The Gr8 Db8 Language Analysis

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How does David Crystal win over so much logic and emotion from his audience? Do the rhetorical tools that Crystal uses aid in his overall success of the argument? Crystal is the author of many books on language such as “The Gr8 Db8” which discusses text language and its impact on society. The author’s undermined approach is shown through historical context, statistics and pathos to effectively reveal the mass spread of English, and the potential impact it will have on the world. Crystal connects with the audience to make them realize that something as simple as the language we speak, could have more of an impact on the world than ever imaginable. The writer’s use of historical context through logos effectively portrays just what exactly…show more content…
Historical context pertains to logos, which appeal to the reader’s common sense and beliefs. This tool is important because it brings the reader to feel confident that English has been, and will continue to be, spread across the world. The author states specific examples in history that have promoted language growth and links them to the same factors pertaining to English. Crystal makes his point that "A language has traditionally become an international language for one chief reason: the power of its people- especially their political and military power." (355). The author backs his point by providing examples such as the spread of Greek in the Middle East over 2,000 years ago, and the spread of English from imperial Britain in the 19th century. With such examples, the historical context effectively appeals directly to the reader’s common logic. This historical context illustrates that through America as a world power, English will soon thrive throughout the world. The writer also adds that a language will thrive out of a successful country despite how hard it may be to learn. A historical context Crystal uses to prove his point is “Latin was once a major international language, despite its many inflectional endings and gender differences. French, too, has been such a language, despite its nouns being masculine or…show more content…
Pathos is a rhetorical tool used to appeal to a reader’s feelings or desires. The importance of using pathos to appeal to the reader’s emotions is to make them feel at ease with the idea of a united world. Crystal’s pathos appeal is shown through unity to invite his audience to care about the argument. The author states that “It is now possible, using electronic mail, to copy a message to hundreds of locations all over the world virtually simultaneously…that is why people so often talk, these days, of the ‘Global Village.”’ (Crystal 358). This is the only part of the excerpt where Crystal tries to attach on to his audiences emotions. In the quote, Crystal uses the words “Global Village” because they are filled with feelings of friendship and world peace. These feelings are very important because they make the reader feel a connection to Crystal’s argument. The writer also provides an example of how he personally can connect with people all over the world. Crystal talks about how “It is just as easy for me to send a message from my house in the small town of Holyhead, North Wales, to a friend in Washington as it is to get the same message to someone living just a few streets away from me.” (358). This quote puts out more of a direct example of how technology unites the world. Crystal’s example is stressed around the idea of this new united world. The author’s purpose in using pathos with an
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