What different power concepts and theory would you refer to if you were writing about this speech?

I have look at a speech done by Gorden Brown when he became prime minster of Britain and come up with some ideas to answer the question above:

• A speech is an example on influential power as the language devices used gains power for the speaker as it can be influential over the audience to be on the speakers side and agree with what they are saying.
• Using the personal pronoun of "I" would be important to use on a speech as it gives a sense that the speech is directly coming from the person speaking to the audience and making it clear that they have this power and will use it wisely. "I want the best of chances for everyone"
• There is also a collective pronoun used of "we" and that brings the audience into the speech and makes them feel like they can get involved in what the speaker is saying. "that if we can fulfil the potential"
• Both use of pronouns support the theory that Fairclough represented of Synthetic Personalisation that they are used to make the audince feel there is a relatioship between them and the speaker when they don't even know each other making the auidnce gain trust for the speaker and the speaker gaining power over the audience.
• Modal verbs like "will" and "can" are important as they give a sense of certainty on what the speaker is saying and that they can and will change try and change the future for the best of the audience. "I will be strong in purpose". It it makes the points they make very strong and forceful so therefore seem believable.  
• Repetition of words or phrases like "Change in our NHS, change in our schools, change with affordable housing". This helps to emphasis the point that the speaker is trying to make that they can see the things that need improving and they can help to do something about it.  

Half Term Homework!

Here is my half term homework of an analysis on a chairty advert that demonsteates how language is affected by power:
(picture of advert included)

This Save the Children advert persuades its readers in a number of different ways that I will discuss in this answer. One of the most noticeable features is it use of graphology as its picture is central to the advert and therefore is very striking. It is of a mother and child and is emotive towards the audience as this child is being comforted by his mother. There is a little caption with gives a small background check on what this picture is showing the audience too. Both of these things help to suggest that one of the audiences this advert is trying to appeal to is parents as the bond between mother and a child is strong and the fact this child is crying can hit emotions for parents in the fact they don't want their children to have a life like this. Therefore gaining power very the audience as using emotive pictures can be persuasive towards getting the audience on their side to give money towards their charity. Also, one the captions to the picture is a rhetorical question “How many more must die before this stops?” which make a powerful point which gets the audience thinking about the context of this advert and gives power to the writer as then it gives the message that the audiences money can help people who are hurt during bombing in places like Gaza can start to get a better life.

The emotive language is also shown in the lexis chosen. The use of negative words like “bombing”, “fight”, “attacks”, “death”, “horror” and “danger” which are all very strong words that are very truthful when relating to this matter and give a sense of despair which only the audience can help make better which is persuading which is primary purpose of the text and getting the audience to understand this matter more about what is going on with the help of adjectives like “damaging” and “terrified”.

Influential power is apparent in this text as it is very persuasive towards the reader and this is shown through the Lexis, grammar and discourse structure of the text. Personal pronouns are used as another persuasive feature of the text such as “We have to act now” and “Will you?”. This helps the text produces to address the audience as if they know them also known as synthetic personalisation which linguist Norman Fairclough made a point when linking language and power. Here he says an artificial relationship is created even though the reader has never met the writer before a sense of trust can be established. This gains power to the writer as it gets the audience on the adverts side and helps get money towards their charity. The imperative “We have to act now” has a forceful and blunt tone to it and does sound like the writer is talking directly to the audience to get the audience to help their charity. Lots of simple sentences like “Ambulances can't get to the injured” are also used which are easy to read and get the point out in a blunt tone as if the truth couldn't be any simpler but are still horrible to realise that this is the truth.

Modal verbs are also used as a persuasive technique for this text such as “Every person can make a difference.” They are used in the section where the adverts talks about how people at home can help the crisis and get involved. So the use as “can” as a modal verb is important in persuasion as it gives a sense of certainty to the reader that what they do to help can help make a difference to mothers and children who have been caught up in this violence. It gives a sense of little is more in this world and the writer here is gaining power over the audience as they are getting a sense of trust from the audience that their money will go to good use in this charity. 

 

Twitter - Language and Technology

The article that I was asked to look at showed that language had been changed so much due to the help of socail netwoking sites like Twitter and how new and old words have been changed and used to mean new things. another atrial I found managed to show how Twitter itself has helped to leave it's mark of the world. It's very own Twiiter footprint. I find it very intresting as how a small socail netowrking site can become this big in a couple of years and now well known by millions just by the symbol of a blue bird.

http://www.technologyreview.com/graphiti/522376/the-many-tongues-of-twitter/

To tweet or not to tweet?

Twitter - can Facebook, Tumblr and other social networking sites keep up?

Ever since the Twitter was set up in 2006, it has grown into one of the major well known social networking sites which PR Daily stocks from 2012 show us with the fact it has now 100 million active users.

Everybody knows the basics of how Twitter works. In fact, all you need to show people is the image of the little blue bird and people could probably write monologues about it!

But if you are not sure then here is the heads up to twitter. You have 150 words to write a little statment and then tweet on your twitter where your followers, who are mostly your friends but some people get lucky and find celebs following them, can either like or repost it if they find it funny or intresting so more peoplpe can see your words of instant knowledge. Like Facebook, you can also have photos where you can add your friends in and write captions.

It has kept many generations busy for hours and even some users may find they are at a loss without it. As S, Johnson said from the Time Magazine, "it's not as if we were sitting around four years ago and saying, 'if only here were a technology that would allow me to send a message to my friends, alerting them in real time about my choice of breakfast cereal." Posts like this may seem strange but it's easy to see the funny side!

Twitter has not just kept the public happy but also the rich and famous, from David Cameron to One Direction, where people can feel as if they can get an insite into these types of lives and what is going on. You will always find fans hoping that the celeb they are following, will answer to their tweet or for a higher up acheivement, follow them back.

Overall, Twitter is on of the fun ways to socalise with friends but get to know about the other people in the world at the same time. It is worth having a go as you don't know what you might find out or what might make you laugh.



Biblography

Johnson, S (05/06/09) How Twitter Will Change the Wat We Live article in the Time Magazine, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1902818,00.html, [accessed 11/07/13]

Collier, S (16/07/12) 20 illuminating facts about Twitter: 2012 edition article on PR Daily, http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/20_illuminating_facts_about_Twitter_2012_edition_12138.aspx# [acessed 11/07.13]

Descover London

 This peice of work is for my informative travel writing.

Descover
Descover London.
Descover Us.

We belive London has more hidden tresures that you think.
You just have to find them.

London. A great city known my many across the world. But how much do you actually known about London. We put on many advents throughout the year to help you to see Londons true colour and not just through a TV screen. Explore the sensational sights, the exqusite shopping centres and see the mysteries that can be solved as you find out about the past from one of the many exhibitions being held. Travel by bus, train or go by foot to see what you can descover today about London.

Our new brochure "Descover London" is out now! Go to our website www.descoverlondon.co.uk to order your free copy and let it be your guide to this beauitiful city.

The Streets of London

This piece of work is my entertaining piece of travel writing.

 "We are going left next ladies and gentlemen so follow me!"
The silent groan that followed was almost laughable if my legs weren't in so much pain. Since we got off the shabby school coach, all we had done was walked and followed this petite tour guide around like a mother duck leading her ducklings to the nest. I could hardly hear her or see her for that matter as I was stuck at the back of the pack, trundling along, not really caring that was probably where Shakespeare stood and realizing I was on my last piece of gum. As you could probably guess, I was feeling bored. Her droning voice at the front did not help to make this tour any more interesting than it had sounded and even my history teacher said he only came for the burger and chips at our lunch stop. Planet Hollywood! It sounds so awesome but as the time on my phone keeps on reminding me, that isn't at least until another hour. A whole hour a feet killing, back aching, head exploding tour. It didn't help that it was a scorching hot day and that our bottle green uniform decided to soak in as much heat as possible for us! Personally, I actually do love coming to London but this tour wasn't helping to make it attractive.

Then, we turned a corner. It was a narrow and cobbled`street where houses towered over us, making the sun seem existent as the dark, murky atmosphere seemed to swallow up most of the light. Sighs of realife were heard as students stepped into the shade to cool off.
"No, no, no!" The tour guides voice broke into our heads, "If you stand there, you won't be able to see what I want to show you!"
Just our luck when we finally find a place to cool off, we are actually not allowed to go near it! The "relaxing stopper" then made us look up and basically squint due to the sun being in our eyes to look at the architecture. However, I did actually look compared to other students and it did make me stare. The unusual patterns and styles of the buildings was intriguing. This was the part of London that you rarely see being all the pictures of Big Ben and The London Eye. This was the part hidden by all the well known treasures of London but i think London has more treasures than it realizes. 

We then walked past a piece of Bansky art which did get me exited. His spray painting technique onto random walls was different and not tacky like most spray painting work. I found myself fascinated with it as we had actually just looked at him and his work in Art so to see a piece live was pretty cool.
"Come on."
The teachers had to call us few students, who actually appreciated the art, away like dogs. I did feel a little bit like a tourist to it as the camera on my phone did get whipped out and clicked constantly to make sure I did get a good picture. Because getting a good one would defiantly be worth it!

A Vicars Life

This is my monologue based of the monologue 'Bed Among the Lentils" from the point of view of Geoffrey.

Geoffrey is the vicar of the local church, which he is very passionate about. He sits comfortably in his leather chair, in front of the fire, feeling content about how today went. It is evening.

This morning, I was extreme nervous for myself. Shaking all over as I thought how I was going to get across today's sermon to all my fellow brothers and sisters of Christ. I managed to get some encouraging words from Gods book, the Bible, to remind me that he will be with me every step of the way. Now I think about it, it was silly to act that way! (Chuckles)

I percifically remember my wife saying she'd defiantly be there to support me. But was she? Not really. She trundled in late again, wearing that shabby cardigan that I am sure she has been wearing for the past two weeks... I had to hide my eyes which were probably clouded with disappointment. She also hasn't been on time since, well I can't remember exactly. If I was constantly late for something as important as this, then I would be kicked out of my position and the good reputation I have taken years to build would all come tumbling down. I made a metal note to talk it over with her later. If I get a chance...

The sermon went to plan. To my relief. Talking about the joining of two people in the eye of God is always a har topic to cover. I remember the lecturer of my college saying that. I did see however a few member of the congregation blushing (manly the ladies!) as I preached and that did make me chuckle! After reading out the very important notice of the Bishop coming next week, I met people at the door. I kept my eyes flicking back to my wife, making sure she did make any sarcastic comments like she had done during the sermon to poor Mr and Mrs Belcher. I managed to pick up Mrs Shrubsole saying to her "we must cherish him" and I had to blush with a little pride. I don't get praise like that very often and I am glad at least someone does.