4.2.1　Identifying Topics in the English learning advertisements

As aforementioned，the English learning advertisements mix several types of genres，including genres of promotion，education science and institutional genre.This heterogeneity in nature determines that there will be mixed patterns of the macro-Topic and hyper-Topics.Whereas the educational genre and institutional genre prefer direct and organized style of writing，the promotional genre causes much more complication in the identification of macro-topic and hyper-Topics in the English learning advertisements.One feature shared by all promotional genres is that the product is always surrounded with an aura of attractive but general words.This aura may relate completely irrelevant qualities or values to the product so that it requires the effort of the reader to unveil the true meaning under the beautiful surface.This is especially true in the case of hyper-Topics—the topics for the stages in the English learning advertisements.

4.2.1.1　Identifying the macro-Topic in the English learning advertisements

The identification of the overall discourse topic，or the macro-Topic，is，not confusing in practice.Readers recognize it almost immediately when they are given the flyer or leaflet in the context.They can even anticipate the discourse topic before they actually read the text.That is，it is an appraisal and promotion of the specific English language school/company.This anticipation of the discourse topic in a given situation is important in the cognitive processes of reading and comprehension.It is confirmed or disconfirmed after they start reading.Presumably because they recognize the demands of topic processing，authors often use signaling devices or cues to help readers identify topics and their relationships，such as headings（see for example，Hyönäand Lorch，2004）.The cues in the discourse that their expectations are often judged upon are the headings on the cover page of the leaflets.In most cases the headings are the brand names of the specific English language schools or companies or the names of the program package of the company being promoted.They are printed in large size and highly distinguishing color in the salient place of the page，all of which serve as the cues for the most important information.According to our model of coherence construction，the expectation of discourse macro-topic takes precedent of the examination of local semantic and syntactic relations in the discourse.

A reader infers a macroproposition from the first sentence（s）of the discourse，and then he assigns the specific superstructure function to that macroproposition（van Dijk and Kintsch，1983：240）.The term“macroproposition”means something similar to the term macro-Topic in this chapter.The assumption of macro-Topic derived from initial textual information and contextual information“will be combined with local semantic information in order to form and confirm hypotheses about the actual schematic category”（ibid：241）.

Figure 4.2　A flyer of an English teaching company

For example，in the following flyer（see Figure 4.2），the big print headline“北京新东方VIP小班课程”and the logo above it will lead to the reader's recognition that the macro-Topic or overall discourse topic is the promotion of the VIP course of the specific English training company.The recognition of the macro-Topic will lead to predictions of the Topics of lower levels in the mind of the experienced readers，especially when they have prior knowledge about the context of the English teaching and training market in China.Actually readers with any contextual knowledge about the concerning company as one of the most famous companies of English teaching services in China will form the assumption that the information in the discourse will probably include the description of the special program，the strengths of it，among others.

Figure 4.3　The cover page of an English learning leaflet

In leaflets and brochures，the identification of the macro-Topic is similar.For example，Figure 4.3 shows the cover page of a leaflet.On the top is the logo and the big print“环球国际口语中心”on a bright red background color.Therefore，the reader will anticipate that the macro-Topic of the leaflet is the promotion of the specific company.Below the big print headline are the verbal slogans and the image of a young girl in red.

4.2.1.2　Identifying hyper-Topics in the English learning advertisements

Compared to macro-Topic，the case of the hyper-Topics in secondary discourse components is much more complex.The examination of the data shows that there are three kinds of hyper-Topics.

Figure 4.4　An example of direct hyper-Topics

（1）Direct hyper-Topic.The section concerned has a verbal headline which is suitable to serve as the hyper-Topic.The page in Figure 4.4 is the second page of a leaflet whose cover page is shown in the above Figure 4.3.As Figure 4.4 shows，at the topmost is the organization name“环球国际口语中心”（global international speaking English center）which repeats the heading of the cover page and overrules the whole current page and thus could be regarded as the macro-Topic of the page under discussion.Three separate yet related sections are marked by clear clues of verbal and typographical devices such as color，framing and spatial segmentation.The verbal clue refers to the three headlines in the same typographical font，that is，white words on blue bars.From the top downwards，the first section headline reads“中心简介——搭建高效课程，与世界对话”（profile of the centre—establish effective courses and communicate with the world），the second“八大课程优势”（eight key strengths of our courses），and the last one“了解外教口语沙龙课程学习原理”（the rationale of the speaking salon taught by foreign teachers）.Each of them functions as the hyper-Topic of the verbal text and images within the section.The sentence“口语之树在环球成长”（the tree of spoken English is growing in Huanqiu company）should be regarded as a metaphorical rephrasing of the hyper-Topic of the bottom section and it coheres with the semantic content in both the verbal part and the pictorial part（the image of a tree）in this section.The contact information above the tree image is another section independent from them.

（2）Indirect（often in a positively decorated way）hyper-Topic.This is evidence for the promotional nature of these leaflets.The discourse unit has a title or headline，but often in such a beautified manner that it becomes not so revealing of its connection with the overall hyper-Topic.Some of such section headlines are ornamented in beautified phrases;the reader can still infer the hyper-Topic of it through its implied information and his experience with and knowledge of similar genres.The following sample in Figure 4.5 is an example of such beautified hyper-topics.The section is actually the stage of“Corporate Profile”，which can be inferred from the phrase“the‘Benz’among English language schools”and the information in the verbal paragraph below it.The headline“选择英语学校中的‘奔驰’”（choose the“Benz”among English language schools）is a indirect metaphorical form of saying“EF is the best among all English language schools”.

Figure 4.5　An example of indirect hyper-Topics

（3）Disguised hyper-Topic.A few advertisements use indirect expressions that are literally more distant from the hyper-Topic.The aim is to conceal the promotional purpose and to gain the trust of readers.This kind of disguised hyper-Topic cannot give the reader effective clues to predict what is elaborated in the section.Thus it alone cannot function as the hyper-Topic.The hyper-Topic needs to be abstracted with the assistance of the semantic content and typographical features of the section and the reader's familiarity with the genre concerned.The sample section below in Figure 4.6 shows such a disguised hyper-Theme.The headline is“Q&A”，that is，the frequently asked questions by learners and the answers.The verbal text takes the form of five pairs of questions and answers.However，a closer examination finds that these questions and answers are actually“doubts and promises”.What needs to be noted is that the sample section is excerpted from a leaflet boosting a one-to-one VIP course which charges very expensive tuition fee.The“Q&A”section thus serves to persuade the readers that their program is worth spending so much money on against the prevailing doubts about it.The questions phrase the doubts and hesitations of learners towards the program，including the class content，effect，tuition and teacher，and the answers provide promises accordingly to sway the potential clients.

Figure 4.6　An example of disguised hyper-Topics