U3AOS3 - Language Analysis Flashcards
ad hominem attack
personal criticism or insults aimed at an individual or a group rather than at their argument
- used to belittle opponents and their views / gain attention and give emphasis to key ideas
alliteration
repetition of a consonant especially at the start of words
- used to emphasise and highlight specific words (usually related to the key ideas of this issue)
analogy
a comparison between two things or ideas that leads the audience to draw conclusions about the similarities
- used to explain complex ideas in a more familiar way / link an argument to other ideas that readers know well and believe to make it seem correct
anecdote
a brief personal account or story, usually entertaining, that will provide a human angle and engage the reader
- used to evoke a feeling of close personal connection with the speaker / make the point of view feel more real or authentic
assumption
taking the truth of an idea or a statement for granted
- used to make it seem as though an opinion or idea is obviously true
begging the question
basing an argument on a premise that is the same as the reasons for it
- used to present an argument as self-evident or obviously true / use comedy or sarcasm to mock
cliche
an overworked phrase that a wide range of readers can quickly grasp and understand
- used to make audiences feel reassured when they recognise a familiar expression / create a humorous effect or produce a mocking or comic tone
emotive language
strong words and phrases deliberately used to arouse specific feelings
- used to take focus away from the logic or evidence of an argument and place it on strong feelings / generate a powerful emotional reaction for or against something
evidence
facts and expert views provided to suggest the argument is confirmed or has a basis in truth
- used to create an impression that reasons are factual / position the writer as well informed and omit or select data that gives a false impression
exaggeration, overstatement and hyperbole
presenting an extreme view of a situation
- used to create surprise and strong dramatic impact / provoke a strong emotional reaction and too add humour
figurative language
words and phrases used in a non-literal way (e.g. metaphors or similes)
- used to make the writer seem witty and clever / creates engaging imagery or comparisons that have a strong emotional impact
generalisation
a statement that suggests that what is true for some is true for most or all
- used for playing on readers existing beliefs about specific examples, to make them feel the same way about a much larger group or concept
graphs and charts
evidence presented in a visual form
- used to present a clear view of the data / appear factual so readers are more likely to consider it to be true
inclusive language
terms such as ‘we’ ‘our’ and ‘us’
- used to create a sense that the writer is just like the audience, that they share common experiences, ideas and beliefs / make audience members feel that they are being considered and personally addressed
irony or sarcasm
saying the opposite of what is true or expected
- used to point out unexpected or flawed aspects of an opposing argument / mock and belittle an opposing argument
puns and play on words
words with multiple meanings used to imply multiple ideas with the one phrase
- used to present the writer as clever and funny / position the audience to want to pay attention, for entertainment
reason and logic
drawing conclusions from evidence and. known facts to support a clear argument
- used to suggest that the writer came to a view through careful, coherent thought / imply an argument is sensible and intelligently developed
repetition
to repeat a word or phrase several times
- used to place emphasis on the words or phrases that are repeated, to highlight ideas or evoke an emotional response
rhetorical question
a question with an implied answer
- used to guide readers to one self evident or obvious answer that positions them to see this view as correct
straw man argument
misrepresentation of an opponent’s argument in order to make it easier to rebut
- used to imply others’ arguments are weaker, twisting them in a way that is easier to rebut and discredit
appeals to family values
evoke the idea of belonging, security, caring / nurturing, togetherness, safety, love and comfort
appeals to justice
often used when the rights of two opposing sides come into conflict, especially when one side appears to e being treated unfairly
appeals to modernity
adversitiers tend to use this type of appeal / urge consumers to buy the latest and by doing so, hint that those who don’t are old fashioned and outdated
appeals to generosity
makes the reader feel like they would be acting greedily or selfishly in their own interests, rather than the greater good if they don’t agree with a certain proposition
appeals to humanitarianism
play on people’s desire to promote general human welfare - it evokes notions of kindness, sympathy and benevloance
appeal to hip-pocket nerve and self interest
designed to make the reader feel that something they personally value is being threatened - or that they will be better off because of a particular proposal
appeal to belonging
makes the reader feel as though they will be excluded if they don’t agree
appeal to patriotism
reference to the national interest, Australia’s interest in the world and its economic well-being, international reputation and safety and the respect that other nations feel for it
appeal to tradition
suggests that because we’ve always done it like this or our ancestors fought for this, the idea is inherently good, going against it would mean going against everything we stand for
appeal to nostalgia
the feeling one gets when they look back on the past fondly / often an appeal to nostalgia is used to return to older, simpler times
appeal to guilt
a powerful emotion and writer who make their audience feel guilty about an issue (and in particular not acting upon an issue) can be very persuasive
appeal to sympathy / empathy
encouraging people to feel sympathy for someone or empathy
appeal to fear
may rely on fear of physical violence or death, loss of security, family, stability, money, safety; of change; of a specified negative event
appeal to compassion
designed to appeal to the reader’s sense of compassion and aims to make them feel outraged, sorry or upset / whatever the emotion elicited the aim is to make the reader feel like they want to take some action in response to the situation
cartoonist persuasive techniques
symbolism exaggeration labeling analogy irony
symbolism
cartoonists use simple objects or symbols to stand for larger concepts or ideas
- think about symbol meaning in artist analysis sense
exaggeration
sometimes cartoonists overdo or exaggerate the physical characteristics of people or things in order to make a point
- look for overdrawn or overblown characteristics and why
labelling
often label objects to make it clear for what they stand for
- why did the cartoonist choose that label?
analogy
an analogy is a comparison between two unlike things; by comparing a complex issue or situation with a more familiar one cartoonists can help their readers see it in a different light
irony
irony is the difference between the way things are and the way things should be or are expected to be
- what point does it try to emphasise?
- does irony help a cartoonist express his or her opinion more effectively?
