Language Analysis What is it?

What does the task involve? You are asked to analyse how language is used in texts to try to persuade readers to accept a point of view on an issue currently debated in the Australian Media. Every day we are bombarded by messages from media sources . This area of study tries to enable students to understand the media and how it uses language in a special way to persuade.

What you need to be able to do (SAC) Identify different types of articles Identify and explain the contention of the articles Identify the key arguments being used in the articles Identify the target audience of the articles Identify the tone of the articles and explain why the author chooses to write this way Identify what language tricks and techniques the author uses to support each key argument and his overall contention and why he makes these choices. Compare the use of techniques/tone/argument structure in the articles.

What you need to be able to do (Exam) Identify different types of article(s) Identify and explain the contention of the article(s) Identify the key arguments being used in the article(s) Identify the target audience of the article(s) Identify the tone of the article(s) and explain why the author chooses to write this way Identify what language tricks and techniques the author uses to support each key argument and his overall contention and why he makes these choices. PERHAPS: Compare the use of techniques/tone/argument structure in the articles.

What is an Issue? An issue is best understood as a topic of local, national or international importance about which there is a debate. An issue can be ongoing. An issue consists of the debate over the consequences and implications of certain events An issue can also arise out of a media organisation concern about something it sees as a social problem

Understanding the point of view It is important you understand and are able to describe the viewpoint being expressed in detail. Underline and highlight key points as you read through the article. If you aren’t sure about WHAT is being said it is virtually impossible to talk with any confidence about HOW it is being said. Understanding point of view is essential.

Types of articles Editorial Letters to the Editor Blogs Opinion Articles Speeches Comment Forums Advertisements Photographs Cartoons

Elements of text types Editorial Clearly states the paper’s position on the issue Formal language Sums up views on issue and then gives own Often a ‘moral arbiter” Appears under masthead banner

Elements of text types Letters to the Editor One issue Often just one key argument Language can be formal or informal Has a salutation and/or sign off Often written under pseudonyms Short and to the point

Elements of Text Types Advertisements Openly persuasive Visuals Emotive language

Elements of text types Cartoons Provide incisive comment on issue Often humorous Present a point of view Text and image work together

Elements of text types Opinion Articles Present an opinion on an issue Openly persuasive Direct language Evidence and quotes often used May be accompanied by diagrams or photographs

Elements of text types Photographs Catch attention - strategic placement Add information Illustrate emotional content of article/issue May be edited/cropped to add power to framing

Elements of text types Blogs There are no rules – this is a developing communication style Often informally written Structure may vary Content unedited Often provides a comment section May be reflection or persuasion

Elements of text types Speeches Formal structure Language style will vary according to purpose Audience appeals common Addressed to a particular audience Signposting May begin with an anecdote

Identifying contention Contention = What the article is trying to prove correct It is not the events that the article is talking about. It is the opinion on the issue that the article is expressing. What is the contention of each of the texts you have collected?

Key arguments Key Arguments – Are the reasons supporting the contention These are the reasons the author is right. They are NOT the evidence the author uses to support the Key Arguments

Evidence Anecdotes Statistics Diagrams/Charts Photographs Expert Opinions Examples

tone What is tone? Describing tone Tone can also be described as the ‘sound’ or ‘voice’ of the writing: the way the piece would spoken if said aloud. Optimistic, Confronting, Measured, Passionate, Ridiculing, Calculating, Frustrated, Vindictive, Blaming, Arrogant, Distressed, Appalled, Condescending……

Analysing language 1. What is being said 2. How is being said? What is the contention of the article? What are the arguments being made? What tone is being used? What words or phrases supports this? What is the effect on the reader?

Introducing what is said…. The writer argues… The writer admits… The writer asserts… The writer contends… The writer expresses… The writer pleads… The writer maintains… The writer urgers… The writer elicits… The writer reasons… The writer observes… The writer complains… The writer condemns… The writer criticises… The writer develops… The writer explains…

Basic sample analysis sentence analysis Speed cameras are nothing more than a revenue-raising rip-off for a greedy government! What a good are they? The bitter, angry tone of the piece, conveyed through words such as ‘rip-off’ and ‘greedy government’ aims to generate an attitude of resentment and even outrage.