Language and Persuasion

Language is how we get our opinions across. Language is how we make others understand our ideas. It is essential that other people understand what we are trying to impress upon them. Language can be verbal or non-verbal and one is just as important as the other. Word choice is as important as well. Poor word choice can lead to miscommunication between parties and defeats the purpose of communication. Knowing the level of the audience’s understanding is the most important part of language communication. You would not use collegiate word to covey a point to a toddler, nor would you use spoken words to someone who could not hear them. The role language and language diversity plays in the critical thinking process is to persuade, to inform, or to describe. Language is used to persuade others to think and act the way that we do. It is also used to inform others of needed information, or to describe something to someone else. Language diversity is important because as seen in the metaphors listed above, in our language words have many meanings. One needs to understand that and choose words accordingly. Society is made up of people who speak many different languages, so non-verbal language is helpful when trying to get over the language barrier. Critical thinking’s role in persuasion is to assist in coming up with a strategic plan to persuade the audience of something. “Critical thinking is required in persuasion. It plays a role in persuasion because of the components of the critical thinking process are needed to effectively persuade an audience. Research, facts, logic, and language are all needed to persuade an audience. You have to research your topic to understand what you are talking about. Researching your topic is also needed to gain facts about your topic. Facts are required to support your topic and your view on the topic. Logic is needed because if your view is not logical, you will automatically lose your audience. Finally, language is the key to

References: Sheke. 2007. Critical Thinking & Persuasion. Retrieved May 11, 2008 from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/455514/critical_thinking_persuasion.html