KXEX 2163

THINKING & COMMUNICATION SKILLS

LECTURE 7:
Identifying persuasive language &Listening
skills
By:
Dr. Narendra Kumar, Dr.-Ing
(Germany), SMIEEE (USA),
FIET (UK)
Department of Electrical Engineering

Identifying Persuasive Language

Language is used not only to communicate ideas
but also to persuade or convince others to "see
things our way". In other words, to use language
to get the persons to act or think in a certain way.
A word that used to be popular during "the
emergency"
(1948-1960)
in
Malaysia
is
"propaganda"; i.e. a period during which the
government used different methods to persuade
the communists to surrender and give up their
cause. Propaganda means material written or
spoken by people who want others to believe
what they are saying is true. The information
need not be false or misleading but merely
presented for the purpose of covert persuasion.

Identifying Persuasive Language

"Through clever and constant application of
propaganda, people can be made to see
paradise as hell, and also the other way
round, to consider the most wretched sort
of life as paradise".
- Adolf Hitler (from Mein Kampf)

Identifying Persuasive Language

Humans are very clever in using techniques that
aim to influence others' thinking. There are many
propaganda techniques employed but the most
common are as follows:

1)Vagueness
2)Ambiguity
3)Emotive Language
4)Euphemism
5)Language of Advertising

Identifying Persuasive Language

1) VAGUENESS
Words that lack a clear and distinct
meaning. Vagueness is always a matter of
degree; a scale between extreme generality
and extreme specificity.
Eg. "She is really smart" - General

"She got an A in physics" Specific

One strategy for clarifying vague language
is to ask and try answer the following
questions: Who? What? Why? Where? How?

Identifying Persuasive Language

2) AMBIGUITY
A word with more than one meaning that is
open to different interpretations. Words
used to represent various areas of
experiences. We make the mistake of
thinking that each word stands for one
distinct area of experience - an object,
thought or feeling.
Eg. "I hope you get what you deserve". We
may or may not be sure if the speaker is
wishing us well or ill unless the context of
the remark make clear his or her intention.

Identifying Persuasive Language

3) EMOTIVE LANGUAGE
What is your immediate reaction to the
following words?
filthy peaceful sexy adorable
blood-thirsty cute

Identifying Persuasive Language

3) EMOTIVE LANGUAGE
Most of these words probably stimulate
certain feelings in you. In fact, this ability to
evoke feelings and emotions in people is
indicative of the power of language.
(Perhaps why they say "The pen is mightier
than the sword!"). Making sense of the way
that language can influence our emotions is
important because emotive language often
plays a dual role - it not only symbolises and
expresses our feelings but also arouses or
evokes feelings in others.

Identifying Persuasive Language

3) EMOTIVE LANGUAGE
Emotive words can be used to confuse opinions with
facts, a situation that commonly occurs when we
combine emotive uses of language with informative
uses.
Eg.

a) Kuala Lumpur is so polluted and filthy.

Only idiots would want to live there.

b) She's the most generous, wise, honest

and warm friend that a person could have.

Identifying Persuasive Language

4) EUPHEMISM
The term comes from the Greek word meaning "to
speak with good words" and involves substituting
a more pleasant, less objectionable way of saying
something for a blunt or more direct way.
Instead of saying....
He died
Garbage collector

One says ......

He departed this life
Sanitation engineer

Identifying Persuasive Language

4) EUPHEMISM
Instead of saying....
One says ......
He died
He departed this life
Garbage collector
Sanitation engineer
Rotting slums
Substandard housing
Civilians killed in a bombing raid
Incurred collateral
damage
People imprisoned without trial and
Elimination of
undesirable elements
shot in the back

Identifying Persuasive Language

5) LANGUAGE OF ADVERTISING
Advertisers have nearly made a science out of using
language to influence people's perceptions, beliefs
and actions. One basic strategy is to associate
positive or negative thoughts and emotions with the
product or service being sold.

Identifying Persuasive Language

5) LANGUAGE OF ADVERTISING
Many people buy products not because they are
better quality than another, but because of
associations that have absolutely nothing to do with
the products.
Example:
Product Name Associations
Coca Cola
"Adds life young, attractive people having
lots of fun"
Marlboro
"Marlboro Country" - macho, strong,
ruggedly handsome".