دراسة لغوية-تداولية لجائحة كوفيد-19 لملصقات انكليزية مختارة

A Pragmalinguistic Study of COVID-19 in Selected English Posters

Abstract
This study provides a pragma-linguistics investigation of corona virus in some selected English posters. In this study, the focus is on examine the portrayal of COVID-19 in selected English posters from a pragmalinguistic perspective. The aim of the present research is to enhance public awareness about the best health-care procedures to use during the pandemic. Consequently, twenty posters are chosen randomly from various websites are examined using an eclectic model.
Thus, the current work targets the following aims in the data under scrutiny : 1. It seeks to provide pragmalinguistic strategies for assessing and analyzing the genuine message that English posters convey, as opposed to the speaker’s intended meaning.; 2. To propose a preliminary framework for the study of covid-19 from a pragma-linguistic perspective; 3. Defining Covid-19 posters by highlighting its main pragmalinguistic aspects ; 4. Investigating the most frequent strategies, devices and functions of Covid-19 used in English figures ; 5. Developing a model for analyzing COVID-19 in English posters ; 6. Pinpointing the semio- pragmatic strategies for creating COVID-19 utterance in English posters.
The following hypotheses are proposed in terms of the aims stated above: 1. Representative speech acts are the most frequently used in Covid-19 English posters ; 2. Quality maxim is violated mainly to make Covid-19 utterances in English figures ; 3. Indirect speech act is the most common pragmatic type utilized in Covid-19 English posters; 4. Covid-19 is used in posters for different pragmatic functions. However, warning and advising are the most frequent function ; 5. Indexical expression is the most semio-pragmatic strategy employed to persuade the audience through COVID-19 utterances.
In the current study, descriptive qualitative research is used a semio-pragmatic and pragmatic analysis framework. The data were presented in the form of linguistic elements in English posters, taken from the World Health Organization’s official website and others. The study found two linguistic elements as poster-forming elements, namely visual and verbal elements. Data are analyzed qualitatively. English posters are selected as the sample of study.
The data analysis yields the following outcomes, through icons, indexes, and symbols, visual elements reinforce the meaning of the poster’s theme so that it is easily understood by readers. Meanwhile, verbal elements are realized by the directive speech to facilitate understanding of the intended message as well as indirective speech to consider politeness in delivering the messages. The implication of this study is to analyze these data pragmaliguistically, public knowledge and awareness on the best health practices that can be performed during the pandemic, and on investigating the use of linguistic elements in the delivery of health advice by WHO during Covid-19 pandemic packaged in poster.
The findings revealed that the first and fifth hypotheses are rejected, whereas the second ,third, and fourth are verified.