LESSON 7.

COMMUNICATION FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES

Whatever the purpose, we communicate to put across a message toward a particular audience,
therefore, we should be able to identify the essential principles in putting across our intended meaning with its
desired purpose.

TO INFORM. This is your purpose when you would like to communicate certain information like news, a report,
a perspective, a story, or even a series of steps and procedures to a particular audience in a particular setting,
whether through spoken or written discourse.

STRATEGIES YOU MAY USE IF YOUR PURPOSE IS TO INFORM:

1. Start with an example of a relevant event or situation.
2. Describe images of the event or situation with clear words.
3. Discuss what complicated the situation, what the problems were and how solutions were reached.
4. Make a transition to the current event or situation.
5. Talk about the presentation by giving an overview.
6. Discuss complications, problems, and potential or actual solutions.
7. Be fact-based, using examples where possible based upon observations and experience.
8. Summarize key points.
9. End with a memorable statement related to the most important point.

TO ENTERTAIN. Whether in oral or written discourse, a communicator's purpose may be to entertain which
means to provide someone with amusement or enjoyment. Looking into the needs, gender, age and culture of
the audience, a writer or a speaker should have a thorough understanding of the words to use and organization,
as well as the manner and timing of delivery if communicated orally.

THE FOLLOWING ARE HELPFUL TIPS IF YOUR PURPOSE IN COMMUNICATION IS TO ENTERTAIN:

1. Start with an example of a relevant event or situation, made humorous if possible.
2. Use words that elicit jovous or pleasant reaction.
3. Describe images of the event or situation in vivid words.
4. Relate to personal experiences with examples.
5. Make a transition to the current event or situation.
6. Make relevant points of comparison.
7. End with a memorable statement related to the most important point.

TO PERSUADE. This purpose of communication is to cause listeners or readers to agree with a speaker's or an
author's ideas by using emotions and personal ideas. One who persuades may need to do research and gather
evidence but he can successfully convince without knowing much because a persuasive writing appeals more
to a listener's or reader's emotion rather than mind. it goes without saying that a persuasive speaker or writer
also uses logic or reasoning, but he concentrates more on appealing to emotions rather than minds.
 HERE ARE SOME OF THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS, IF YOUR PURPOSE IS TO PERSUADE:
1. Know your audience.
2. Base your idea on your emotion and personal opinion.
3. Use first person and second person narration.
4. Appeal more to the heart rather than the mind.
5. Consider responding to opposing views.

TO ARGUE. This means to convince others that your idea and reason are true by defending and proving your
point through facts, statistics, figures, etc

Unlike persuasion which is emotion-based and very personal in nature; argumentation is logic-based and
very factual. To argue may be challenging because people naturally cling to their own ideas and opinion based
on their experience or education; thus it is very important that you know the art of successful argumentation
which includes considering the situation, clarifying your thinking, constructing a claim, collecting evidence,
considering key objections and developing counterarguments, crafting your argument and confirming your claim.

1. Consider the situation. Ask yourself the topic, your purpose, your audience, and the action you want your
audience to take.
2. Clarify your thinking. Know what you try to prove, why you feel the way you do, what kind of proof you
have, and who will be affected by your argument.
3. Construct a claim (thesis statement). A claim is the position statement or the key point of your
argument. There are three types of claim namely:
• Claim of fact-state something which is true on not true
• Claim of value-state something which has or doesn't have worth
• Claim of policy- assert something which should or shouldn't be done.
4. Collect evidence. Evidence takes the form of facts, examples, definitions, comparison, statistics,
experience, analysis, prediction, demonstration, expert opinions, anecdotes, reflections, observations
and quotations.
5. Consider key objections and develop counter arguments. You can do this by pointing out flaws and
weaknesses in arguments on the other side or arguments you don't accept, listing objections, and
recognizing or conceding another viewpoint when claim has true weaknesses
6. Craft your argument. Use logical appeals- facts, statistics, expert opinions, anecdotes. and examples.
Avoid appeals to tear or ignorance. Use levels of evidence-minimum of two pieces of evidence to support
each reason.
7. Confirm your claim. Conclude with a coherent restatement of main arguments and use a call to action.
RHETORICAL APPEALS.
As a communicator who reads and listens, you should be able to recognize and analyse how writers and
speakers employ rhetorical appeals in their efforts to transact their messages whether their goal is to persuade
or to argue.

Rhetorical appeals are devices in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing) which were
conceptualized by Aristotle, a towering intellect in human philosophy, who classified a speaker's or a writer's
appeal to an audience.

BOTH PERSUASION AND ARGUMENTATION MAY USE ANY, A COMBINATION, OR ALL OF THE
FOLLOWING RHETORICAL APPEALS:
1. ETHOS. It refers to a person's authority and credibility. In this appeal, writers or speakers convince their
audience of their goodwill and present themselves as credible and trustworthy.

To determine whether a writer or speaker is credible or not, you can ask yourself the following questions as
you evaluate a communicator's ethos
• Has the writer or speaker cited his sources or in some way made it possible for the audience to access
further information on the issue?
• Does he demonstrate familiarity with different opinions and perspectives?
• Does he provide complete and accurate information about the issue?
• Does he use the evidence fairly? Does he avoid selective use of evidence or other types of manipulation
of data?
• Does he use unbiased language?

2. LOGOS. This appeal refers to logic through which speakers or writers use reasoning and rationality to
convince the audience of their perspectives.

To evaluate an appeal to logos, consider how logical the argument is and how pieces of evidence well
support it.

3. PATHOS. This persuasive appeal invokes and appeals to the emotions of the audience. Contrary to logos,
pathos presents arguments without using logic or reasoning. It relies on strong emotional factors like love, bliss,
empathy, fear and anger which can move the audience to accept the point raised.