Student Worksheet

Thought-starter: Is all language equally powerful?

Powerful people make powerful choices with their language when they want to persuade others about their point of view or perspectives. There are many social issues, both present and past, that have relied on people in power using persuasive techniques effectively to deliver their message and persuade people to think, feel and do certain things.

1. Take 5 minutes to think about and recall what you already know about persuasive techniques and persuasion more broadly. Think individually first, then share with a partner, and then share your thoughts with the class.

2. With your teacher’s guidance, you will complete the following activities that examine the use of different persuasive techniques in a famous speech from recent Australian history – the National Apology to the Stolen Generations, delivered by former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, on February 13, 2008. You can watch the speech here:

Sorry, Kevin Rudd's Apology to "The Stolen Generation": (https://youtu.be/b3TZOGpG6cM)

3. Use each of the tables below to help guide you in identifying and analysing the techniques used in the speech and demonstrate your understanding of their effectiveness. Examples from the speech are included to help get you started.

Technique one: Repetition

Technique two: Tripling (Power of Three)

Technique three: Emotive Language

Technique four: Figurative language (metaphor and personification)

Reflection

Record your reflections and responses in the space provided.

What social issues were raised and addressed in the extract of the speech?
Which persuasive technique did you find easiest to identify and why do you think this was the case?
Which persuasive technique do you think would be most powerful for an adult audience?
Which persuasive technique do you think would be most powerful for a younger audience?
Did the persuasive techniques in speech affect you and influence your perspective or opinion on this social issue? Explain your response.

Power and Persuasion

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