Voices and Choices: Concerns of Linguists, Advertisers and Society

Abstract

This article has as its backdrop the viewpoints of linguists and the choices of advertisers with regards to the voices used to represent society. These voices and choices are contextualised via one of the most powerful means of reaching out to influence urban society – radio advertisements in English.In Malaysia, as in many other outer circle countries, there are institutionalized varieties of English used in the domains of society. This article investigates the nature of these varieties of Malaysian English used in radio advertisements. Is there a correlation between the varieties of English used and the function of the various parts of the advertisement? What reasons do the decision makers in the advertising industry have for their various choices of the voices in radio advertisements?The investigation of the above questions will have implications for issues related to identity, status and standards of the institutionalized varieties of English. The interphase of opinions and responses of linguists, advertisers and society will provide greater credence and awareness of the implications of the choices of Malaysian voices over the sound waves.

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