The Perception of Nature in Travel Promotion Texts: A Corpus-based Discourse Analysis

162 Pages·2014·0.892 MB·English

by  Ida Ruffolo

li201 li201
li
Linguistic Insights
201
Studies in Language and Communication
Given the consolidated effects of the greening
process on the tourism industry, this volume in-
s
vestigates the relationship between three areas xt
e
of research - the natural environment, tourism T
n
and discourse - and how this relationship is af- o
fected by and affects society as a whole. In par- oti
m
ticular, the book highlights the central role of
o
language in constructing eco-friendly tourist Pr
sites. Since the images associated with nature are el
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various, this study examines the uses of nature a
r
and explores how the terms nature and natural n T
are constructed within the texts. The research e i
identifies how nature is linguistically defined and ur
t
constructed by advertisers in travel promotion a
N
texts in order to attract potential ‘green’ tourists. f
o
The study also analyses the promotion of pro- n
tected areas to verify the extent to which these tio
areas meet the criteria on sustainable tourism p
e
set by the World Tourism Organization. rc
e
By adopting a corpus-based discourse analysis P
e
perspective which combines both qualitative h
T
and quantitative approaches, the book unravels •
the complex interrelationship between the envi- o
ronment, tourism and advertising. fol Ida Ruffolo
uf
R
a
d
I
The Perception
of Nature in Travel
Ida Ruffolo is a Researcher in English Language
and Linguistics at the University of Calabria, Italy, Promotion Texts
where she teaches EAP and ESP. She holds a
Ph.D. in Language analysis and interdisciplinary
studies from the University of Calabria and an
MA in ELT from the University of Reading (UK).
A Corpus-based
Her main research interests are Corpus Linguis-
tics, Discourse Analysis and ESP, specifically the Discourse Analysis
language of tourism.
ISBN 978-3-0343-1521-0 g
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e
www.peterlang.com P
li201 li201
li
Linguistic Insights
201
Studies in Language and Communication
Given the consolidated effects of the greening
process on the tourism industry, this volume in-
s
vestigates the relationship between three areas xt
e
of research - the natural environment, tourism T
n
and discourse - and how this relationship is af- o
fected by and affects society as a whole. In par- oti
m
ticular, the book highlights the central role of
o
language in constructing eco-friendly tourist Pr
sites. Since the images associated with nature are el
v
various, this study examines the uses of nature a
r
and explores how the terms nature and natural n T
are constructed within the texts. The research e i
identifies how nature is linguistically defined and ur
t
constructed by advertisers in travel promotion a
N
texts in order to attract potential ‘green’ tourists. f
o
The study also analyses the promotion of pro- n
tected areas to verify the extent to which these tio
areas meet the criteria on sustainable tourism p
e
set by the World Tourism Organization. rc
e
By adopting a corpus-based discourse analysis P
e
perspective which combines both qualitative h
T
and quantitative approaches, the book unravels •
the complex interrelationship between the envi- o
ronment, tourism and advertising. fol Ida Ruffolo
uf
R
a
d
I
The Perception
of Nature in Travel
Ida Ruffolo is a Researcher in English Language
and Linguistics at the University of Calabria, Italy, Promotion Texts
where she teaches EAP and ESP. She holds a
Ph.D. in Language analysis and interdisciplinary
studies from the University of Calabria and an
MA in ELT from the University of Reading (UK).
A Corpus-based
Her main research interests are Corpus Linguis-
tics, Discourse Analysis and ESP, specifically the Discourse Analysis
language of tourism.
g
n
a
L

r
e
t
e
P
The Perception of Nature in Travel Promotion Texts
Linguistic Insights
Studies in Language and Communication
Edited by Maurizio Gotti,
University of Bergamo
Volume 201
ADVISORY BOARD
Vijay Bhatia (Hong Kong)
Christopher Candlin (Sydney)
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Norman Fairclough (Lancaster)
John Flowerdew (Hong Kong)
Ken Hyland (Hong Kong)
Roger Lass (Cape Town)
Matti Rissanen (Helsinki)
Françoise Salager-Meyer (Mérida, Venezuela)
Srikant Sarangi (Cardiff)
Susan Šarcˇevi´c (Rijeka)
Lawrence Solan (New York)
Peter M. Tiersma (Los Angeles)
PETER LANG
Bern • Berlin • Bruxelles • Frankfurt am Main • New York • Oxford • Wien
Ida Ruffolo
The Perception
of Nature in Travel
Promotion Texts
A Corpus-based Discourse Analysis
PETER LANG
Bern • Berlin • Bruxelles • Frankfurt am Main • New York • Oxford • Wien
Bibliographic information published by die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche National-
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2014951070
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ISSN 1424-8689 pb. ISSN 2235-6371 eBook
ISBN 978-3-0343-1521-0 pb. ISBN 978-3-0351-0732-6 eBook
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Printed in Switzerland
To my parents

Contents
Acknowledgements ..............................................................................xi
1 Introduction .......................................................................................1
1.1 Background to and purpose of the study ...............................1
1.2 Reasons for choosing the tourism sector ...............................3
1.3 Research focus and outline of context ...................................4
2 Theoretical Background ....................................................................7
2.1 Introduction ...........................................................................7
2.2 Defining Discourse ...............................................................7
2.2.1 Analyzing environmental discourse in the media .......8
2.2.1.1 Identifying the construction of nature
in advertisements .......................................10
2.2.2 Analyzing the social phenomenon of Tourism ........14
2.2.2.1 Definition and brief history ........................14
2.2.2.1.1 Sustainable Tourism ..................16
2.2.2.2 Recognizing the status of the discourse
of tourism and its implications ....................17
2.3 Environment, Tourism and Advertising:
A complex interaction ..........................................................20
2.4 Theoretical Background of the
Methodological Approach ...................................................22
2.4.1 Discourse Analysis ..................................................22
2.4.2 Corpus Linguistics....................................................23
2.4.3 Corpus-based discourse analysis .............................25
3 Research Framework .......................................................................27
3.1 Research aims ......................................................................27
3.2 Building up a corpus of travel promotion texts ...................27
3.3 Combining Corpus Linguistics to Discourse Analysis ........29
3.3.1 The quantitative approach: Collocational analysis ....29
3.3.2 The qualitative contribution .....................................37
3.3.2.1 Categories of nature ....................................38
3.3.2.2 Functions of nature .....................................41
3.3.2.3 Guidelines of sustainable tourism ...............46
4 The Perception of Nature in the TPT Corpus ..................................49
4.1 Introductory remarks ...........................................................49
4.2 Analysis ...............................................................................49
4.2.1 Quantitative investigation .........................................50
4.3 Identifying the linguistic and social
construction of nature ..........................................................54
4.3.1 Accessible Wild Nature ............................................58
4.3.2 Untamed Nature .......................................................62
4.3.3 Tamed Nature ...........................................................65
4.3.4 Artificial Nature ........................................................68
4.3.5 Discussion ................................................................71
4.4 Functions of nature .............................................................73
4.4.1 The Recreational function .......................................78
4.4.2 The Promotional function ........................................80
4.4.3 The Preservative function ........................................81
4.4.4 The Educational function ........................................82
4.4.5 The Aesthetic function .............................................83
4.4.6 The Global economy function .................................83
4.4.7 The Nourishing/nurturing function .........................84
4.4.8 The Cultural function ..............................................85
4.4.9 The Local economy function ...................................86
4.4.10 The Spiritual function ..............................................86
4.4.11 Discussion ................................................................87
4.5 The TPT Corpus and sustainable tourism ...........................88
4.5.1 Enhancing Economic Opportunity ...........................91
4.5.2 Protecting Natural and Cultural Heritage .................97
4.5.3 Enhancing the Quality of Life ................................101
4.5.4 Discussion ..............................................................103
4.6 Concluding remarks ..........................................................106
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