1. LANGUAGE ANALYSIS
MS MURR

2. READ

3. PREPARATION TIPS FOR LANGUAGE ANALYSIS
Practice essays less important than reading and analysing
READ THE PAPER/BLOGS
LISTEN TO THE RADIO – talkback radio is gold
WATCH MEDIA WATCH/Q & A – politicians and persuasive language
Pick up on the language techniques used in speech as well as what’s written

4. This will help you to BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING on the end of year exam
Web site
Blog
Advertising campaign
Opinion Piece/Editorial
Letters to the editor
May require comparative skills

5. GETTING THE TERMINOLOGY RIGHT
Brush up on the definitions of persuasive techniques.
For example: the difference between simile and metaphor
Going over the language strategies section of the Using Language to Persuade text book is ideal for this. Make palm cards, commit definitions and possible purposes and impact to memory.

6. DO NOT
Approach the language as though you are ‘shopping’ for persuasive technique
List techniques
Paraphrase the entire article
Give an opinion on the issue

7. DO NOT
“The writer persuades”….. Does he/she? Really??

8. Do not bore ME, Or the assessor, with the word ‘persuade’

9. So many phrases to choose from! The writer…..
Advances the argument that
Asserts that
Claims that
Contends that
Maintains that
Pleads the case for
Points out that
Puts forward the view that
Rejects the view that

10. And some more…. Submits that Urges the reader to Concentrates on
Condemns
Confronts
Denigrates
Appeals to
Makes the point that
……..and so many more

11. So many words for persuade!!!

12. More words for persuade

13. I’m not joking….more words for persuade….

14. Tone Integral in language analysis
Make sure you start to build your own word bank for the various tones that are used in persuasive writing.
Identifying tone as ‘angry’ is easy. Be more precise, and specific in the words that you use.
‘irritated’, ‘vexed’, ‘passionate’, ‘furious’, ‘disgruntled’, ‘outraged, ‘irate’ and the list goes on….

15. Make sure you’re doing it the right way
Be precise
Learn definitions
Practise
Use in context

16. PRACTISE!!!!!!!!!
Work your way through the practice essays and get your annotation method clear.
Annotate each article with your own code
Be strategic – there are a few different ways of doing this.
Grouping your annotations according to the arguments, techniques, tone and appeals that come through in the article is the one way.

17. Checklist for introductions to Language analysis - TICAS
Tone – how the writer would sound if you heard them reading
Issue – can be summarised from the background information box
Contention – you MUST get a grip on the writer’s contention/main argument if you are to analyse how he/she aims to position the audience
Audience – this will depend on the style of the article/publication as well as the issue
Style – what type of publication is it?
TICAS is an acronym that covers everything in your introduction

19. REMINDer: It’s not enough just to identify the technique
You must go beyond pure technique identification

20. Don’t be one dimensional or write about what is obvious
Go beyond a ‘one circle’ approach
For eg: “The writer uses a donut simile to persuade the reader.”

21. writing language analysis is like counting the circles in a donut
The writer uses the donut simile to contextualise the complexity of the process of language analysis for the reader. By comparing the layers of a language analysis essay to the circles that can be found in a donut, the notion that there is more to a piece of writing than technique alone becomes apparent. She makes it clear that as readers we need to move beyond an approach that is one dimensional and write in depth analysis, essentially making four circkes out of one. She maximises the impact of her point with the lure of a donut.

22. What? How? Why?
Everything in your analysis should be doing one of the following things:
1. What is the argument/technique?
2. How does it work? How is the audience positioned?
3. Why is it helpful in supporting in the writer’s overall contention?
A‘fourth circle’ approach really teases out the reasons for the writer adopting the line of argument/technique… it goes beyond the simple What, How, Why…..

23. Visual Language needs interpretation and analysis too
This could be
A photo
A graph
A cartoon
IT COULD BE ANYTHING