of advertising in English-speaking cultures as far as linguistic and semiotic aspects are concerned so as to better understand the scope of radio and TV within the international arena. Last, some room will be devoted to the main educational implications in language teaching regarding the introduction of this issue in the classroom setting. It will lead us to a final conclusion to broadly overview our present study. EN BENEFICIO DE TODOS Y DEL PROPIO AUTOR SE RUEGA NO FOTOCOPIARLO. UNIT 68. Juan Manuel Ángeles Ruiz. The mass media in the English language (II): Radio and television. Advertising in the English-speaking world. Linguistic & semiotic aspects. 2 2. BROADCASTING: THE EFFECTS OF MASS COMMUNICATION The most striking feature that shapes the psychology and behaviour of a radio or television audience is the fact that it is composed of people in the privacy of their homes, as opposed to the audience in a theatre or cinema. The close personal association that is felt with the speaker or performer entails a moral and legal responsibility on the latter's part. For such reasons, as well as economic ones, audience measurement is essential; commercial broadcasters are quick to alter or discontinue any programme that shows lack of audience appeal. Several types of programmes can be distinguished, although their prominence in each medium varies and some of them often combine or overlap in technique, subject matter and style: entertainment (comedy, quizzes, music); drama (serials, 'soap operas', detective stories, etc.); spoken word (news sports, 'talk shows'). here is great and lively controversy that centres on the effect of public communication upon audiences, not only in matters concerning public opinion on political issues but in other matters such as personal life-styles, personal tastes, consumer behaviour, the sensibilities and dispositions of children, possible inducements to violence… In any case, we can say that the general feeling with regard to these issues can vary greatly. Some people interpret the overall effects of mass communication as generally “harmless” to both young and old. Many sociologists follow the theory that mass communication seems to influence attitudes and behaviour only insofar as it confirms the status quo –i.e., it influences values already accepted and operating in culture. However, numerous other analysts believe that mass communication provides potent sources of informal education and persuasion. They pose down that a great deal of people in technological societies create their personal views about the social realities beyond their immediate experience from messages presented to them through public communication. It is also clear that the success of public communication as an instrument of commercial advertising has also been constant and noticeable. Present evidence indicates that various instruments of mass communication produce varying effects upon the different segments of the audience. The role of newspapers, periodicals, radio and television in influencing political opinion is fairly well established in the voting behaviour of the so-called “undecided” voters. Politicians have become sensitive to their television images and have devised (or rather, have been devised) much of their campaign strategy with the television audience in mind. Advertising agencies familiar with television techniques have been brought into the political arena to plan campaigns and develop their clients’ images. Below we shall deal in some detail with radio and television in the United States and in Great Britain, as the former wields pervading influence world-wide over all media, whereas the latter's ascendancy over Europe is not to be overlooked on the grounds of a solid reputation for quality and lack of bias. Regarding British broadcasting, that is, radio and television, it has traditionally been based on the principle that it is a public service accountable to the people through Parliament. Following 1990 legislation, it is also embracing the principles of competition and choice. Yet, it is closely connected to four main factors: the audience; techniques and materials (since they differ from the press in having a wider capacity for coverage of human activities); types of programmes; and its interdependence since they are not always free of stockholder or advertiser pressure. EN BENEFICIO DE TODOS Y DEL PROPIO AUTOR SE RUEGA NO FOTOCOPIARLO. UNIT 68. Juan Manuel Ángeles Ruiz. The mass media in the English language (II): Radio and television. Advertising in the English-speaking world. Linguistic & semiotic aspects. 3 3. RADIO The first radio stations to seek regular public audiences started in the 1920s. Competition among the media soon grew on two battlefields: the news itself and (in America) the fight for advertising revenue, only support for privately-managed media, which was the prevailing pattern. But the artistic potential of radio did not begin to be explored in depth until the 1930s, as broadcasters gradually became aware of the nature of the medium and of their special relationship to their audience. 3.1. RADIO IN BRITAIN A monopoly until 1954 in the case of television and until the 1970s in that of the radio, the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is financed by compulsory annual payments from receiver-set owners, no advertising being allowed. It broadcasts on 5 national and over 30 local stations, from which the former specialise as follows: Radio enjoys a huge following in the United Kingdom. The most prominent stations are the national networks operated by the BBC: ▪ BBC Radio 1 broadcasts mostly current pop music output on FM and digital radio, with live music throughout the year. ▪ BBC Radio 2 is the United Kingdom's most listened-to radio station playing popular music from the last five decades as well as special interest programmes (light entertainment) in the evening. ▪ BBC Radio 3 is a classical music station, broadcasting high-quality concerts and performances. At night, it transmits a wide range of jazz and world music. ▪ BBC Radio 4 is a current affairs and speech station, with news, debate and radio drama. It broadcasts the daily radio soap The Archers, as well as flagship news programme Today. ▪ BBC Radio 5 Live broadcasts live news and sports commentary with phone-in debates and studio guests. The BBC also broadcasts news and information about Britain to countries all over the world through its 'BBC World Service'. Also available nationally are three national commercial channels, namely Absolute Radio, Classic FM and TalkSPORT. As with the BBC, digital radio has brought about many changes, including the roll-out of local stations such as Radio X, Kiss and Kerrang Radio to other areas of the United Kingdom. EN BENEFICIO DE TODOS Y DEL PROPIO AUTOR SE RUEGA NO FOTOCOPIARLO. UNIT 68. Juan Manuel Ángeles Ruiz. The mass media in the English language (II): Radio and television. Advertising in the English-speaking world. Linguistic & semiotic aspects. 4 3.2. RADIO IN THE UNITED STATES Most of the broadcasting organisations in the U.S. are commercial firms, a pattern that entails advertising-derived revenue, which is a powerful shaping factor. In fact, extensive radio broadcasting began as a means of promoting another company (newspapers, department stores or electric manufacturing), so advertising has ever been intimately linked to the history of American radio. Nowadays, the 'big three' commercial radio and television networks, born out of the financial support of large companies are: NBC (National Broadcasting Company), ABC (American Broadcasting Company) and CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System). The heyday of the new medium came with the Second World War as radio newsmen were then given opportunity to offer live broadcasts and hours of analysis and commentary, all of which did much to stir the Americans' conscience out of neutrality. Ironically enough, television came as the 1950s opened and radio was progressively robbed of its newly-gained prominence. Nowadays the majority of radio stations are as independent of networks as of the government. Many of the commercial stations specialise in a single type of output, such as news, classical music, one of several kinds of popular music or even traffic information. Finally, there is quite a number of local stations offering basically some neighbourhood gossip interspersed with music and spot advertising. Non-commercial broadcasting has risen, supported by donations from foundations or by listeners' subscription. 4. TELEVISION It was not until the 1950s that technology and economic conditions in the United States allowed a genuine development of television. The medium has become an integral part of western lifestyle, and is likely to grow even more so, in view of the technological innovations developed -such as VCRs (videocassette recorders), cable, satellite and interactive television… which have led many to foretell a revolutionary era for the near future. The television industry is organised around three major genres: entertainment, sports and news. 4.1. TELEVISION IN BRITAIN The television in England is generally seen to be of a high standard. Currently, the United Kingdom has a collection of free-to-air, free-to-view and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channels for consumers as well as on-demand content. Since 2012, all television broadcasts in the United Kingdom have been in a digital format. As stated when dealing with British radio, television was set up as a public-service system, which was considered incompatible with the serving of financial interests. Its revenue comes from annual licenses paid by television set owners. The BBC monopoly of television was broken in 1954 after a fierce campaign by financial, commercial and political interests. EN BENEFICIO DE TODOS Y DEL PROPIO AUTOR SE RUEGA NO FOTOCOPIARLO. UNIT 68. Juan Manuel Ángeles Ruiz. The mass media in the English language (II): Radio and television. Advertising in the English-speaking world. Linguistic & semiotic aspects. 5 The growing success of commercial television has spurred the BBC on to try to make itself livelier and more attractive to large audiences, so as to justify the right to receive license fees. BBC 1, BBC 2, Channel 4, Channel 5 and ITV (Independent Television) produce a good mixture of entertainment, music, drama, sports and serious discussion. Pieces of news are presented efficiently and without bias. Although both radio and television are often criticised, if compared to the productions of many other countries, the British still deserve praise. The BBC tends to lean a little more to the left than ITV. Channel Four could be seen as left of centre politically, although, in reality, it criticises all political parties equally. Channel Five is neutral but focuses on minority interests. However, it must be remembered that the impartiality of the stations means that at election times equal broadcasting time is granted to all parties. The BBC domestic television channels do not broadcast advertisements; they are instead funded by a television licence fee which TV viewers are required to pay annually. This includes viewers who watch real-time streams or catch-up services of the BBC's channels online or via their mobile phone. The BBC also broadcasts two worldwide television services, BBC World and BBC Prime, which are not for UK viewers (although BBC World is available on some satellite systems) and which are funded by advertising. In addition to these there are also satellite stations such as Sky UK, which introduced the pay-per- view system. 4.2. TELEVISION IN THE UNITED STATES If there exists a powerful influential vehicle through which the American way of life is appealingly presented to other cultures and then, in a seemingly unobtrusive way, gradually adopted, that is television. The massive number of programmes exported to foreign televisions networks, together with the scheduling of Hollywood films, have played a significant role in bringing about the present cultural sway of American values over Western Europe and beyond. In this sense, sitcoms, i.e. situation comedies, may be said to be the biggest success story from the States. The most famous TV stations are Fox News, CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System), NBC (National Broadcasting Company) HBO (Home Box Office), ABC (American Broadcasting Company), CNN (Cable News Network) and ESPN (Empire and Sports Programming Network). Their system differs from that in Europe since American stations are networked. This means that there is a collection of stations all tied to the same programming source, normally a corporate concern that has the rights to the channel. The stations are controlled by advertising, with a primetime advertising slot costing thousands and thousands of dollars. This means that the ratings (the number of viewers that a programme gets) are vital. Network newscasts are commonly regarded as neutral and unbiased. As previously mentioned, advertising plays a major ole in the survival of many programmes (and channels) both in Britain and in the States. Advertising is, no doubt, intrusive and pervading that deserves special attention. EN BENEFICIO DE TODOS Y DEL PROPIO AUTOR SE RUEGA NO FOTOCOPIARLO. UNIT 68. Juan Manuel Ángeles Ruiz. The mass media in the English language (II): Radio and television. Advertising in the English-speaking world. Linguistic & semiotic aspects. 6 5. ADVERTISING AND ITS SEMIOTICS Advertising is a form of mass communication intended, in its visual meaning, to promote the sale of a product or service. The term is also used for mass communication intended to influence public opinion, to gain political support, to advance a particular cause, or to elicit some other response desired by the advertiser, although these practices may involve different techniques, measures and legal requirements. The advertisement is delivered to its audience through one or many of the various media, including newspapers, magazines, television, radio, the Internet, billboards, and direct mail. Advertising is distinguished from other forms of communication in the simple fact that the advertiser pays the medium to deliver the message, thus having the opportunity to control the message. Consumer advertising is essentially a twentieth-century phenomenon, and it has become a major industry in many developed countries. Advertising is pervasive; it establishes an intimate, permanent contact with the public through mass media on account of the fact that audiences are transformed into selling products 'markets'. Interaction with advertising has entirely shaped the economic organisation of the media and even the structuring of content; advertisements have grown into an integral, rather than occasional, component. Two elements may be distinguished in advertisements - information and persuasion. All in all, the meaning of an advertisement depends on how signs and its 'ideological' effect are organised. The prospective consumer ('social reader') is involved in the interpretation of the meaning of a text with his/her knowledge of the world, social position and ideological point of view. The meaning of signs in terms of the implicit language deployed by advertising can be best assessed in the light of the Saussurian distinction between the signifier (a material entity) and the signified (a mental concept or reference); yet it is generally acknowledged that there is almost no denotative communication in the world of advertising; that is, literal, objective meanings as are normally perceived in reality are nearly absent. In turn, connotative meanings –those attached to an entity by means of conventions and dependent on a particular context- are resorted in order to stir our inner feelings with the aid of cultural associations intimately interwoven in our own society and history. Yet, the success of advertising depends on the “topicality” of what is depicted, on the quality of the design, and on psychological factors. These largely determine the reactions of the person to whom the advertisement is addressed. Advertising can be -and is also- used to awaken, enlighten and activate the public at large matters that may affect society in general. It may seem obvious to say that, generally speaking, advertising is more prevalent in highly industrialised countries. In those countries, consumer purchasing power is broadly distributed, the economic system is competitive, and mass communication media are more available. Careful consideration of all the previous elements will result in the development of the kind of advertisement required on each occasion: commercial consumer advertising; prestige, business and financial advertising; trade and technical advertisements; government and charity advertising; classified advertisements ('small ads’), etc. EN BENEFICIO DE TODOS Y DEL PROPIO AUTOR SE RUEGA NO FOTOCOPIARLO. UNIT 68. Juan Manuel Ángeles Ruiz. The mass media in the English language (II): Radio and television. Advertising in the English-speaking world. Linguistic & semiotic aspects. 7 5.1. ADVERTISEMENT ESSENTIALS There is a set of essential guidelines to be kept in mind when writing an ad. An old advertising formula often mentioned in that respect is A-l-D-A ('attention-interest-desire-action), which describes the intended effects that the ad should have on the reader/listener/viewer. Three outstanding purposes can be identified as common to every kind of advertising message, whether in print or broadcast: ▪ to attract the audience's attention. ▪ to supply the public with relevant information about the product. ▪ to persuade the consumer into buying the product. In order to reach such targets, a wide range of techniques has been developed, and they are often grouped under one of the following headings: ▪ ‘hard selling', where the message is overtly addressed to the buyer ('buy!', 'call! etc.). ▪ 'soft selling', which refers to those ads that try to sell the product indirectly by making it appear attractive through its association with pleasant concepts -beauty, success… The latter form of advertising seems to be the trend nowadays. 5.2. ELEMENTS OF A PRINT AD The linguistic element is sometimes given greater importance than the visual aspect, and in radio it is obviously essential. Attention value and persuasive power are the two prevalent elements that frame and shape the information content of the advertisement, as well as contributing to stimulate the creativeness of writers. The type of language is determined by the elements that conform the superficial organisation of a print ad: headline, subhead, body copy, closing and slogan, logo, or signature 5.2.1. PRINT ADS: LINGUISTIC FEATURES OF THE INTERNET LANGUAGE Language is humanity’s most spectacular open-source project, and the Internet is making our language change faster and in more interesting ways than ever before. Internet conversations are structured by the shape of our apps and platforms, from the grammar of status updates to the protocols of comments and @replies. Linguistically inventive online communities spread new slang and jargon with dizzying speed. What’s more, social media is a vast laboratory of unedited, unfiltered words where we can watch language evolve in real time. EN BENEFICIO DE TODOS Y DEL PROPIO AUTOR SE RUEGA NO FOTOCOPIARLO. UNIT 68. Juan Manuel Ángeles Ruiz. The mass media in the English language (II): Radio and television. Advertising in the English-speaking world. Linguistic & semiotic aspects. 8 Possibly the Internet’s favourite linguist, Gretchen McCulloch (2019), explores the deep forces that shape human language and influence the way we communicate with one another. She summarises the most remarkable features of language on the Internet as follows: ▪ Cross-linguistic and cross-dialectical levelling: the Internet has contributed to the erosion of differences across dialects, and the proliferation of supra-local and supra-national terms and cultural references (e.g., memes, woke, ghosting, clickbait…). Likewise, it has widened the linguistic generational gap between young people, who are actively engaged in internet culture, and their parents. ▪ Informal writing: writing is the main mode used in texts, chats, forums, and social media. Although the informal register has often been associated with speech, they all capitalise writing. ▪ Social acronyms: Internet communication has resulted in the creation of acronyms based on common conversational phrases such as aka, (“also known as”), asap (“as soon as possible”), lol (“laugh out loud” / “lots of laughs”), ig (“I guess”), btw (“by the way”), omg (“Oh, my God!”), etc. ▪ Emojis, gifs, and other visual resources: text on the Internet is constantly enriched with emojis -either typographical or visual-, gifs and pictures to express feelings more efficiently. ▪ Typographical conventions: capital letters represent an angry, shouty or emphatic tone; question marks represent confusion (not necessarily a question); exclamation marks signal friendliness and excitement; full stops mark seriousness or even annoyance… 5.3. BROADCAST ADVERTISING: COMMERCIALS There are many similarities between ads for print and broadcast ones, for the purpose of both kinds are alike. They differ in the form and the specific features of each media; broadcasting being determined by the short time available. Commercials are broadcast in intervals within or between programmes and they may be repeated many times; therefore, although television 'spots' are often costly productions, the advertiser may still consider them economical on a cost-per-thousand-viewers basis. 5.3.1. MAIN LINGUISTIC FEATURES Language in advertising has developed to a high standard, although music and lyrics have remained the most important element. Anyhow, we may say that attention and persuasion determine the variety and style of the language used in 'standard advertising English'. As far as its syntax is concerned, it is characterised by its ‘readability', given by simple, straightforward language. With respect to its lexis, unorthodoxy to attract attention is a common procedure (compound adjectives, not found in the dictionary, creation of new adjectives and other made-up words, wrong spelling and alliteration…). The same goes for the use of descriptive vocabulary. In relation to style, the use of parallelisms, metaphors, personifications or even alliterations may be counted among the most usual rhetorical devices. Finally, the absence of any language tries to make the product speak for itself, giving the impression of transparent meaning. EN BENEFICIO DE TODOS Y DEL PROPIO AUTOR SE RUEGA NO FOTOCOPIARLO. UNIT 68. Juan Manuel Ángeles Ruiz. The mass media in the English language (II): Radio and television. Advertising in the English-speaking world. Linguistic & semiotic aspects. 9 6. EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS Understanding the nature of the relationship between language and culture is central to the process of learning another language. In actual language use, it is not the case that it is only the forms of language that convey meaning. It is language in its cultural context that creates meaning: creating and interpreting meaning is done within a cultural framework. In language learning classrooms, learners need to engage with the ways in which context affects what is communicated and how. Both the learner’s culture and the culture in which meaning is created or communicated have an influence on the ways in which possible meanings are understood. This context is not a single culture as both the target language and culture and the learner’s own language and culture are simultaneously present and can be simultaneously engaged: intercultural competence in the light of the CEFR (2001) and its Companion Volume (2020). Learning to communicate in an additional language involves developing an awareness of the ways in which culture interrelates with language whenever it is used. Such a context may well be provided by the audiovisual material that these mass media −the radio, the television and akin resources− offer in truly communicative settings. These are the main advantages of using this kind of material: - It provides certain contextual aspects and some extra linguistic elements that help in the understanding of messages. - It provides exposure to varieties of English and different speakers. - It allows for the participation of students through repetition and recording activities. When selecting it, the following criteria should be born in mind: - The material should be of interest to students depending on their age and knowledge. - It should be as authentic and natural as possible in the sense that it should include redundancies and elements of the speech in real life such as hesitations, false starts, etc. Much of the material available at the moment contains many elements of authenticity although it has been developed for pedagogical purposes. - Other authentic elements such as background noise can make a recording less clear, but this is something students will find in the real world. - It adds something to the printed text. The radio, ideally in the form of podcasts, is a wonderful way to develop listening skills. Just listening to a language spoken improves eventual fluency. These two factors: ear-training and fluency development are perhaps the most outstanding reasons for using the radio in the foreign language learning situation. Together with that, graded radio lessons offer the opportunity to listen to programmes adapted to our pupils’ abilities, motivating them to future authentic listening. EN BENEFICIO DE TODOS Y DEL PROPIO AUTOR SE RUEGA NO FOTOCOPIARLO. UNIT 68. Juan Manuel Ángeles Ruiz. The mass media in the English language (II): Radio and television. Advertising in the English-speaking world. Linguistic & semiotic aspects. 10 Podcasts are funny, entertaining, educational, often short, and rarely boring. They can cover news, current events, history, or pretty much anything the creator would like. When you subscribe, each new episode is automatically downloaded to your device, to be played at your convenience. You can play the entire stream or select an individual episode as part of your technology in the classroom arsenal. Here are popular ways to use podcasts in your lesson plans: ▪ Audio Tours: Students record school tours, acting as the tour guide so newcomers can explore the school through the eyes of a peer. ▪ Celebrate Culture: Students podcast about important cultural events and share these with parents, the school, or the community around them. ▪ Current Events Newscasts: Students deliver weekly or monthly podcasts on interesting current events. ▪ Debates: Hold a class debate. Record it in audio and have other students listen and weigh in. ▪ Guest speakers: Make podcasts of class guest speakers to share with absent students or future classes. This can be stored in the podcast library (mentioned below). ▪ Interviews: Have students interview each other as well as teachers and administrators about important school-wide events such as a sports competition or an award ceremony. ▪ Musical Podcasts: Have band or orchestra students create podcasts for each instrument, detailing its specific sounds and characteristics. ▪ Podcast Library: Curate the varied student-created podcasts into a library of podcasts for present and future students. ▪ Publish Presentations: Instead of writing a book report or acting out a play, students record the presentation as a podcast, using only their voice to communicate ideas and build excitement. ▪ Radio Show: Students make short radio broadcasts summarizing the books they are reading. ▪ Roving Reporters: Send students out into the “Field” (school and surroundings) to interview key characters in important events. EN BENEFICIO DE TODOS Y DEL PROPIO AUTOR SE RUEGA NO FOTOCOPIARLO. UNIT 68. Juan Manuel Ángeles Ruiz. The mass media in the English language (II): Radio and television. Advertising in the English-speaking world. Linguistic & semiotic aspects. 11 As for television, the usage of television makes the English language teaching process more vivid, convincing and emotional. Informational opportunities of television allow foreign language learners to use authentic means of communication with native speakers. They promote practical imitation of natural language environment. Television reflects social life of society, peculiarities of national mentality, national stereotypes, that's why television can serve as a source of information during the study of culture, traditions and customs of studied language country. Television programs are actual and comfortable source of pupils' knowledge, experience, feelings and impressions strengthening. They help pupils to orientate in huge information flow, use it in their lives, professions, and develop skills of creative comprehension and impartial assessment of information. Audiovisual mean television is one of the most effective during teaching of listening comprehension. Nowadays there are a lot of telecasts for children that teach English and children enjoy them. Such kinds of programs found basic lexical material on the early stage of child's development. Thus, television usage as the mean of foreign languages teaching allows to implement the following tasks: practical (language acquisition as the mean of communication), pedagogical, developmental and educational. All in all, then, we can conclude by stating that television can do a lot in the language classroom. ▪ First, television offers audio-visual clues to meaning. Our pupils do not only hear the language, they also see it in context. ▪ Secondly, television brings the outside world into the classroom. It gives the class something to talk about, beyond the confines of the classroom. In this sense, it can be a powerful stimulus to communication in class. ▪ Thirdly, television can introduce the culture of the target language into the foreign language classroom. On television our children can see what the target language life is like. ▪ Lastly, television is a powerful motivator. Our pupils tend to find it attractive. It does make a change from the teacher and the textbook. EN BENEFICIO DE TODOS Y DEL PROPIO AUTOR SE RUEGA NO FOTOCOPIARLO. UNIT 68. Juan Manuel Ángeles Ruiz. The mass media in the English language (II): Radio and television. Advertising in the English-speaking world. Linguistic & semiotic aspects. 12 7. CONCLUSION In this unit we have seen how the British and American television and radio companies operate. None, with the sole exception of the BBC, could survive without the power of advertising. As competition between companies increases, the need to advertise in a way that the public approves of has grown as well. This has meant that the adverts have undergone many changes in style and form, and have developed into a new way of artistic expression. In fact, many people feel that many adverts are, actually, of a far better quality than some programmes and shows really are. We have attempted to provide the reader with a general overview of the media within the United Kingdom, and its further influence out of it. Understanding how these means of communication work and are reflected in our world today is paramount to students, who are expected to be aware of the richness of the English language, not only within the most influential English-speaking countries, but also in worldwide terms. Day after day, more language teachers recognise the urgent need to include cultural aspects in the language teaching curriculum in order to improve the students' communicative competence but also encourage and favour the students’ personal knowledge and tolerance. The awareness of cultural otherness is the beginning of learning a foreign language. It paves the way to intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in today’s global and multicultural world, which is the goal of foreign language instruction and requires culture and language to be perceived as a unity. Since language is a culturally conditioned phenomenon, it is necessary to raise awareness of cultural otherness. Each culture has distinctive rules and social courtesies that are irrelevant in other cultures. In order to minimise possible misunderstandings, teaching culture along with language can provide students with greater cultural sensitivity and can help them to adjust to other cultures when necessary. Therefore, it stands to reason that students become acquainted with perspectives, practices and products of a target language culture in order that they can communicate successfully. In this respect, highbrow information −also known as the capital ‘C’ culture−, which involves factual information related to literature, arts, education and similar aspects; and lowbrow information −the small ‘C’ culture−, which focuses on customs of everyday life, habits and folklore− must be equally assimilated into the teaching so the students could get a proper insight into the target culture. This information is relevant for language learners, even 2nd year Baccalaureate students, who do not automatically detect differences between British, American and Spanish radio and television, for instance. So, learners need to have these associations brought to their attention in socio-cultural aspects within cross-curricular settings. EN BENEFICIO DE TODOS Y DEL PROPIO AUTOR SE RUEGA NO FOTOCOPIARLO. UNIT 68. Juan Manuel Ángeles Ruiz. The mass media in the English language (II): Radio and television. Advertising in the English-speaking world. Linguistic & semiotic aspects. 13 8. BIBLIOGRAPHY BROMHEAD, P: Life in Modern Britain. Longman, 1992. BROMHEAD, P: Life in Modern America. Longman, 1996. BYRAM, M.: Intercultural Competence. Council of Europe Publishing. Strasbourg. 2003. COMSTOCK, G.: Television in America. Newbury Park. California, 1991. DYER, G.: Advertising as Communication. London. Routledge, 1990. McCULLOCH, G: Because Internet. Understanding the New Rules of Language. Riverhead Books. 2019. MUSMAN, R.: Britain Today. Longman.1989. VIVIAN, J.: The Media of Mass Communication. Pearson College Div. 2012. EN BENEFICIO DE TODOS Y DEL PROPIO AUTOR SE RUEGA NO FOTOCOPIARLO. UNIT 68. Juan Manuel Ángeles Ruiz.