posted on 2023-05-23, 06:56authored byDamon Thomas, Angela Thomas
This paper investigates persuasive strategies used by 15 Tasmanian year 5 students who scored highly on the written component of the 2011 NAPLAN test. The texts were analysed with two frameworks, the first drawn from APPRAISAL theory and the second from classical rhetoric. Initially, the ENGAGEMENT system (see White, 2003; Martin & White, 2005) was used to examine linguistic resources deployed by these students to adopt stances toward the views of others and to include their readers as discourse participants. Secondly, the analysis sought to uncover figures of speech from STYLE, the third canon of classical rhetoric (see Aristotle, trans. 2004), deployed by the students to achieve a number of persuasive effects. Lastly, the analysis was used to outline how resources from each tradition were sometimes deployed in pairs or clusters by the students. This paper presents work-in-progress for the development of a systematic picture of students’ rhetorical capabilities across years 3, 5, 7 and 9.
History
Publication title
To Boldly Proceed: Proceedings of the 39th International Systemic Functional Congress
Editors
J. Knox
Pagination
69-74
ISBN
978-0-646-58257-3
Department/School
Faculty of Education
Publisher
The Organising Committee of the 39th International Systemic Functional Congress, Sydney