A study on linguistic features of overstatements in english and vietnamese advertisements in the hospitality industry

Abstract

Nowadays, advertisements are becoming an indispensable part in our daily lives. Most studies of advertisements concentrate on different aspects of the persuasive strategies, such as language, visual design, or psychology. Nonetheless, little has been conducted about the pragmatic features of overstatements in advertisements, especially in the hospitality industry. This research will thoroughly analyze the pragmatic features of overstatements in 50 English and 50 Vietnamese advertisements collected from the official website of the most famous hotels and resorts in the USA and Vietnam based on their obedience and flouting of Grice’s Cooperative Principles and Leech’s Politeness Principles by using a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The findings suggest that overstatements are frequently used in both English and Vietnamese advertisements in the hospitality industry. The study also reveals that overstatements in both languages are primarily used to persuade potential customers to choose the advertised product or service. In terms of the pragmatic features of overstatements, the study shows that overstatements in English advertisements tend to be more direct and explicit than in Vietnamese advertisements. Additionally, it appears that cultural factors may influence the use of overstatements in advertisements. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of how overstatements are used in advertisements in different languages and cultural contexts.