Year 10 English – Language Analysis

What’s on this term? Language analysis essay Advertising analysis essay Then: exams (week 8)

Language Analysis This involves: -considering the writer/speaker’s argument – what is their point of view and contention? -identifying language strategies used to persuade – how have they attempted to persuade their audience to consider their POV and contention? -discussing and analysing the impacts of these arguments and language features on specific audience groups – linking your analysis back to your audience: how do the writer/speaker’s choices work for their specific audience?

Issue: pill testing at music festivals We are going to be analysing written texts that explore this issue.

Facts – ecstasy The ‘pills’ we are talking about are ecstasy tablets. Ecstasy is a stimulant drug, which means it speeds up the messages travelling between the brain and the body.

Facts – ecstasy Ecstasy contains the drug MDMA. MDMA is an illegal drug that has an energising effect. Can change people’s perceptions of time and enhance their enjoyment. Many pills sold as ecstasy only have a small amount of MDMA or none at all. Other drugs and ‘fillers’ like cleaning products or other harmful products are often used. Some batches have been found to contain rat poison, crushed glass, and animal anesthetics. This makes it hard to know what reactions to expect or what the side effects will be.

Effects on the body Ecstasy effects everyone differently, based on: size, weight and health whether the person is used to taking it whether other drugs are taken at the same time the amount taken the strength of the drug

Effects on the body Effects felt about 20 minutes or an hour after it’s taken: If a large amount of strong batch is consumed: In the days after ecstasy use: feeling happy and confident hallucination restless sleep and exhaustion jaw clenching vomiting irritability and depression heightened sense (sight, hearing, touch) racing heart beat difficulty concentrating excessive sweating anxiety muscle aches nausea fast heart beat dehydration large pupils

Ecstasy The 2014 United Nations World Drug Report found Australians had the highest rate of ecstasy consumption in the world In 2015, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s National Drug Strategy Household Survey reported 27% of Australians aged 20-29 had used illicit drugs in the past 12 months, with 8% having used ecstasy A study of drug repots by American drug addiction information service Project Know found Australian ecstasy is among the most dangerous in the world

What is pill testing? Pill testing involves testing pills for certain substances – MDMA, methamphetamine, heroin or poisonous ‘fillers’ People at music festivals would enter a marquee and submit one of their pills for testing. After testing, the user finds out what’s in the drug, its concentration, and whether anyone has ever been hurt by the substance. Pill testing would tell the drug user whether the pill or ‘safe’ or ‘unsafe’ The user could then discard unsafe pills or keep a safe pills This gives the user more information about what they are able to take

Recent deaths Sylvia Choi, Georgina Bartter and Stefan Woodward have all died in the past year after taking ecstasy at music festivals

Supporters Emergency doctor and drug expert Dr David Caldicott says: ‘I don’t give a shit about the morality or philosophy of drug use. All I care about is people staying alive.. …we should do something to stop [people] dying. Some people say “they shouldn’t take drugs to start with,” but that’s like saying you shouldn’t have sex before marriage. This is about acknowledging what everybody already knows, that young people will take drugs.’

Supporters Professor Alison Ritter, Director of the Drug Policy Modeling Program at the University of NSW’s National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, said ‘Drug checking does not mean drug use will become legal. It means providing people who have chosen to use drugs with the opportunity to be better informed about the drugs they may consume and to be provided with information that could prevent harm.’

Opponents NSW Premier Mike Baird, ‘What they are asking us to do is allow illegal drugs’ ‘Don’t do it. That is the best form of safety you can do. Don’t take the pills and you’ll be fine’.

What do you think? What is your point of view on introducing pill testing at music festivals? (I think…….) Why do you think this? (because……)

Arguments for and against pill testing