Using Language to Persuade

[dinosaur93]

Could anyone help me pick at least 3 persuasive techniques from the following article?

http://knox-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/boronia-storm-causes-critical-blow/

How would who try and describe it through language analysis?



Would personal anecdote be one?

"She was trapped for 20 minutes before being freed by emergency crews.....Paramedics then put her into a coma and cooled her body as part of an ongoing world-first trial aimed at reducing brain injury."

Whatelse is there?


Evidence and statistics perhaps?

"The school’s assistant principal Graeme Lloyd said the three suffered minor cuts after the tree fell across a footpath on Wentworth Ave about 8.30am, crushing two unoccupied cars."

[pi]

This is a really crap article for analysis imo, as it's not even trying to be persuasive.

Try and pick the tone (informative? matter-of-factly?), as that is also a "persuasive technique" The image also serves as a "technique" too.

[dinosaur93]

yes, I know but say what if this is a selected piece given to me.

[mpathy]

You'll never get this article because the article is trying to just inform you (informative piece), not trying to persuade, hence why you are finding it hard to extract the persuasive techniques from it, an analysis article would be something like letter-to-the-editor or something very opinionated and one-sided in a way because it is trying to persuade you to the authors point of view.


Trying analysing this article:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/should-we-decriminalise-drugs/story-e6frfhqf-1226317922735

You can find these types of articles just by going to the opinion section of the newspaper.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion is a good place to start.

EDIT: You can view the article by signing up, it's good because you get a free 2-month digital subscription to the Herald Sun

[teacher28]

yes, I know but say what if this is a selected piece given to me.

They are right.

Is this in a bundle of pieces? Sometimes teachers include reports for background to the issue... however,  what is the issue?

There is no contention therefore this is a newspaper report (a sensationalised one, true, but a report nevertheless).

[Shenz0r]

When doing language analysis I find it useful to forget about devices in general, but really home into the connotations and word choices used by the author, and tie that back to their intention.

You'll find a lot more to write about if you look at connotations and you won't spend half the time "looking & labelling for devices"

[dilks]

When doing language analysis I find it useful to forget about devices in general, but really home into the connotations and word choices used by the author, and tie that back to their intention.

You'll find a lot more to write about if you look at connotations and you won't spend half the time "looking & labelling for devices"

I think if you focus purely on connotations and word choices then you risk giving us an incomplete picture of the article. You can deal with devices without simply "looking & labelling for devices" by analysing how they position the reader (and tieing this back to the author's intention) and by selecting the most important devices. That isn't to say that word connotations and choices aren't good things to analyse, as a matter of fact they are often the difference between an A and an A+ essay, but you can't simply "forget about devices" as they are an integral part of the article.

Edit: That said, you are right in saying that language analysis shouldn't be approached with a 'got to catch 'em all' mentality.

[charmanderp]

As with any literary texts there are a number of different readings you could make of an article, particularly an opinionated one. I haven't actually done Language Analysis before but I'd think it's best to focus on whatever details are most relevant to your interpretation of the article and the stance you're making in your essay, rather that trying to pick up on 6 points and contriving to write on each of them.

[dinosaur93]

so what persuasive devices can I pull out from the article on the very first post? Could someone help me pls..

[dilks]

so what persuasive devices can I pull out from the article on the very first post? Could someone help me pls..

We just told you, none. It isn't a persuasive piece so it doesn't use persuasive devices.