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NB: You will need to substitute your own texts for the study texts that are
mentioned in this workshop description.
2. Think about the place you ended up at. List the things you like about this place. Are
there things you dont like about this place? What are they?
3. Now list all the texts you can think of that express an attitude to a place. You might
categorize your answer under the following headings.
Oral texts, for example, travel documentaries on radio;
Written texts, for example, travel stories in magazines;
Visual texts, for example, travel brochures.
4. Which of these texts have your read (or skimmed) examples of? What sorts of
attitudes do they express towards the places theyre written about?
In the last chapter, we broke up our definition of argument into a number of parts. We
said that:
argument is a process;
an argument contains a number of connected statements;
these statements need to be reasoned and supported with evidence;
when we argue we are establishing a position;
when we establish a position we are usually recognizing the existence of other
positions;
argument can take a variety of forms.
In this chapter, we are going to look rather more closely at the language we can use to
establish a position. Our focus is going to be on diction, but we will also be recognizing
that good writing is also about the way we shape sentences (syntax) and about the way
we structure or organize the texts we produce. Putting this in terms of a problem, we
will be asking the question:
Task 1: In what ways do the diction and syntax of a text change when the audience
changes?
Task 2: In What ways do the diction and syntax of a text change when the purpose and
function change?
Task 3: How does our command of language choices affect our ability to communicate
our position on something?
This chapter will use a number of different genres to explore these questions.
STEP 3: An experiment
For the purpose of this experiment, you are going to have to complete three pieces of
writing. They dont have to be long pieces, but you will need to think carefully about
the instructions you are given below. The subject of each piece of writing is the special
place you arrived at when doing STEP 1.
Writing instructions:
Magazine article extract: Imagine you are a scientist who is writing an article for a
popular scientific monthly magazine that is mostly read by adults. Write a
description of your chosen place.
Personal letter: Be yourself. Imagine you are writing to a good friend convincing
them about what a great time youd have doing things in your special place.
Ad: Imagine you are a developer or real estate agent. Write the sort of description
of your place that might be included in an advertisement which is selling your place
or the location where your place is to be found. (RESOURCE A might help you
with this.)
In this section, we will be looking closely at examples of two genres, the lyric poem and
the publicity pamphlet. Each of these examples is about a place. Both clearly adopt a
position with respect to that place. Both examples have as their topic cities in the lower
half of the North Island of New Zealand, Wellington and Porirua.
In this section we will be looking at a pamphlet produced by the Porirua City Council.
RESOURCE C is the front section of the Porirua pamphlet. This section has three
items: a headline, a cluster of pictorial graphics and a logo.
What is the purpose of the headline?
The headline is also a slogan? Come up with a slogan for your own city or town.
What is your opinion of the overall composition of this section? Why do you think
the items have been organized in this way?
Why do you think the producers of this pamphlet chose the three pictures that they
did?
Comment on the design of the logo. What idea of Porirua does the logo design
communicate?
Glossary Points:
Slogan: A slogan is a short, catchy verbal formula that is meant to stay in your head,
e.g. Go well, go Shell.
Text-block: A text-block is a distinct, self-contained piece of print text which occurs as
an item alongside other text-blocks and graphic items on a page.
Concrete language presents its subject with striking particularity and sensuous detail. It
relies on images which are words and expressions which appeal to our senses, e.g. the
strident cries of dappled wading birds.
Abstract language is the language of ideas or concepts, e.g. fear, anxiety,
ambition.
STEP 5: Reflection
In both poem and pamphlet, concrete language has an important function? What is the
function? Why is concrete language important in these genres?
STEP 6: Application
1. Orientation
2. Establishing questions
6. Application