English Mixing in Advertising in Taiwan: A Study of English-Literate Readers' Attitudes

台灣廣告裡之中英文夾雜：懂英文讀者之態度調查

胥嘉陵(Jia-Ling Hsu)

《Concentric： Studies in Linguistics》 39卷1期 (2013/05) Pp. 91-122

https://doi.org/10.6241/concentric.ling.201305_39(1).0004

摘要

本研究藉著調查下列兩議題，呈現出台灣廣告裡中英文夾雜之社會語言態度概要。調查之兩議題為：一般大眾對廣告裡中英文夾雜之態度及台灣廣告裡英文所具有之社會心理意義。此研究資料來源為不同教育程度、職業之425位民眾之問卷調查。研究結果顯示在台灣廣告裡英文之使用非常受歡迎，但各類型廣告裡中英夾雜形式遠比全英文形式接受程度高。「國際性」是英文在台灣廣告裡最顯著之社會心理意義，但實際上，英文所具有之社會心理意義隨著廣告文案之英文夾雜程度和廣告產品類型不同而改變。全英文廣告文案比中英夾雜文案更具有「國際性」之特質，而中英夾雜文案則顯示「流行趨勢」，「俏皮活潑」之特色。當廣告產品為國外進口，廣告裡使用英文有助於提高消費者對這類產品之信心；但當產品為國內製造，或廣告裡使用大量英文或艱難英文用字時，英文之使用則無助於增加消費者對這類廣告產品之信心，究其因是台灣一般大眾低落之英語程度所致。此低落英文程度也影響到大眾對不同類型產品裡文案設計之偏好─當產品類型為國外進口者，中英文夾雜文案最受青睞，當產品在國內製造，純中文文案形式最受歡迎，次之為各類型之中英夾雜形式。

關鍵字

台灣廣告裡中英文夾雜 ； 讀者態度調查 ； 英文之社會心理意義 ； 廣告產品類型

並列摘要

This study provides an attitudinal sociolinguistic profile of English mixing in advertisements in Taiwan by investigating the general public's attitudes towards English mixing in advertising and the socio-psychological features English in advertising has acquired in Taiwan.The data of this study were collected from a questionnaire survey administered to 425 subjects of various ages, education levels, and occupations. Frequency counts were performed to analyze the data.Results indicate that various types of English-mixed advertising copy are positively received, and code-mixed copy is far more acceptable than monolingual English copy. Socio-psychologically, internationalism is the most conspicuous feature English has acquired in advertising in Taiwan. However, the specific socio-psychological effects of English vary with different degrees of English mixing in advertising copy and advertised product type. While monolingual English copy yields a greater sense of internationalism than code-mixed copy, code-mixed copy mainly signifies trendiness and cuteness. Using English in advertising imported products helps to promote consumers' confidence in these products. However, this positive effect of English does not extend either to the promotion of consumers' confidence in domestic products or to their acceptance of extensive and difficult English, due to the general public's low English proficiency.

並列關鍵字

English mixing in advertising in Taiwan ； English-literate readers' attitudes ； socio-psychological features ； advertised product type

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