Language analysis: take a letter
BOB HILLMAN
February 07, 2011
THROUGHOUT the VCE English course, students have the opportunity to develop their skills in understanding, exploring and articulating the way language is employed in presenting a point of view. Perhaps it is the most useful and practical of all skills taught in VCE subjects and it is one of my favourite parts of teaching English.
We start to develop our language from a very early age and in doing so we become well versed in the impact that certain words or phrases have on those listening. At the same time, we learn that the tone in which something is stated can have a significant bearing on its meaning.
So the tasks of language analysis and presentation of a point of view that are practised and developed throughout VCE English are really an extension of the intuitive understanding about language that we have in the first place.
To succeed in this part of the course and analyse language with sophistication and profundity, it is important to have a good understanding of current issues and the context in which they are written. That is why it is important for serious VCE English students to read The Age every day. The best way of improving insights into current issues is to read about them regularly, both in the news section and, more importantly, in the opinion pages, where people are responding to the issues.
Not only does this allow students to remain up to date, it also offers a broader perspective on any issue. For example, when a country has recently faced a series of natural disasters that have taken lives and destroyed property, letters to the editor and editorials will have these events and their impact in the back of their minds as they put forward a point of view.
The cultural values that are embedded within a society also form the basis on which so many arguments are presented and there is often an assumption that readers share similar values to the writers. Australians, for example, generally feel strongly about being perceived as an egalitarian society.
The validity of this is less important than the perceived belief. Many arguments will be presented based on the notion that its readers feel similarly about fairness for all, the ''little Aussie battler'' and ''everyone deserves a fair go''.
There are many other typically Australian qualities and beliefs that are embedded within the presentation of a point of view and these can be distinguished and understood only by exposure, perusal and contemplation of the newspaper on a regular basis.
In fact, the common assessment task for Unit 3 stipulates ''the analysis and comparison of language in texts that debate a topical issue which has appeared in the Australian media since 1 September of the previous year''.
Each day The Age presents the news and, through the opinion section, explores the implications of those things that affect our world. In recent weeks there has been some controversy over the continuation of the grand prix in Melbourne after the lord mayor, Robert Doyle, raised questions about its financial viability and its cost to Victorian taxpayers.
Over the following days several letters to the editor appeared as well as an editorial and an extended opinion piece. It is important to consider the context of this issue, given other controversies such as the flood levy and the recent change of government in Victoria. Even if it is not specifically mentioned, taxation and the use of taxpayers' money are relevant to the issue and heightened by the debate over whether to create a levy to help flood victims and their communities.
It is also an opportunity for people such as Peter Goad, of the Save Albert Park group (25/1), to have a platform for their long-standing desire to rid Albert Park of the grand prix. Both he and Colin Smith (26/1), from St Kilda, an area affected by the race, employ the words of those in support of the grand prix. Executive Andrew Westacott and board chairman Ron Walker are quoted and through their own words the writers bring scepticism and cynicism to the claims of these grand prix officials (See letters below).
The tactic used by Smith is to juxtapose the findings of the Auditor-General against the apparently misleading information. There is a perceived impartiality and propriety in the Auditor-General and this is contrasted with the self-serving interests of those associated with the grand prix. Smith indicates his contempt by using the term ''spin doctor'' — which implies obfuscation and an intentional confusion of facts. He ends his letter with a rhetorical question speaking on behalf of the public and invites readers to join in his scepticism.
Likewise Goad's letter uses the word ''hype'' in the headline, suggesting from the start that there has been exaggeration and irrational response in the past to questions of the grand prix's viability. His tone is logical and reasoned and, like Smith, he places this alongside the words of Ron Walker, systematically undermining Walker's words (note he uses the verb ''claims'' for Walker's words, implying cynicism) and leading readers to a clear conclusion — ''found no evidence of any economic benefit''.
This attempts to undercut the key argument on which Walker and others who support the race have based their defence. The interesting word here is ''evidence''. Goad presents his view in a factual manner while subverting Walker's claims as ''meaningless hype'' and ''obvious misinformation''. The adjectives are particularly interesting in the way in which they reinforce the notion that, up this point, the public has been deluded.
There is a sense of satisfaction in his revelation of the misinformation — factually demonstrated — ''This leaves an average of about 22 million viewers for each of the other races, including Melbourne'' and ''found no evidence''.
Sometimes a brief letter consisting of only two complex sentences is a valuable example of how writers can concisely make an emotional plea. Maureen Kutner's letter (25/1) has its impact in her challenging tone.
The first sentence quotes the Premier, Ted Baillieu, who contends that he will ensure the improved financial performance of the grand prix. The second issues a challenge while selecting language that demeans the race itself, ''cars driving in circles'' and taxpayers who are ''underwhelmed'' by the race. Kutner throws down the gauntlet to the Premier to keep his word and ends with a sceptical and cynical tone about Baillieu achieving his goal.
The only way for students to improve their capacity to understand, analyse and present the way in which language is being used to persuade in a sophisticated manner is to work at it each day.
The most successful VCE English students will follow the media every day to ensure they have a complex understanding of the issues facing society as well as becoming familiar with the way in which language is used in presenting a point of view. Students may also benefit from perusing the articles on language analysis that appear in The Age's Text Talk archives.
Bob Hillman is a senior English teacher at Trinity Grammar School in Kew.
