English and Asian Flavor in Russian Advertising of the Far East

Abstract

Glocalization of English in the Russian sociolinguistic setting can be observed in advertising that has been booming in Russia since the fall of the Iron Curtain. Many features of Russian ads—structural, semantic, and functional—have been influenced by English. In Asian Russia, advertising also bears traces of cultural influences from the neighboring countries, which makes it more colorful and distinctive. Formally, English influence is observed in a number of ways, from employing words and sentences in this language to code-mixing, including shifting of letters and word switching. Semantic analysis has revealed a change of meaning of some key English words used in Russian ads. The functional role of English is in its association with internationalism, modernization, innovation, prestige, creativity, and entertainment. English words used in ads are often helpful in English language teaching and learning. At the same time, functional analysis has revealed the dynamics of Russian cultural values.