English in Iranian magazine advertising1

• Published in: World Englishes 2012-09, Vol.31 (3), p.292-311
• Main Authors: BAUMGARDNER, ROBERT J., BROWN, KIMBERLEY
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: English language; Islamic culture; Print advertising
• ISSN: 0883-2919; 1467-971X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-971X.2012.01761.x

In the thirty‐two years since the Islamic Revolution occurred in Iran, economic and cultural globalization have affected the role of English in multiple domains in the country. Within the domain of advertising, shifts have occurred throughout the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Persian scholars have attributed the source of these shifts to tension between local and global identities and to shifts in government advertising policy. This paper explores a data set of 335 advertisements taken from magazines from the period 2006–2008. We contrast borrowings and language display and explore language use in the six parts of the advertisements. In roughly half of the ads, language display was evident. None of the ads were English only, although many of the Farsi2 ads were Farsi only. The targeted audience appeared to affect how much English appeared in ads along with the type of product or procedure advertised. Given the current status of English‐knowing Iranians, the authors conclude that English is likely to continue to have a vibrant presence in certain types of advertisements even as the government continues to promote the ideal of a modern Muslim linked neither to the West nor the East.