Les 3 - Linguistic Techniques

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

Speeches Lesson 3

Linguistic Techniques

Get into the LessonUp, quiet down and grab pen and paper

Quick check in about modes of persuasion

Pathos

Logos

Ethos

Reason: using logic and facts to convince

Emotion: using stories and passion to convince

Believability: using your character and goodwill to convince

Today

Learning goals

You can:

• show understanding of a video by answering questions
• recognise speech techniques in an answer to a question

Programme

You will:

1. take notes during a listening exercise (two videos, silence throughout) and then answer questions based on them
2. Work on your speech, specifically on your opening statement

Video 1: Donald Trump

• Video takes about 6 minutes
• Fairly politically neutral
• Made before Trump became president, even before he became the Republican candidate in 2016

Assignment:

• Take notes during the video
• After the video is done, answer the questions in LessonUp

Why does the creator of this video want to examine Trump's speech?

1. Because he thinks Trump is a bad politician
2. Because Trump speaks differently from most politicians
3. Because he wants Trump to win the presidency

What part of Trump's background makes him good at getting people to agree with him?

1. He golfs a lot and talks to people on the green
2. He's a lifelong politician
3. He has always been a salesman

What's the main point the creator makes about Trump's speech?

1. Trump uses very simple sentences
2. Trump uses a lot of independent clauses
3. Trump uses a lot of long sentences

What's the most important technique Trump uses?

1. He starts with the important stuff
2. He ends his sentences with his main point and related buzz words
3. He uses alliteration - words that start with the same letter

The creator gives Trump some credit: what does he say Trump is good at?

1. He's well-spoken
2. He times his attitude well and has good comedic timing
3. He has a great fashion sense

What is the point the creator made at the end of the video?

1. Trump is not smart
2. Trump is a breath of fresh air and will make America great again
3. Trump sounds more relatable than other politicians

Which mode of persuasion does Trump use primarily?

Logos (reason)

Pathos (Emotion)

Ethos (Believability)

Video 2: Bernie Sanders

• Video takes about 8 minutes
• Same creator, slightly less apolitical
• Made in February 2020, before the Democrats chose Biden as their candidate

Assignment:

• Take notes during the video
• After the video is done, answer the questions in LessonUp

What does the creator say about Trump's win in 2016?

1. It was just because of his way of talking
2. His skill as a communicator was important but not the only reason
3. The way he talked was irrelevant

What reason does the creator mention that both Sanders and Trump poll well in the US?

1. They have similar views
2. They both communicate well
3. They have very different views

What does the creator say about Sanders's word choice compared to Trump?

1. They use similarly complex words
2. Sanders uses more complex words
3. Trump uses more complex words

What does the creator say about rhythm?

1. Trump uses complex words to create rhythm
2. Trump and Sanders use similar techniques
3. Sanders gives all his syllables space to create rhythm

What technique does Sanders use to make his speech better?

1. Alliteration: using words that start with the same letter
2. Epistrophe: the repetition of the same word at the end of successive phrases
3. Irony: saying something you don't really mean to make a joke to get people to like you

What point does the creator make about Sanders's career?

1. Sanders has been explaining his view for decades
2. Sanders has been changing his mind constantly
3. Sanders used to be a salesman, just like Trump

What does the creator say about the way Bernie modulates?

1. He sounds angry all the time
2. He doesn't show any emotion
3. He emphasises his message throughout a long answer

Which mode of persuasion do you think Sanders uses most?

Pathos (emotion)

Logos (reason)

Ethos (believability)

Assignment (homework next lesson)

1. Write the opening sentence of your speech
2. Think about the techniques you've seen and think about how you could use them; write it down!

If you want to discuss the videos amongst yourselves, do so in English, to practise!