Reading: Advanced Textual Analysis
C1 Lesson 1: Analyzing Reader Positioning
Before You Read 🧠
Key Vocabulary
Understanding these concepts is crucial for critical reading at an advanced level.
Key Techniques for Positioning the Reader
Writing is never truly neutral. Every author makes deliberate language choices to guide your thinking. Here are some of the most common techniques.
This creates a sense of shared identity, values, and responsibility. It makes the reader feel they are on the same team as the author.
This creates distance. It constructs an "us vs. them" dynamic, often positioning the other group as a problem or an outside threat.
The author asks questions they don't expect an answer to, or makes statements that assume the reader already agrees with them (e.g., "Surely, we all agree that...").
Example Persuasive Text
Let's deconstruct this editorial to see how the author positions the reader as a member of the local community.
Protecting Our Kampot: A Call to the Community
Are we going to be the generation that lets the soul of Kampot be sold to the highest bidder? Every day, we see the changes. Giant, impersonal hotel blocks rise up, casting a shadow over the small, family-run guesthouses that gave our town its unique charm. They arrive with their big development plans, promising "progress," but their version of progress seems to ignore the very things that make us special.
Surely, we all agree that the quiet beauty of the riverfront is more valuable than another generic coffee shop. This isn't about stopping development; it's about what kind of future we choose for ourselves. Will we prioritize the needs of short-term tourists over the long-term well-being of our own community? This is a question we must all answer.
Guided Analysis
- Inclusive Language: The relentless use of "we," "our," and "us" makes the reader feel like a part of the Kampot community, sharing the same values and facing the same problem.
- Exclusive Language: The developers are only referred to as "they" and "their." This creates a clear "us vs. them" divide, positioning them as an outside force.
- Assumed Shared Values: The phrase "Surely, we all agree..." assumes the reader already accepts the author's viewpoint, pressuring them to agree to be part of the "in-group."
- Overall Effect: The author isn't just making an argument; they are building a team and making the reader feel like a valued member facing an external threat.
Practice Your Analysis Skills 🎯
Quiz: Deconstruct the Positioning
Read this short excerpt from a company manager's speech to employees, then answer the question.
"I know that some of our competitors have been trying to hire our best people. They think they can weaken us by stealing our talent. But they underestimate our loyalty. We are not just a company; we are a team. We will face this challenge together and prove that our spirit is stronger than their money."
What is the primary way this manager positions the employees?
- A. By using neutral, objective language to describe a business problem.
- B. By using inclusive language (`we`, `us`, `our`) and exclusive language (`they`, `their`) to create a sense of a loyal team ("us") fighting an outside enemy ("them").
- C. By using many facts and statistics to appeal to logic.
→ Answer: B. The manager uses "we/us" to create unity with the employees and "they/their" to portray the competitors as a hostile, outside force.
Key Vocabulary Reference
- Reader Positioning The way an author uses language to guide the reader into adopting a particular viewpoint or identity.
- Inclusive Language Words like 'we', 'us', and 'our' that create a sense of shared identity.
- Exclusive Language Words like 'they' and 'them' that create a conceptual distance between groups.
- Rhetorical Question A question asked for effect to make a point, rather than to get an answer.
- Assumed Shared Knowledge Values or information the author assumes the reader already possesses or agrees with.
Your Reading Mission ⭐
Analyze a Political Speech!
Find the transcript of a political speech in English online. Read one or two paragraphs carefully.
- Who is the "in-group" (`we`/`us`) that the speaker is trying to create?
- Is there an "out-group" (`they`/`them`)? Who are they?
- Write down two specific examples of inclusive or exclusive language that the speaker uses to position their audience.