English · Year 9 · The Power of Persuasion · Term 1

Analyzing Ethos: Credibility and Authority

Students will analyze how speakers and writers build or undermine credibility through language and presentation.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E9LA08
• AC9E9LY01

About This Topic

Advertising and consumerism in the Year 9 curriculum focuses on the deconstruction of multi-modal texts. Students examine how visual elements, such as color, framing, and gaze, work alongside linguistic techniques like puns, slogans, and emotive language to create desire and influence behavior. This topic explores the subtext of modern marketing, encouraging students to look beyond the surface of an image to find the underlying values or stereotypes being promoted.

In the Australian context, this includes analyzing how brands engage with national identity and how social media has shifted advertising from a one-way broadcast to an interactive experience. Students grasp this concept faster through structured discussion and peer explanation, as they are already experts in consuming digital media and can bring their own daily experiences into the classroom for analysis.

Key Questions

1. Evaluate how a speaker's background influences their perceived authority.
2. Differentiate between earned credibility and assumed authority in persuasive texts.
3. Predict the impact of a speaker's ethical choices on audience reception.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how specific word choices and rhetorical devices contribute to a speaker's or writer's perceived credibility.
• Evaluate the ethical implications of a speaker's background and past actions on their authority in a persuasive argument.
• Compare and contrast the strategies used to establish earned credibility versus assumed authority in different persuasive texts.
• Predict the audience's reception of a persuasive message based on the speaker's demonstrated ethos.
• Critique the effectiveness of a speaker's attempts to build or undermine their own ethos in a given context.

Before You Start

Analyzing Persuasive Language in Advertising

Why: Students need foundational experience in identifying persuasive techniques in multi-modal texts before analyzing the specific construction of ethos.

Identifying Speaker's Purpose and Audience

Why: Understanding who a speaker is trying to persuade and why is essential for evaluating how they establish credibility with that specific audience.

Key Vocabulary

Ethos	The characteristic spirit, guiding beliefs, or ideals that animate and distinguish a person, group, or culture. In persuasion, it refers to the credibility and authority of the speaker or writer.
Credibility	The quality of being trusted and believed in. It is built through expertise, experience, and demonstrated trustworthiness.
Authority	The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience. In persuasion, it can be assumed based on position or earned through demonstrated knowledge and character.
Rhetorical Devices	Techniques used in speaking or writing to persuade an audience. Examples include repetition, analogy, and appeals to emotion or logic.
Audience Reception	How an audience perceives, interprets, and responds to a persuasive message, influenced by their own beliefs, values, and the speaker's ethos.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Advertising is only about the words on the screen.

What to Teach Instead

Visual grammar is often more persuasive than text. Using a gallery walk where students 'mute' the text of an ad helps them see how much meaning is carried by lighting, camera angles, and the placement of objects.

Common Misconception

I am not affected by advertising because I know it's an ad.

What to Teach Instead

Awareness does not equal immunity. Through peer discussion about their own buying habits, students can uncover how subconscious associations with lifestyle and identity still drive their choices, even when they think they are being cynical.

Active Learning Ideas

Gallery Walk: Ad Deconstruction

Display various print and digital ads around the room. Students move in small groups with sticky notes, identifying one visual technique and one linguistic technique per ad, then discussing how these elements target a specific Australian demographic.

30 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Influencer's Script

Students work in pairs to analyze a 'sponsored' social media post. They must identify the 'hidden' persuasive techniques used to make the ad feel like a personal recommendation, presenting their findings back to the class using a shared digital whiteboard.

40 min·Pairs

Simulation Game: The Ad Agency Pitch

Groups are given a 'boring' product and a specific target audience (e.g., Australian retirees or Gen Z students). They must design a visual layout and a slogan, then pitch their concept to the class, explaining the psychological triggers they chose to use.

60 min·Small Groups

Real-World Connections

• Political commentators on news programs like the ABC's Insiders often build their ethos through their journalistic experience and access to political figures, influencing viewer opinions on current events.
• Medical professionals presenting research at international conferences, such as the World Health Assembly, rely on their academic credentials and clinical experience to establish authority and persuade policymakers.
• Social media influencers promoting products on platforms like Instagram or TikTok must carefully manage their public image and demonstrate authenticity to maintain audience trust and credibility for sponsored content.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

Present students with a short video clip of a public figure giving a speech. Ask: 'What specific elements of the speaker's background or presentation contribute to their perceived authority? List two examples and explain why they are effective or ineffective.'

Quick Check

Provide students with two brief written arguments on the same topic, one from an expert and one from an unqualified source. Ask: 'Identify which argument is likely more persuasive and explain your reasoning, referencing the concept of ethos.'

Peer Assessment

Students select a short persuasive text (e.g., an opinion piece, a product review). They swap texts with a partner and identify one way the author attempts to build credibility and one potential way their credibility could be undermined. Partners provide written feedback on their observations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does this topic relate to media literacy in Year 9?

This topic is a cornerstone of media literacy, specifically addressing AC9E9LY02. It teaches students to be critical consumers of information by identifying how texts are constructed to manipulate or persuade. In a digital age, being able to spot the 'invisible' hand of marketing is a vital life skill for young Australians.

What are the best types of ads to use in class?

A mix of traditional print ads, TV commercials, and social media 'native' advertising works best. Using Australian ads (like classic tourism campaigns or supermarket branding) allows students to analyze how cultural myths and national identity are used as selling points.

How can active learning help students understand advertising?

Active learning turns students from targets into creators. When students have to 'sell' a product using specific techniques, they internalize the mechanics of persuasion. Strategies like 'Ad-Remixing,' where students change the target audience of an existing campaign, reveal the precision required in modern marketing and make the analysis feel like solving a puzzle.

Is it important to discuss the ethics of advertising?

Yes, ethical considerations are central to the Year 9 curriculum. Discussing how ads can reinforce harmful stereotypes or target vulnerable groups helps students develop the evaluative skills needed for higher-level English tasks and responsible citizenship.