Toward a multimodal pragmatics analysis of ambulant vending on a Buenos Aires trainline

What is it about?

This research article investigates the communicative practices of ambulant vendors (AVs) who sell goods on a Buenos Aires train line, focusing specifically on their sales pitches. The authors highlight the challenges these vendors face within the "popular economy," where they lack formal employment benefits and navigate the complexities of a mobile selling environment. The study's main contribution is its multimodal analysis of the sales pitch, which incorporates not only verbal language but also visible bodily actions, such as hand movements and walking patterns, to understand how these vendors effectively interact with their audience. The authors argue that AVs demonstrate professionalism and deftness in combining these communicative modalities, even in the face of constraints of making a living outside the formal economy . The article examines the stages of the sales pitch, from the initial greeting and product presentation to the closing offer and the dynamics of the vendors' interactions with passengers, and ultimately underscores the importance of recognizing the skills and ingenuity of these workers.

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Why is it important?

A multimodal approach is essential to understanding the sales techniques of ambulant vendors (AVs) on a Buenos Aires train line. Previous linguistic studies of AVs have focused primarily on the spoken aspects of their sales pitches, overlooking the significant role of nonverbal communication.