Persuading

An important skill that you need to learn is the art of persuading others in your group to accept your suggestions and ideas. Persuasion uses language with impact: it is graphic and seeks to create an emotional charge. Persuasive language can be found in political speeches, film reviews, and advertising. You will find a lot of ‘buzz words’ in advertisements which are meant to influence people and increase sales.

Some buzz words in the language of persuasion are: Quality Better Easy Guaranteed Free Delicious Safe Improved Results New Proven

Advertisers use language to influence people’s perceptions, beliefs and actions. One basic strategy is to associate positive or negative thoughts and emotions with the product or service being sold. Many people buy products not because they are better quality than the other, but because of associations that have absolutely nothing to do with the products, such as: - free gifts - price cuts - special offers

Imagine that you are engineers of a company. You have been asked to design a new gadget or machine that will improve the quality of life. Draw and describe your invention including the following details: the name of the gadget/machine the special features of it the benefits the expected cost

Situation Surfing the Internet has many advantages. However, in recent years, there has been a growing concern about the negative effects of the Internet on the young people. At a forum organised by your college, you have been asked to speak on one method of decreasing the negative effects. In your opinion, the best method of decreasing the negative effects of the use of Internet is: Candidate A: more parental control Candidate B: stricter laws on cybercafes Candidate C: increased government control over the Internet Candidate D: guidance on Internet surfing provided by schools.