Abstract:
This paper presents findings of a Linguistic Analysis of Mobile Phone
Companies’ Slogans: a case of Vodacom and Tigo in Tanzania. It specifically
aimed at analysing linguistics forms used in constructing mobile phone
companies’ slogans and examining the type of illocutionary acts portrayed by
the slogans. A total of 25 slogans were collected from online websites of the
Tigo and Vodacom mobile phone companies using documentation method and
analysed using content analysis. The findings indicate that slogans from
mobile phone companies mostly use sentences and, in some instances, phrases
and words. Also, the findings revealed that the dominant illocutionary speech
acts embedded in the slogans is assertive which intends to change the beliefs
of the customer. The other illocutionary speech acts identified are directive
which requires the customers to take action in regard to the services and
products advertised; and commissive which shows a promise for better
services and products for opting customers. Conclusively, mobile phone
companies prefer to use sentences and, in few instances, paired phrases to
construct the slogans. The constructed slogans largely portray assertive acts
which are complemented by commissive and d
