© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.
Estate agent language
At a time when the term ‘property porn’ makes its way onto the pages of the newest dictionaries (‘a genre of escapist TV programmes, magazine features etc, showing desirable properties for sale, especially those in idyllic locations, or in need of renovation, or both’; Collins Dictionary 2005 edition), we thought it would be fun to look at some of the most lurid examples of real estate advertising we have encountered. Taken from the pages of New Zealand's Property Press, they make their UK equivalents with their restrained descriptions of ‘solid 1930's semis’ and ‘convenient townhouses’ look like very half-hearted attempts at persuasion.
Our commentator is Dr Martin Andrew, who has taught Renaissance Literature and Early Cinema at the Universities of Auckland and Otago and now teaches on the BA in English and Cultural Studies at Unitec, New Zealand, where his research interest is discourse analysis. This trilogy of interests come together in his commentary, making for an original and entertaining take on these adverts.
The commentator
Martin Andrew's bifurcated career has, to stage, straddled two areas of English. The first, in the nineties, focused on teaching and researching English Renaissance Drama and Early Cinema at the Universities of Otago and Auckland in New Zealand. He completed his doctorate, a thesis entitled Women and Enclosure: The Imprisoned Woman in Renaissance Drama from Kyd to Shirley, in 1991. More latterly, he has worked in applied linguistics, with specialization in Curriculum Development in English as an Additional Language (EAL) at Unitec in Auckland, New Zealand.