Using Language to Persuade

This section of the course gets you to put into practice much of the work you did in Year 10 … Looking at why people use specific words when they try to “sell” you an idea (think of how carefully the words used in some ads are chosen); looking at how the images used are intended to have a calculated impact on the reader’s attitude, or mood, or views of themselves …

It’s a complex and (at times) confusing task – some say it’s like trying to get into the head of the writer, to discern his motives … I like to think of it as more like stalking a tiger. His ‘trail’ is in the use of language, and the ways that this interacts with the images, and imagery … and in whatever personal and professional ‘stripes’ we know about!

So that’s why I am suggesting that you start now to familiarise yourselves with the most common types of  newspaper writing (because that’s where most of the examples we will look at will come from.) AND come to know the main writers: who are Neil Mitchell, Jill Singer, Andrew Bolt and Alan Howe? What about Tom Ormonde, Helen Razer and Barney Zwartz? Who do they write for? What are the views they commonly hold about certain major issues? (Just check Andrew Bolt on Global Warming!!!)