Semiotic Resources in the Advertisement of Tertiary Institutions Qualifying Exams Preparatory Classes in a Nigerian University Town by Rebecca Ibukunoluwa

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HTTP://DOI.ORG/10.33234/SSR.18.8

 

Abstract

Proprietors and proprietresses of extramural classes in the university town of Ile-Ife, Nigeria, aggressively advertise their exams preparatory centres by appropriating multimodal resources to persuade admission seekers to higher institutions to choose their services over and above those of other competitors in the vicinity. This article examines the semiotic resources in the discourse to achieve their communicative goals. The data for the study comprise purposively selected posters from some prominent tutorial centres. The study adopts van Leeuwen’s social semiotics theory. The study reveals that the advertisers deploy semiotic resources which suit the symbolic context of appealing to the dreams and anxiety of the admission seekers. It also demonstrates how general features of advertising language are harnessed creatively with digital resources to achieve rhetorical effect. 

Keywords: Rhetoric; advertisement; extramural classes; qualifying exams; university town