Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
What is it
How is written and visual language used to
position audiences
Which means:
How do specific language choices impact on a
specific audience in relation to this specific issue?
NOT:
What is being said?
Do you agree with it?
Is it successful?
So
Language features: adjectives, verbs, repetition,
descriptive language, collective pronouns,
similes, alliteration
Argument based language: statistics, references
to authority, imperatives, offering alternatives
Stylistic language: personal anecdotes, attacks,
humour, tone (bank of tone words in course
book),
Appeals: to authority, justice, family values
Forms
Editorial
Opinion Piece
Feature Article
Letter to the Editor
Speech
Online Forum
Blogs
Structure
2006 and 2007 t wo articles with an embedded image
2008, 2009, 2010 single piece of writing (of varying length)
with an image
2011 one article with five online responses
2012 speech with PowerPoint slides
2013 Newsletter with images and graphs
2014 t wo articles- one longer than the other, a flow diagram and
a cartoon
2015 speech with PowerPoint slide AND a response speech from
someone collecting an award
2016 2 articles AND a cartoon
Contention
Tone and style
Write an introduction for your oral speech
The Body
P1: First para of article one
P2: Second para of article one
P3: LINK WORD first para of second article
P4: Second para of second article
Repeated
Implied
Placement of the main contention
Stated at the beginning
Usually in short pieces like a letter to the editor
This up-front declaration can convey the writers sense of conviction and grab the readers
attention.
Implied
Allows the reader to work through various examples and reasons for and against a view
Reader will be positioned to arrive at the same point of view as the writer
Subheadings
Breaks text into more manageable units of information
Placement of images
Can emphasise emotive aspects of an issue
Order of specific and general information
Begin with a specific piece of information or case
Writer follows with a general discussion of underlying principles and wider consequences
This suggests the writer is well informed and has solid evidence to back up their initial point of view
Be aware of what information is excluded as this could suggest writer bias and self-interest
Placement of rebuttal
At the beginning
Pre-empts an audiences objections to the writers arguments
Positions the audience to reject opposing viewpoints immediately
At the end
Often in longer pieces, after arguments for own position are outlined
Reader is well-prepared to accept writers rebuttal
Effective with audiences who could be annoyed by an up-front dismissal of opposing view points
Incorporated throughout
The writer regularly compares and contrasts their point of view with opposing arguments
Suggests a considered approach
Persuades the reader through accumulated weight of evidence
However, spending more time on rebuttal could lessen impact of own argument
Analysing the article
Each sentence should have three parts to it:
Identification of device
Quotation
Effect of reader