Defining Terms, Tone, Purpose, and Word Choice Language Awareness Defining Terms, Tone, Purpose, and Word Choice

Defining Terms What do I mean if I say, “He’s crazy”? What is the denotation of “crazy”? What are the connotations of “crazy”? What does “crazy” look like? Is “crazy” positive or negative? Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjgtLSHhTPg

Defining Terms What do I mean if I say, “She’s great”? What is the denotation of “great”? What are the connotations of “great”? What does “great” look like? Is “great” positive or negative? Who are some “great” people?

The Power of Words Careful selection of language is essential to strong communication and good writing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYcXTlGLUgE

Tone (Take notes here!) In this class, you have been asked to use a formal tone in your writing. What is tone? Tone refers to an author’s use of words and writing style to convey his or her attitude towards a topic. Tone is often defined as what the author feels about the subject. What the reader feels is known as the mood. Tone is conveyed through diction (choice and use of words and phrases), viewpoint, syntax (grammar; how you put words and phrases together), and level of formality. It is the way you express yourself in speech or writing.

Tone How do you find the correct tone? You can usually find a tone by asking these three questions: Why am I writing this? Who is my intended audience? What do I want the reader to learn, understand, or think about? In formal writing, your tone should be clear, concise, confident, and courteous. The writing level should be sophisticated, but not pretentious. In creative writing, your tone is more subjective, but you should always aim to communicate clearly. Genre sometimes determines the tone.

Tone Types of tone- There are quite a few!

Tone What contributes to the tone? Word choice! Remember connotation and denotation? “The child held tightly to his mother” vs. “The kid hung onto his mother”. Keep this in mind for the upcoming activity!

Purpose Why do people write? What is the purpose of it? To entertain To persuade To explain To Inform

Interpreting Word Choice Part of what makes leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Malala Yousafzai ‘great’ involves the words they use to accomplish a set purpose. Many ‘great’ people have delivered speeches that made a significant impact on the word. One powerful speech is Elie Wiesel’s “The Perils of Indifference.” We will watch the speech and follow along with the text. While we do so, write down what you think is Wiesel’s tone and purpose. Then we will discuss how he achieved this.

In Case You Don’t Know… Elie Wiesel was born in 1928 in Sighet, Transylvania, which is now part of Romania. He was fifteen years old when he and his family were deported by the Nazis to Auschwitz. His mother and younger sister perished, his two older sisters survived. Elie and his father were later transported to Buchenwald, where his father died shortly before the camp was liberated in April 1945. Elie Wiesel is the author of more than sixty books of fiction and non- fiction, including “Night,” a work based on his experiences in the concentration camps during the Holocaust.

Elie Wiesel: The Perils of Indifference Before we read- define terms! What does “indifference” mean? Noun- Lack of interest, concern, or sympathy. How does this word relate to Wiesel’s experience during the war? What does “peril” mean? Noun- serious and immediate danger. What if this speech had been titled “Lack of interest in Danger”? Would it have the same affect? Word choice matters! Think about this when you are writing ANYTHING!

Elie Wiesel: The Perils of Indifference http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ewieselperilsofindiffere nce.html While we listen/watch/read, jot down what you think is Wiesel’s purpose, what tone(s) you sense, and any rhetorical devices you see/hear. Analyze a section together.

Group Work In small groups, you will analyze a section of this speech. Discuss the purpose of this particular section, and the tone. Word choice- Write down any rhetorical devices used, along with any words with positive or negative connotation or denotation that contribute to the tone and purpose of the section. When everyone is finished, each group will present their findings to the class.