Language techniques and their effects

The first thing you should always do with any text is try to work out the form (types of text e,g, article, advert etc. . ), audience (the particular group of people or type of people the text is aimed at) and the purpose (to argue, persuade, inform, instruct etc. . ). This help you to understand the types of language techniques a writer has used and teh effect they are hoping to achieve with them. Please identify the form, audience and purpose (FAP) of the Plan International text.

In texts such as the Plan International one, we find a mixture of facts, opinions and false-facts (opinions stated as if teh y are facts). Look at the quotations below, which all come from the first 4 paragraphs of the text, and identify the ones that are false-facts. For each one you identify, please explain the effect it is intended to have on the reader.

Throughout this text, the writer uses the second person (you, your). What is the intended effect of this? The effect is to make the reader feel that [blank_start]they personally can make a difference[blank_end] by [blank_start]donating a small amount of money[blank_end] [blank_start]each month[blank_end]

When writers use the second person what language technique are they using?

The tone of this text is challenging.

What is meant by he following idiom, used in the 5th paragraph: 'Children are at the heart of all Plan's work' The idiom means that [blank_start]the focus for Plan's work is children.[blank_end]

Due to its main purpose, the Plan International text includes a lot of emotive language, designed to make the reader feel pity and a sense of responsibility for helping the children that Plan work with. Please identify the words and phrases which are designed to have an emotive impact on the reader. For each one you identify please explain the emotional effect it is deigned to have.

Look at this quote from the text: 'the first thing we do is talk to community leaders, parents and the children themselves' This is an example of the language technique known as a group of three or the power of three. What does it suggest about the way that Plan work?

The language techniques and layout devices used in this text are all designed to create a positive bias towards Plan International in the minds of teh readers. Readers are encouraged to see Plan as a good charity which works for the benefit of whole communities.