Visual advertisements: a tool for English language teaching?

Advertising as one of the phenomena of modern times is often an inseparable, though undesirable part of our everyday lives. Current trends indicate that there are still more and more anglicisms, internationalisms, and particles of different cultures penetrating billboard advertisements in many towns and cities around the world, and Slovakia is no exception. The crucial question of this article is: How is it possible to use advertisements in English language teaching and learning? To answer this question, the examination is focused on: (1) defining the role and characteristic traits of advertisements; (2) searching for the linkage between the psychological principles of advertising and psychology of learning foreign languages; (3) the frequency of anglicisms and internationalisms in billboard advertisements in particular areas of selected Slovak cities; (4) concrete suggestions for teaching practice based on the previous findings.