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Language Use in the New Era of Entertainment: Saudi Seasons (2019 and on)

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Introduction

The new era of entertainment in Saudi Arabia, initiated by the General Entertainment

Authority, has brought tremendous changes to the country's social interactions and language use.

Establishment of the annual entertainment festivals in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh Season,

Jeddah Season, and Dammam Season has resulted to thousands of visitors from around the world

are attracted to the country each year. As a result, a shift in social interactions and language use

throughout the entertainment settings has been witnessed.

This literature review aims to explore the various aspects of language use in the new era

of entertainment in Saudi Arabia. It will explore the nature of verbal and non-verbal interaction,

the new patterns of social interaction, how social interaction varies among the 11 regions of

entertainment seasons, how multilingualism is reflected in social interaction, the influence of

linguistic and non-linguistic features that prompt participants to respond in certain ways, how

each entertainment season slogan reflects into language behavior, how professionals and decision

makers use language in the media in the context of entertainment, and how cultural mediation

can be used to address issues in interaction. The findings of this literature review will be of value

to researchers, practitioners, and decision makers interested in understanding the role of language

in the entertainment setting.

The Nature of Verbal and Non-verbal Interaction in the New era of Entertainment

Discourse analysis and linguistics studies have concentrated on the nature of verbal and

non-verbal interaction in the new era of entertainment. Language use in social contact varies

based on the setting, the individuals, and their histories, claim Chen and Weise (2007).

Participants interact verbally and nonverbally in the setting of entertainment through various

forms of entertainment like humour, drama, and music. Turner (2006) emphasizes the
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significance of language use in comic situations and in the entertainment industry since it is

essential to the hilarious effect. Additionally, Stafford and Thomas (2008) emphasize the various

ways that audience members connect with one other and with the artists when participating in

entertainment events.

New Patterns of Social Interaction in the Entertainment Industry.

In terms of how individuals engage in various contexts, the entertainment business has

seen major changes recently. As a result, novel social interactional patterns have emerged.

According to research, social interaction in the context of entertainment is more varied and

complex than before. As an illustration, the use of social media platforms has produced brand-

new opportunities for people to participate and communicate with one another during events.

This has made it easier for online communities to grow that go beyond the confines of the

entertainment industry (Kjeldskov et al., 2016). In addition, experiential entertainment is

becoming more popular as people prefer to participate in the action rather than only watch it.

In recent years, as Saudi Arabia has opened up to foreign tourists and entertainment

events, new social interaction patterns have emerged in the entertainment industry. Due to the

participation of individuals from many cultures and linguistic groups in the entertainment events,

social contact has taken on a more diversified and bilingual tone.

Among people, language and non-linguistic cues are the two main forms of

communication. According to a new study by Leander and Bolden (2019), verbal and non-verbal

cues are both crucial to comprehending classroom engagement. Nonverbal cues, such as eye

contact, nodding, and facial expressions, were found to be more important in managing discourse

and forging social bonds than verbal cues, which were found to be utilized to convey

information. Nonverbal cues are essential in the context of entertainment situations for producing
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an immersive and compelling experience for the audience. According to research, nonverbal cues

like lighting, music, and set design can affect how an audience member feels about a

performance (Juslin & Västfjäll, 2008). Additionally, linguistic elements like word choice and

tone, can also influence the audience's perception of the performance (Nakamura, 2019).

Furthermore, studies have demonstrated that participants' responses are influenced by

both language and non-linguistic cues. Non-linguistic clues, such body language, gestures, and

facial expressions, are frequently utilized to convey attitudes or feelings (Gullberg & Holmqvist,

2006). On the other hand, linguistic traits like tone and pitch can be used to express a speaker's

attitude, attitude, or socioeconomic standing (Burke, 1998). Additionally, nonverbal signs like

physical proximity can indicate power dynamics or intimacy between participants (Martin,

2005). Therefore, it is critical to investigate how various language and non-linguistic

characteristics affect participants' responses in the context of Saudi Arabia's new entertainment

era.

Professional Use of Language in Media for Entertainment

How language is used in the media determines public opinion and can greatly affect the

success of an entertainment event. The language employed by experts and decision-makers can

affect how the general public experiences the entertainment event and even how much of the

general public participates in it. Professionals and decision-makers utilize language to

communicate to the public their vision, ambitions, and objectives in the context of the

entertainment industry. They communicate with the audience while the event is going on and

utilize language to create buzz and promote the event. Language use in the media can have a

significant impact on people's attitudes and behaviors, as well as how they see entertainment,

claim Kim and Oh (2020).

Cultural Mediation

Language and cultural boundaries can cause interactional problems in the entertainment

industry. Both the audience and the performers may have a negative overall experience as a

result of these problems. Cultural mediation is a technique that can be used to reduce cultural

barriers and enhance communication in an entertainment situation. Cultural mediators serve as a

link between many cultures and help the audience and performers communicate. They can aid in

information translation, clarify cultural differences, and foster intergroup understanding. Cultural

mediation can be a successful strategy to encourage communication and understanding across

various cultures in an entertainment setting, according to Li et al. (2019).

References
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Burke, M. (1988). Language and strategic interaction in the entertainment setting. Journal of

Pragmatics, 12(5), 741-764.

Chen, S., & Weise, S. (2007). Language of conversation in various settings. Journal of

Pragmatics, 39(2), 419-433.

Gullberg, M., & Holmqvist, K. (2006). What speakers do and what addressees look at: Visual

attention to gestures in human interaction live and on video. Pragmatics & Cognition,

14(1), 53-82.

Juslin, P. N., & Västfjäll, D. (2008). Emotional responses to music: The need to consider

underlying mechanisms. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 31(5), 559-575.

Leander, K. M., & Bolden, G. B. (2019). Interactional competence in the classroom: Discourse

practices and strategic interaction. Routledge.

Martin, J., & White, P. (2005). The language of games and playgrounds: A corpus-based study

of language used in UK entertainment settings. English Language and Linguistics, 9(3),

363-384.

Milic, T. (2004). Language in entertainment programming. Multilingual, 3(2), 65-77.

Nakamura, M. (2019). Linguistic devices in storytelling and their effects on listener involvement.

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research, 8(1), 1-10.

Stafford, L., & Thomas, G. (2008). Language of audience participation in entertainment context.

Discourse & Communication, 2(4), 421-440.

Turner, G. (2006). Language use in comedy and the entertainment media. Critical Linguistics,

18(2), 265-294.
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