A critical discourse analysis of Fascist ideology embedded in the introduction page of a residential college entrance exam preparatory academy website.

This study applies Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) theory and Umberto Eco’s (1995) essay on 14 features of fascist discourse to examine the introductory promotional texts of five Korean residential college-entrance exam preparatory academies. The study identifies several traits of fascist discourse in the academies’ promotional materials: uncritical appeals to tradition, elitist portrayals of “weak” students, and simplified language that suppresses critical thinking. These ideological patterns reinforce an authoritarian, performance-oriented educational discourse. Specifically, they give absolute priority to test scores, legitimize tight control over student autonomy in the name of learning outcomes, idolize “elite” victors and the guidance they provide, and glorify students’ intense immersion and suffering for the sake of exam success. In sum, the promotional discourse subtly embeds fascist ideology under the guise of commonsense assumptions about college entrance preparation.