Using Language to Mobilize the Public in the Crisis: The Case of COVID-19 Public Notices on the Banners

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic calls for effective use of language to keep the public informed of the pandemic update and prevention measures. Meanwhile, the crisis context of the pandemic shaped the language use as well. Drawing upon public notices on the banners in China, this study shows how public notices on the banners have been used to perform the speech acts of warning, appeal, instruction, and prohibition. To mobilize the public to join in the battle of the pandemic, multiple speech acts have been adopted to achieve one purpose like asking the public to wear masks, which, the authors argue, is an indication of the diversity of crisis communication during the COVID-19. To better warn the public of some risky behaviors, some impolite utterances have been used as a vehicle in the warnings. This study not only shows how language is used to mobilize the public during COVID-19, but also points to the shaping role of the crisis context in the language use.