Dredging Schoolies
I know that you will all be frantically working through the reading … Triage and Gattaca. (Well, watching Gattaca!) AND doing the response questions. BUT if you’re feeling on top of it, and able to take a little peek ahead, you can do something now that will save you time, trouble and hassle later on.
The issue study in Unit 1 consists of using “The Issues Book” (which you should collect in your book order) to take a step-by-step walk through the way reports appear in the media in ways intended to affect the way/s we think and feel about the issues involved. Remember that: you’re looking for ways language is used to create or enhance opinions and feelings.
Many of these strategies will be familiar to you from your studies in Year 10 (I’d list them, but, you know, you’d remember something really urgent you had to do, like … taking out the garbage or washing the goldfish.) Time emough for that later. If you wanted to prepare, the best strategies involve becoming a (more) regular reader of newspapers. TV news or Current Affairs programs are useful, but only in the sense that watching “Get Smart” prepares you for a James Bond movie.
Which is closest to the truth? 
Get to know the issues that are around; get to know the columnists (they have clear styles, and “hobby-horse” issues they bang on and on about); and get to the point where you are starting to recognise subtly manipulative strategies – like headlines that contain words like “scam”, “rort”, “leak”, “scandal”, “shock”, “blitz”, “disgrace”, “splurge”, “rogue”, “victim” … stop me when I’ve reached the back page!
If you spot any rippers, email them to me, and I’ll put them on the blog (or register, and post a comment!) Check out the Using Language to Persuade page for more!
