Language+Appreciation+Guide

= Language Appreciation Guide = We communicate with others in a variety of ways through our five senses. While language is only one of the ways in which we communicate, it is one of the most sophisticated tools we have and clever cunning people know how to use it effectively to get what they want. As recipients of the use and abuse of language it is important that we understand the good and the evil intent people can have when they attempt to capture our attention. We must be careful not to get sucked in, conned or exploited.

The reading process essentially involves several stages:


 * Literal ** — Understanding the meaning of what is being said, recalling detail, Recognising character, orientation, sequencing of events and outcomes.
 * Interpretative! Inferential ** - filling in the gaps or supplying meanings not directly stated; reading between the lines, anticipating, making generalisations, reasoning cause and effect.
 * Critical ** — evaluating and passing judgement on the quality, accuracy, value or truthfulness of what is read (identifying bias, ulterior agendas, propaganda).
 * Creative ** - responding on a personal level, solving the problems raised, expressing new ideas, insights, alternative solutions and emotional reactions.

= The Analysis of Prose Passages =
 * Orientation: ** The first questions you should ask as you skim the passage for a general overview are; Who, What, Where and Why? Who is speaking, to whom, what is happening, where area they located and what is their purpose (why?).
 * Technique: ** Once you have established the orientation process you should be able to move on the the How, the techniques used to present the point of view. The how is generally connected to the aim or purpose of the article. Good writers employ a variety of **linguistic** techniques to effectively present their case. You need to be aware of how they influence or manipulate thinking.
 * Evaluation: ** This is your personal opinion on the effectiveness of the passage. You may judge it for yourself, for the intended audience or as a general appraisal of the worth of the article. Be specific and provide evidence for any assertions you make.

** Language Techniques **

Attitude or ** Tone **: Warm, ambient/ cold, Condescending/ suppliant, sad/ happy... Word Choice — diction word play - puns. • Connotative or denotative - clear or ambiguous • Emotive, coloured, biased or demotive — technical terms, dispassionate • ** Clichés **, proverbs, ** idiomatic **, expressive or flat. • ** Jargon **: commercialese, journalese, legalese, intellectualese, technolese (babble) A perverse, cabalistic, technocratic language can be part of the general folly.
 * Purpose **** : **
 * Approach: ** Subjective — emotive or Objective — informative
 * Audience ** : Broad, general,/ superior/ subordinate/ peer/ niche interest group.
 * Style: **

• ** Euphemisms **, ** tautology **, ** oxymoron's :  ** //exhilarated// // terror, bitter sweet, //

• ** Gender ** biases – sex biased language.
// Man for mankind, Chairman for Chairperson, he for they.... // e.g. //thou, art// e.g. “//swag”// — Australian — bundle of personal belongings carried by a traveller in the bush, a tramp or miner” (O.E.D.) e.g. “sate” for “sat” (past simple tense)
 * archaic ** belonging to an earlier period; archaism = an archaic word or expression.
 * currency ** the quality of being in vogue, prevalent – in vogue –buzz words.
 * dialect (al) ** a variety of speech differing from the standard language; a provincial method of speech.
 * obsolete ** that which is no longer used; out of date.

• **Formal** — stiff, regular, often abstruse – used by the elite – respectable or politically correct language •**Colloquial** — relaxed, conversational inclusive friendly - belonging to common speech or ordinary conversation. e.g. ‘‘I’ll’’ used for ‘‘I will’’
 * Register: ** Levels of language - elevated language, street or gutter language.

• **Slang** — very relaxed, colourful, intimate a special vocabulary below the level of standard educated speech. Sometimes low and vulgar, often colourful and full of impact, depending or its context and pertinence e.g. //technicolour yawn// for vomit • **Vulgate** — coarse, crude, blasphemous, profanities, obscenities. Using the vulgate in formal expression is generally not accepted as it indicates a lack of articulation or a loss of control. It is acceptable in narratives or dramatic situations to reveal character or create realistic situations as long it is not used gratuitously. It is often used by people to “fit in”, assimilate or expressing solidarity with a sub-group. Sometimes even leaders use it to show us they are “one of us”. Bob Hawke, when Australia won the America’s Cup, “//any boss who sacks a worker for taking a sickie today is a “bum”.//

— Indicates extreme distress or frustration. A 2009 NeuroReport found that //“swearing helps to relieve pain”//. Context is everything: if someone your equal swears at you it can be inclusive acceptance, however if a stranger or superior does it, it could be offensive and abusive.

• Short or long • Topic sentence placement and structure • Similes, metaphors, personification, analogy, fables, • Allusions — religious, historical, mythological, literary, films - Images, symbols.
 * Sentence Types: **
 * === simple. Compound, complex ===
 * === Balanced, loose, periodic ===
 * Paragraphing: **
 * Figurative or literal language **

**Sound effects:** • Alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, verbal harmony, rhythm, blending, harsh, discordant, plosives, slow/fast, melody , voice, sibilance, sotto, allegro (brisk)...(REMEMBER, MOST OF THESE WILL NOT BE IN YOUR PASSAGE). THEY ARE JUST EXAMPLES. • Rhapsodic, lyrical, elegiac, upbeat, blue, staccato, dirge, ode, • Questions, exclamations, cumulation, crescendo, inversion, bathos, repetition... Active: //The boy kicked the ball.// Passive: //The ball was kicked by the boy//
 * Rhetorical devices **
 * Person: ** first, (I, me, mine) second,(you, your) third (They them, their)
 * Voice: **
 * Punctuation: ** exclamation marks! colons :, semi-colons;, dashes -, ellipsis....
 * Structure **, linear, circular, flash backs, episodic, climactic...