Paris City Guide: Lonely Planet

Context

The video advert travel guide was published on the 22nd February 2013. This means that the audience can still relate to what is being described, as the places are still relevant.  The guide gives brief background information about Paris, and it explores what the city is famed for, and suggests what visitors might do and see during their stay. The narrator is female with a North American accent.  Read it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XYUHJ13KHM (Embed)

Caption: : The video in its original format.

Mode, Genre, Purpose + Audience

Although the mode is spoken, it is worth noting that this discourse is planned, and thus lacks the false starts and hesitation indicators of spontaneous speech. The advert also makes use of pictures and music to communicate information. The genre of the piece is a transcript, as can be identified by the pause notations [(.) (2)] and bold lexis (stressed syllables or words). The purpose is to entertain, whilst also persuade and interest people in Paris. The audience of the advert is likely to be adults, as the complex language indicates. The content of the video is largely relevant to people who haven't been to Paris before, as the video advises what to do and where to go whilst in Paris.  Also, the lack of deixis suggests that the author is targeting an audience of people who aren't currently in Paris, as it does not assume that they have any experience of Paris.

Features of the text

Music is used to introduce a new topic, and this keeps the audience's attention on the advert. Facts are used within the extract in two ways; Giving background information about the topic (e.g. 'home to over two million people') being short and snappy, and thus memorable to the audience (e.g. 'Paris... is divided into twenty districts') A list of three is also used ('romance, culture and beauty') which reinforces the general feelings towards Paris.

Language features: The list of three 'romance, culture and beauty' also relates to the lexical field of the advert, as Paris is often described as the city of love, for example.  There are a lot of intensifiers used in the narrative e.g) 'mighty Arc de Triomphe' and 'grand boulevards'. This persuades people to visit Paris. There is a lot of Anglo-French vocabulary such as Seine, art nouveau, Montmarte and Louvre. This may create a language barrier to the audience, but it emphasises the reliability of the information within the advert.  The transcript is written in formal language, with complex sentences and little personal opinion expressed of Paris. This shows how the narrator is disconnected from the topic. The transcript makes use of the second person to directly address the reader as 'you' and make them feel more involved. 

Adjectives and Nouns

Adjectives such as little, other, greatest and grand are positive and portray Paris in a positive light.Nouns such as Paris, Louvre, Middle Ages, the Eiffel Tower and France are used. A lot of the nouns are proper, which reinforces the idea that this transcript is a piece of travel writing persuading people to visit Paris. 

How Paris is presented

Paris is presented as a place rich in history and culture, as it references several places of cultural interest and importance. Paris is personified as it is said to 'straddle' the river Seine. This makes Paris seem active, especially as the word 'straddles' is present tense.