English, the international key to success and fame

Linguistic Imperialism, a phrase used when a language spoken by a majority is forced upon a minority due to the current demands of today's generation. There are many examples of this but the strongest example of this would be English.

English has been termed as the language of business and people are required to speak this in the world of politics, international business, and of course pop culture. Successful celebrities are known worldwide in English and non-English speaking countries. Taylor Swift is one of the best known singers and has been internationally ranked as Number 2 on world stage.

English like any language is widely spoken in a few countries (ex: USA, UK, etc,) but if one wants to be deemed in an international celebrity they must speak, and perform in English (regardless of their nationality or first language). Often times celebrities are required to broaden their spectrum in order to achieve stardom. An example of this; Shakira. Shakira originally started her career with purely Spanish music. She did attract a crowd but it was very small compared to other singers. She realized that if she wanted to be successful she would have to broaden her music spectrum, when is when she started incorporating English into her songs. Initially it was a few phrases but after she realized the attention she attracted she made music her foundation and a couple Spanish phrases to add a "color" to set her apart. Today she even has songs that are just English. She is deemed as a worldwide performer since she has performed in major events such as FIFA world cup and in many different countries.

Another example I found was Priyanka Chopra.  She is a major A-list celebrity in India but she wanted to have a larger audience. She already had her Indian fans and focused on attracting the attention of Indian one, which is why she started her entire singing career speaking English in the United States.

Even though English has been deemed the key to success there have been instances that a celebrity has been able to break through. Psy was number one of the billboards for his songs "Gangnam Style" for weeks because consumers found a certain exotic appeal to his music. Although he was popular for a while, it was short lived because his songs contained two words of English.

The point that is trying to be made is that language is the key to success and fame. Without it one cannot reach a wider audience, therefore cannot become successful in this world.Yes there are many talented people in the world but without the power of speaking English they will not get very far.

Paper 1 Text 2 Analysis

The following is an analysis of a Paper 1 Text:

This text is clearly multi-vocal as it can be expressed and interpreted into having many different meanings.  Its features strongly suggest that it is an informative article with the hidden agenda therefore I personally believe that it is an advertisement. The text begins with the "number crunch", leading the reader to believe that it is a factual and informative article. This company also uses marketing strategies to show that it is an elitist community which aims to help poorer regions. This adver-informatory article is sectioned into three areas in which it slowly explains every tier of service only to close with a positive note on what they strive to accomplish.

 “Oxfam” convinces its readers of its genuine message. The purpose of this article is generally clear; to persuade and encourage people to help and contribute to this cause. is article is posted on the company’s webpage therefore it aims to target people who are interested in the topic, understand the problem, and are finding a way to contribute towards the solution. This is known because the article refers to how one can help shedding a positive tone on the situation.  Again referring back to the use of the “number crunch” it is clear that this article aims to inform people hence the use of excessive facts and figures. This “number crunch” technique is often used in order to convince the masses by using factual knowledge which an educated audience are more inclined to believe than opinion. 

As stated before I saw this article as an advertisement as well. The article uses personal pronouns in a way to get the reader involved. This way it becomes the reader's mission to do complete this task. This all comes from the advertisement so in a sense they are fueling the "spirit" and motivation.Therefore using certain phrases as “we” and “together” really is an interactive experience and in a sense says: "you can help us ( and yourself) by donating".

The article continues to address the impending hunger epidemic conundrum in the African regions and states that the problem is due to poor farming and water supply conditions. Again numbers are used again as Oxfam states they are sending aid to families in those regions. This is where the tone and mood can be deciphered. 

This article is written in a sad light highlighting the problems of poverty that are in Africa. Using deep meanings and messages the article is set in a dark and sad mood and tone. The informatory section is very intense clearly highlighting all the problems that are being faced. Although as the article transitions to its convincing section it slowly transitions to hopeful and light saying this problem can be fixed. This common strategy of laying dark imagery to later help sell a product is used in a hidden way throughout this entire article. The use of “crisis” in the beginning and “fixing” in the end presents the problem solution appeal which tends to be most effective when there is an emotional connection with the problem.

In conclusion this article clearly depends on the emotional sides of humans to pull people in (ethos). Ethos not only helps draw people in but also disguise the nature of the article. By stating that they are a purely humanitarian cause they attempt to show their selflessness in order to receive a profit. 

Native Advertisements

At our new day and age advertisements have become a part of our culture. Whether we like it or dislike it advertisements have been integrated into everything we do, even when we do not notice it. Native advertisements are adverts that are so cleverly disguised in an article that it has become the norm. The image below is an example of a native advertisement.

This article is actually an advertisement by Ben and Jerry's, placed strategically in a buzz feed article. Ben and Jerry choose to place their advertisement in this article because Buzz feed is a "pop culture information" source which has been known to attract younger crowds. Also Ben and Jerry's has many shop locations in NYC and choose Buzz feed (a company based in New York) to display their article. Specifically in this article Ben and Jerry's is targeting the younger NYC citizens as well as the tourists: "Whether your here for years or the weekend".  This line shows that they are focused on integrating their product into your lifestyle regardless of how long your in the city.

The mood is very happy, hopeful, and carefree where the tone is slightly more persistent: "18 foods everyone must try before leaving NYC". It comes of as friendly as the article as the author tries to talk to the reader in a "friend to friend' manner, thus making the reader relate it to the product. This advertisement is also very user friendly because they have buttons on the bottom which you can click to easily share their page(creating a larger audience through the different social networking streams).

Its advertisements like these that are so cleverly placed that it becomes unclear in our mind the nature of an article. It subconsciously builds a bridge between the level of interest in the article and the product itself.