persuasive+langauge

Features: AIM to manipulate the audience into accepting a particular point of view or to prompt them to react in a particular way APPROACH subjective – the writer is emotionally involved with their material, and the writing is presented in a personal way. (The writer’s attitude is usually implied – ie. not stated directly. EMPHASIS ON:  These arouse emotions. Contrast this with the language of //information//, where emotive words would distract the reader from the purpose: to communicate factual details in a clear and objective manner.  Why does this work, in persuasive texts?  By responding at the level of feeling, the reader will tend to suspend critical analysis. Of course each reader will still react in an individual way, and the same word may mean something positive or negative, depending on the context and the reader. Consider the different responses the word ‘thin’ evokes in the following diagram.   From Schill, Jann. 2002. //On Purpose: Studying Written, Oral and Visual Language in Context//. Port Melbourne: Heinemann. (p. 72)  **The Language of Persuasion** cont. …  Some words have ‘connotations’ for the reader. That is, the writer seems to be //implying// something (either positive or negative) by the use of a particular word. For example, alternative words for ‘thin’ might be: slim, skinny, bony, lean, slender, slight, trim, scraggy, emaciated, skin-and-bone, skeletal, lanky, scrawny, svelte. The writer can choose words which will suggest either approval or disapproval on his or her part.   2. In pairs or groups, discuss the connotations of all the emotive words in the    advertisement on the next page.   -   -   -   -   -  3. In your own words, write a paragraph summarising what you’d expect to find if   you booked in to Lilianfels for “3 days of bliss’.  Advertisement (from Schill, Jann. 2002. //On Purpose: Studying Written, Oral and Visual Language in Context//. Port Melbourne: Heinemann. p. 73) Ads such as this one are designed to appeal to a particular audience. To do this they have to be written so that they ‘fit into’ the customer’s world. The advertiser must therefore understand the consumer’s **self-image**. Examples of self-image: health-conscious, feminine/masculine, desire to be an individual, maternal/paternal, adventurous, desire to associate with famous people, athletic, impressed by scientific research, fun-loving, popular, status seeking etc.   4.  What sort of self-image might the language of this advertisement be appealing to?
 * The Language of Persuasion **
 * Opinions rather than facts
 * Emotive words rather than technical words. (These have the added advantage of relating to a wider audience)
 * Personal tone containing bias
 * Strong visual and verbal effect to make a complex thought seem simple
 * A distortion of facts
 * Emotive Words **
 * 1) Underline the emotive words (with negative connotations) used in the following article about Sarah Ferguson.