Using Language to Persuade

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Using Language to Persuade

• Task 1 and 2

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Language Analysis

• What is an issue?
• Genres
• Contention
• Arguments
• Tone
• Persuasive Techniques

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What is an issue?

• An issue causes debate
• A reasonable person could argue for either side
• EG People cant argue that chopping off innocent
  babies heads is an issue because no reasonable
  person could argue that chopping off a babys
  head is a good thing X
• EG People could argue that same-sex marriage
  should be legal v

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Genres

• Editorial
• Opinion Piece
• Letter to the editor
• Feature and News Article
• Web Pages
• Blogs
• Speeches

As you can see, Persuasive Writing can occur
anywhere...
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Audience

• Who is the audience?
• How is the article/speech specifically targeting
  the audience?

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Contention

• What is the writers main point in the piece of
  writing?

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Arguments

• What arguments are being made by the
  writer/speaker to support their contention?

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Tone

• The way that the article sounds
• EG The enthusiastic tone creates a sense of
  energy and progress, in phrases such as, Lets
  be excited-keep being excited.

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Tone Words
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Persuasive Techniques

• Are used by writers to persuade audience to
  convince them to agree with their contention.

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Emotional Appeals

• Emotional Appeals
• Like many persuasive techniques, emotive appeals
  aim to engage peoples feelings, not logic or
  reason. If a writer can manipulate a reader to
  feel a certain way, that reader should be more
  likely to agree with the writers overall
  contention. Often writers will use other forms of
  persuasive language techniques in order to appeal
  to peoples emotions.
•  There is a huge variety of emotive responses
  that can be aimed at by writers, such as
• Example 1 a discovery that is already
  revolutionizing human experience
• This appeals to the readers desire to be up to
  date with modern trends.
• Example 2 feeding the teeming multitudesto
  lead happy, safe and fulfilling lives
• This appeals to our desire to feel generous
  towards people less fortunate than ourselves.

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Inclusive Language

• Inclusive Language
• Inclusive language aims to directly address the
  reader, either personally or as a member of a
  shared group. This involves using such words as
  us, we, you, our.
• Examples
• It is time for us to show our belief in the
  value of mateship and a fair go, and give
  generously to the Good Friday Appeal. 
• In our lifetime the way we live our lives
  together in the world

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Rhetorical Questions

• Rhetorical Question
• A rhetorical question is one in which the answer
  is so obvious it is not required. The idea here
  is not to receive an answer, merely to reinforce
  a point.
• Example text
• Should footballers be treated as above the law?
• Why wouldnt you want it in your life?

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Exaggeration

• Exaggeration
• A writer may describe a situation in forceful,
  overblown language in order to make the issue
  seem more important or urgent than it may
  otherwise be considered. Exaggerating the scale
  of an issue can draw an emotional response from a
  reader. Also known as hyperbole.
• Example
• Councils are losing the war against vandals.
• Wed still be swinging in the trees

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Repetition

• Repetition
• Repeating a single word a number of times over is
  repetition.
• Example text
• We will all suffer for years to come unless we
  stop this government, stop them in the workplace,
  stop them in the polls, and stop them on election
  day.
• Theyre the ones who ask questions, who tinker
  away in the garage, who turn up on The
  Inventors. 

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Alliteration

• Alliteration
• Repetition of the first sound in consecutive
  words is alliteration.
• Example text
• To rip people off so blatantly shows Mr. Craven
  to be cruel, calculating and crooked.
• polarise people

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Anecdotal Evidence

• Anecdotal evidence
• An anecdote is a tale involving real life events,
  a true story. Such stories can be used by writers
  as evidence to back their claims. To support a
  contention, and to make themselves appear more
  credible, writers often use personal anecdotes.
• Example
• I can tell you that, as a single mother of two,
  I received very little in the way of financial
  support during my attempts to return to fulltime
  work.

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Expert Opinion

• Expert opinion
• To make a writers position seem more credible,
  they may quote the opinions of experts that
  correspond with their own. As in a court case,
  experts are often called on to make one side seem
  stronger and more believable.
• Example text
• My stand on the issue of exposed underwear is
  supported by fashion designer Ruby Reed, who
  recently stated Anyone whose underwear is
  exposed due to low slung jeans should be punished
  as forcefully as possible.  

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Statistics

• Statistical evidence
• Like any form of evidence, statistics can be used
  to make an argument seem more conclusive, a
  writers opinion more valid. Often statistics are
  used that are out of context, or from unreliable
  sources. As the saying goes, There are lies,
  damned lies, and statistics.
• Example text
• A recent survey found that 90 of students
  favoured no school uniforms at all.

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Colloquial Language

• Colloquial Language
• Colloquial (slang) language can be used in
  different ways. It can set the writer up as
  knowledgeable, on the inside of a social group. A
  writer may also use slang in a sarcastic manner,
  to attack an opponent or mock an argument. It may
  also be used to appeal to a readers own sense of
  cultural identity, or reinforce a writers
  overall tone.
• Example text
• Shes a top sheila that Jessica Rowe. Channel
  Nine are stark raving to give her the boot.
• other people want to chill I pretty much like
  the look of it. 
• but what a loser youd be.

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Attacks

• Attacks
• Attacks are a version of playing the man, not the
  ball. If you can make your opposition seem less
  credible, you may be more likely to get a reader
  to agree with your side of the argument. At the
  least, attention can be taken away from the issue
  itself and put on to the personality. Attacks can
  attempt to belittle or embarrass or just plain
  insult an opponent. The idea is that the weaker
  you can make your opposition appear, the stronger
  you and your contention will appear.
• Example text
• Thats the sort of suggestion Id expect from a
  nose-in-the-air toff like Turnbull.
• Its older people who are less familiar with
  it 

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Simile

• a figure of speech involving the comparison of
  one thing with another thing of a different kind,
  used to make a description more forceful or vivid
  
• e.g., as brave as a lion, crazy like a fox.
• ..we now zip along the surface like jet skiers.

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Metaphor

• Definition Metaphor is when you use two nouns
  and compare or contrast them to one another.
• Metaphors are comparisons that show how two
  things that are not alike in most ways are
  similar in one important way. Metaphors are a way
  to describe something. Authors use them to make
  their writing more interesting or entertaining.
• Unlike similes that use the words as or like
  to make a comparison, metaphors state that
  something is something else.
• EG We would have had more pizza to eat if Tammy
  hadnt been such a hog.
• EG The poor rat didnt have a chance. Our old
  cat, a bolt of lightning, caught his prey.

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Essay structure of a Language Analysis

• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion

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Introduction

• A general statement about the issue and the
  breadth of the issue
• Title
• Author
• Source
• Text Type
• Date
• Contention
• Audience
• Tone
• Compare and contrast when there is more than one
  article

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Breadth of issue

• Local, National and International
• How long has this issue been discussed?

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Author

• Who wrote the piece of writing?
• What is their background?
• Are they an expert in the field they are
  discussing?

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Sample Introduction

• There is constant ongoing debate regarding
  the rights of young people to have input into
  making decisions that affect their future. In
  Australia this debate is centred around whether
  the voting age should be lowered to 16. Melissa
  Young in her opinion piece Lower the Voting age
  to 16...NOW! (May 5th 2010) contends that
  Australian youth are capable of and should have
  the right to vote. The article appears on the
  website Young People Unite which was specifically
  created for the Australian youth voting
  initiative. Young varies her tone throughout the
  piece to target her audience of young people.

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For each of the arguments you must...

• Find and discuss the language that is used to
  support the arguments
• Discuss the effect the language has on the
  audience
• EG The writer uses statistics to substantiate
  his point of view. By doing this the writer is
  proving to the audience that his arguments are
  supported with factual evidence.

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Argument
Persuasive techniques/ language used.
Example
Intended Effect
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.
Argument

• What is the writer is doing?
• Consider the contention/arguments
• The argument is not always explicit but may be a
  general feel or stance within the piece.
• Note Often the argument will relate to the
  overall intended effect of the paragraph.

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• Persuasive Techniquesor
• Language used

• How is the writer is doing it?
• Consider The language/techniques the
• writer is using to present this point to the
• reader and group them according to each
  idea/stance/argument.

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.
Example

• Where or which specific parts of the article?
• i.e. Provide the examples of the
  techniques/language
• If using quotes make them short and integrate
  them into your sentences
• Dont use lengthy quotes.

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Intended Effect

• Why do we respond?
• Consider who is the audience/reader
• The intended purpose is questioning how we are
  likely to respond and why?
• Think about the feeling/emotions the
  language/technique might be eliciting.

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.

• Step 1 Read the article
• Step 2 Identify the writers contention
• Step 3 Read the article again and then identify
  the arguments/stance (3-4 year 10 and 4-5 year
  11)
• Step 4 Find the techniques/language that support
  the argument/stance. (3-4 per paragraph)
• Step 5 Identify the intended effect.

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Ordering paragraphs and planning the essay
Lower the Voting Age to 16...NOW! Melissa Young
Reference to current powerlessness of young
people to make their own decision
Tone - Sarcasm Inclusive language Listing Spot the pattern here? you guessed it you youre weve recent parliamentary debates To gather support Create an exclusion between youth and adults. Personal involvement which inspires youth to want to take action Desire to take action Be in control
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Young emphasises the powerlessness of young
people to make their own decisions. She lists the
recent parliamentary debates which play a
significant role in young peoples future. This
evokes outrage amongst the youth as they can
clearly identify the breadth of decisions being
made about youth without youth input. This aims
to encourage them to want the right to vote.
Young uses a sarcastic and conversational tone,
using terms such as Spot the pattern here? and
you guessed it to highlight the inability of
young people to control issues that directly
affect them. Young people are more likely to
swayed by conversational language because the
writer appears genuine to readers. This further
prompts readers to take control and change the
current system. The sarcasm is directed against
adults who make these decisions without youth
input. This tends to gather support from the
audience of young interested youth, creating a
cohesive mentality against the law makers. The
inclusive language such as you youre weve
encourages readers to support Youngs argument as
they feel a personal involvement in the issue and
are therefore more likely to take action.
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YOU TRY
Lower the Voting Age to 16...NOW! Melissa Young
Presents young people as politically engaged
Image Statistics Data website
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.
Lower the Voting Age to 16...NOW! Melissa Young
Attacking the government
Appeals to logic Presents adults as out of touch Hip pocket Emotional language
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Lower the Voting Age to 16...NOW! Melissa Young
Calling for action
Petition Heading Scenario links
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Lower the Voting Age to 16...NOW! Melissa Young
Decision was based on inaccurate information
Appeals to logic Evidence to support her argument Rebuttal Conversational language
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Conclusion

• Sum up the authors/speakers intention of the
  article/speech etc. (consider the issue)
• Comment on tone
• Consider how the writer/speaker/author finishes
  the piece the effect of the finish
• Comment on the global effect of the issue
• NOTE Advise students to avoid reviewing the
  article e.g. evaluate the piece or say which
  technique was the best.

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• Young finishes by asking readers to sign the
  petition for the voting age to be lowered. She
  creates a sense of togetherness when referring to
  the 5000 young people who have already signed
  the petition. Young further stresses the
  importance of the petition when reminding readers
  of the political involvement further highlighting
  to youth their power to make a difference. Her
  frustrated tone supports the urgency in the title
  NOW! further forcing readers to act. Overall
  the united front presented by Young, contributes
  to the persuasion and this is further signified
  through her audience, Young People Unite. For
  this reason the issue is quite narrow, it
  ultimately effects one target audience and those
  who already have the right to vote would not feel
  compelled to take action.