Author:
Vesna Mikolič, PhD
Research Associate
Senior Lecturer
University of Primorska,
Science and Research Centre Koper, Institute of Linguistics and
Faculty of Humanities Koper, Department of Slovene Studies
Address:
University of Primorska,
Science and Research Centre Koper
Garibaldijeva 1
SI - 6000 Koper
Tel. +386 5 6637700
Fax +386 5 6637710
vesna.mikolic@zrs-kp.si
http://www.zrs-kp.si
Truth-creation in tourist advertising discourse
Abstract
The paper focuses on the relationship between the premises of argument and truth in tourist
advertising discourse. The attention is drawn to different ways of linguistic expression of
illocutionary force that in tourist advertising discourse play a special role. In fact, in the
argumentative process in tourist advertising (as in all kinds of advertisements) arguments are
created primarily to convince potential user/visitor to use/visit the suggested service/place,
regardless how much the argument is based on real tourist offer. The text in tourist advertising
is basically to a great extent subjective. Nevertheless, the message is not long-term effective if
the argument differs too much from the objective truth since it probably convinces a customer
just once. Due to this fact the argument should be limited in some way considering the real
state of tourist offer. In other words, the speaker's relation to the actual tourist offer as
proposition contents in argumentative process causes restrictions or modifications of
arguments.
In terms of the functional linguistics it is an ideational function of a text which is important in
this case since it is here where the ratio between the truth and argument is formed. From the
aspect of long-term effect of tourist advertising texts, the arguments based on objective truth or
being close to it, are stronger than those which are very subjective. Therefore, tourist
advertising texts nearly resemble expert texts, whose aim is above all to precisely determine
the reception of the addressee e.g. to describe an object or explain its function in a way that
gives the addressee a lifelike situation. On the other hand, without a subjective view on
proposition contents, the tourist offer would become less attractive for the user and the tourist
advertising text less effective. Bridging the »gap« between objective truth, that is real tourist
offer, and subjectivity is possible by modification of arguments. It allows the formation of also
more or less subjective arguments which are, however, relativised, so that they express an
obvious or less obvious deviation from the objective truth.
A discourse analysis of tourist brochures in Slovene-Italian border area is used as the main
method for monitoring argument modification in the present research, where we try to find out
the frequency and the language means the arguments in tourist advertising texts are relativised
with. We would like to know if the extent and type of argument modification depends on the
kind of tourist offer, that is primary offer (natural and social tourist means) or secondary offer
(accommodation, transport and sport facilities, services, social events, infrastructure, health
facilities, entertainment etc.). Language means of argument modification are classified
according to meaning and form. Also some intercultural differences in tourist advertising
discourse from the aspect of argument modification are given.