L2 propaganda and linguistic devices

LANGUAGE IN PROPAGANDA POSTERS

L.O. To analyse the linguistic devices used in propaganda posters

What do these propaganda

posters have in common?

What are imperatives?

What image would suit the following slogans?

• Who’s absent? Is it you?

• The kitchen is the key to victory. Eat less bread.

• God speed the plough and the woman who drives it.

• Who’s absent? Is it you?

• The kitchen is the key to victory. Eat less bread.

• God speed the plough and the woman who drives it.

Linguistic devices - Choices that a writer makes with their use of language

emotive words personal pronouns puns

Imperatives rhetorical questions opinions

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What linguistic devices have been used here? Why?

Using the marksheet, assess the responses to the following question:

Explain and comment on the writer’s use of language in this propaganda poster.

You will need to write down:

• The level you believe it is

• What went well…

• Even better if…

Be as specific as you can in your feedback.

Look back at the posters from our last lesson, which you analysed for presentational devices. Now add another paragraph about the use of linguistic devices. How does the language match the presentational devices?

In pairs, you will be given a propaganda poster. You will be giving a presentation on your poster next lesson. The presentation will be an analysis of the presentational and linguistic devices.

Consider:

• Why propaganda posters were created

• The choice of images, colours, fonts, layout, etc…

• The use of alliteration, rhetorical questions, emotive language, personal pronouns, imperatives, etc…

• The intentions of the designers and the effect of the intended audience

• The effect it has on you

APP TASK

Assessment Criteria: • Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text

• Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts

• Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level

• Explain and comment on writers’ use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level

• Identify and comment on writers’ purposes and viewpoints, and the overall effect of the text on the reader

• Relate texts to their social, cultural and historical traditions

Capitals used to show the importance of the main message

Command – men are being ordered to fight by their wives and children

The central image is of the women conforming to expectations of the period (women staying in the home to look after the children) with the suggestion that men too should conform to expectations of their gender (be the man and go to war).

Home shown to create sense of duty to protect the family

Image of men united as they march to war