Research On Construction Of Pragmatic Identity In WeChat Seller’s Advertising Discourse

Identity is a pragmatic resource flexibly used by interlocutors in the context with the purpose of achieving many communicative purposes.With the rise of constructionism,identity research becomes one of the hot topics in the field of pragmatics,which leads to people’s exploration of the dynamic attributes of identity.This study draws on Tracy’s(2013)definition and classification of identity and Chen’s(2013a)identity discourse practice framework to explore identity construction in We Chat advertising.This study raises the following questions:(1)What identities do We Chat sellers build in advertisements?(2)What tactics and strategies are used in constructing these identities?(3)What are the motivations for identity construction?In order to answer the three questions above,this study mainly uses a qualitative research method to analyze the advertisements on the Moments in screenshot.A total of 70 different product posts are collected from 25 We Chat sellers to study what different identities are constructed when products are advertised.The study finds that: First,in the advertising posts,the identity of the seller,group,recommender,expert,veteran,and extended identities including entrepreneurial supporters and trainer teachers are mainly constructed.Second,in order to construct a consistent relational identity,some speakers use specific language forms and strategies.Identities are characterized by identity labels,deictic terms,professional vocabulary,and personal experiences and stories,etc.Third,the contextual motivation for identities construction can be explored from the particularity of We Chat network context and the diversity and shifting of identity construction.According to Verschueren’s adaptation theory,identity construction in We Chat advertisements reflects the dynamic adaptation of We Chat sellers in the context of the Internet,which is affected by the social and psychological distance between We Chat sellers and potential consumers.In addition,the technical possibilities and limitations provided by the We Chat platform will also affect the dynamic construction of identity.