Language Analysis

Language Analysis Essay – Buying Class is a Bit Rich

There has recently been much debate in the community regarding foreign students buying their ways into school, in Susie O’Brien’s opinion piece “Buying class is a bit rich”, published on the 30th of August 2011, she contends that although cultural diversity within schools is important, Australian children students must be put before foreigners when it comes to education in Australia. O’Brien uses a reasoned tone to present a factual, but somewhat critical and biased argument, targeting principals of important concerned with foreign encroachment. Utilizing a wide variety of persuasive language techniques, the writer manages to effectively convey her arguments to the reader, convincing them to accept and agree with her point of view that big schools must put local Australian kids first, before they become “the poor cousins denied access to facilities and services open to foreign students”.

O’Brien’s article is obviously intended for an Australian audience, as she often appeals to Australian loyalty and pride. When couped with the use of inclusive language, O'brien attempts to coerce. Australians feel as though their kids are being robbed of their chances to enter major state schools, and that “these overseas kids are taking the prizes and kudos”. By including the reader, O’Brien is able to create a common purpose with the reader   positioning them to share the same viewpoint as her. The writer also uses an appeal to the reader’s morals and values in order to exaggerate the problem by making it seem as though locals are completely “denied” from major schools due to “rich foreigners buy their way into our schools”. O’Brien does this with the purpose of forcing the reader into feeling morally obliged to accept the writer’s point of view that our local Australian kids are being deprived of the opportunity to go to state schools, as kids from other countries are being accepted as the more favourable choice. In...