Ultp introduction

Using Language to Persuade - Unit 1 Â

INTRODUCTION We are encouraged or persuaded to do things all the time — whether by an advertisement urging us to buy a new mobile phone, by a politician convincing us to vote for them or by a friend recommending we see a particular movie.

When someone you know tries to persuade you to agree with them, they will use a range of strategies and devices to get you on side. They may speak passionately, gesture encouragingly or smile a lot to convince you of their sincerity.

Writers use similar techniques when they are aiming to persuade. While they may not be able to manipulate their facial expressions or body language to convey their point of view in writing, they can make use of a range of persuasive language techniques, such as using a particular tone, employing emotive language or citing statistics and expert opinions to persuade you to agree with their position.

Are you easily persuaded?

Did you know that at one time you could buy a piece of Britney Spears' chewed gum on eBay? In fact, an anonymous bidder bought it for $263. Other weird and wonderful products sold on eBay include: Justin Timberlake's half-eaten French toast ($1025), mud from the UK's Glastonbury Music Festival ($74) and a grilled cheese sandwich in the shape of the Virgin Mary ($28,000).

Although it's strange that people will pay money for a pop star's gum, clearly the eBay advertisement for the gum was very persuasive! Here is what the advertisement said: Yes, you can own a piece of Britney herself. This is the original gum that Britney spat out in the Sanderson Hotel foyer in London, during her infamous stay at the hotel in February. It was put into an airtight container and has not been touched since it was inside Britney's mouth. It is completely preserved as you can see, with Britney's teeth marks highly visible! For you budding scientists out there, this means that Britney's DNA is all over this piece, but for the rest of us, this is the chance to own a piece of Pop history ... right from the mouth of the pop princess herself!

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Using Language to Persuade - Unit 1

Answer the following questions to see how this advertisement is working to convince readers to buy the chewing gum.

1. What would convince you to pay $263 for a piece of Britney Spears' chewed gum? Identify one word or phrase in the advertisement you find especially persuasive. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What type of person would this item be aimed at? That is, who is the target audience? Write down three words or phrases in the advertisement that make you think this. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. If you were the seller of this gum, what would your advertisement look like? Write three sentences that you think would persuade someone to bid on an auction like this. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Circle three words or phrases in your sentences above that you think are the most persuasive. Why do you think they will work to persuade people to buy Britney's used gum? Give at least one reason for each word or phrase you have circled. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Persuasion and the Media Persuasive language is all around us, and it is especially common in the media. Whether it's in a newspaper, on TV or on the Internet, we are constantly being encouraged to buy a particular product, to agree with somebody's opinion and even to behave in a certain way. The ability to persuade an audience is a very useful skill - in fact, politicians make a living out of it!

There are many ways in which language can be persuasive. For example: •

through the use of emotive words (e.g. evil, outrageous, appalling)

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through the presentation of opinion as fact

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through the use of images to emphasise a message or to highlight positive or negative aspects of that message

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through an appeal to a particular age or social group.

Can you think of any other ways language can work to persuade? Try to come up with two more: •

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Using Language to Persuade - Unit 1

Persuasion and politics On 4 November 2008, the citizens of the United States went to the polls. In a resounding victory, Illinois Senator Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States. In a historic win, the election boasted the highest voter turnout since 1960, while Obama became the nation's first ever African American president.

President Obama is known for his inspiring, persuasive speeches and distinctive vocal style. On the following page is an excerpt from the speech he gave at his inauguration in Washington on 20 January 2009.

Barack Obama's inaugural speech My fellow citizens, I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents. So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans. [...]

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

Analyse the speech To understand how this speech uses persuasive language, follow these steps: • Step 1: Identify the main point (or contention). In other words, what is the message?

• Step 2: Look closely at the language used in the speech. Underline any words or phrases that are particularly persuasive.

• Step 3: Analyse what effect the language is likely to have on the listener or reader. How would it affect them emotionally?

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Using Language to Persuade - Unit 1 Â

Now answer the following questions - they lead you through the three steps above in order to analyse how Obama is using language persuasively.

1. What is the main message or contention of Barack Obama's speech? Sum it up in one sentence: The main contention of Barack Obama's speech is: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the style of the language? Is it sophisticated and formal, or casual and colloquial?

Obama delivers this message in language which is mostly: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. How does the speech make the reader feel? What is their emotional response likely to be?

The speech is likely to cause the reader to feel: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ (write down at least two emotions the reader might feel).

4. Select two words or phrases that would evoke the emotions you identified above. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. What is the tone of the speech? How would it be delivered or read? Is it light-hearted, sarcastic, controlled or inspiring? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Using Language to Persuade - Unit 1

AUDIENCE, PURPOSE, FORM & LANGUAGE Whenever someone presents an argument or point of view, they must consider the following factors:

Who are they writing or speaking to?

What do they want to achieve? Why are they doing this?

What type of text are they using? What is the medium? e.g. newspaper editorial,

TV current affairs program, online forum?

What are the key words used? How do they influence the way I think or feel about the issue?

For a point of view to be presented in a way that successfully persuades an audience to agree, the writer or speaker must pitch their message using a form and language that their target audience will understand and appreciate.

Audience Who is the speaker or writer addressing? The target audience may be teenagers, stay-at-home mums, migrants, the elderly or many other groups in society. What would happen if, for example, a prosecuting lawyer addressed the jury in the form of a rap song, or a kindergarten teacher tried to persuade a class to line up quietly by reading from a textbook on appropriate social behaviour? No matter how reasonable the message, the lawyer and the teacher would fail to convince because they didn't take into account the needs, preferences and point of view of their audience.

Who is Obama's audience?

Look carefully again at Barack Obama's speech. Who does he address? Does he mention age, gender or ethnicity?

Who do you think the speech is aimed at, and what makes you think that? Complete the sentences below: Barack Obama's speech is directed towards: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ This is indicated by ________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Using Language to Persuade - Unit 1 Â

Purpose Similarly, a speaker or writer needs to know what the purpose of their communication is. Do they want the audience to vote for a candidate, buy a product, sign a petition, write a letter, condemn an individual, donate to an organisation, or simply reflect more carefully on a complex issue? What they want from the audience will affect how they express their point of view.

What is Obama's purpose?

Why did Barack Obama give this speech? Keep in mind that he had just won the election. Why did he deliver this message at this particular point in time?

Obama's purpose in giving this speech was: ________________________________________________________________________________________________

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