The following scenario will enhance your ability to use effective appeals to an audience’s emotions in your speech. As you watch the first video, recall what you’ve learned about using emotional appeals. Then complete the Your Turn prompts. Finally, watch the Take Two! video to explore how this scenario could have gone differently.
1. The Problem
Mirirai’s final speech assignment is a persuasive one, and she decides to encourage her classmate s to shop at local businesses. Since her parents own their own bakery, she feels very strongly about this issue. In addition to the arguments she developed from her research on the issue, she wants to inspire her audience to feel as passionate about local shopping as she does herself. She decides to appeal to her audience’s emotions by including several references to her family bakery in her speech.
2. Your Turn
Observations. Reflect on how Mirirai used personal examples and emotional appeals by answering the following questions:
- Overall, do you think Mirirai’s personal examples were effective in appealing to her audience’s emotions?
- What did Mirirai do well? What can she improve on?
Discussion. In class or with a partner, share your thoughts about Mirirai’s emotional appeals and work to answer the following questions:
- Do you think Mirirai’s use of personal examples will affect her credibility with the audience? If so, do you think her credibility will be enhanced or diminished?
- Can you think of any other strategies Mirirai might use to persuade her audience to care about local businesses? List them.
3. Take Two!
Watch the Take Two! video to see how Mirirai might have used different strategies in her speech. As you watch the video, pay attention to the rhetorical techniques that Mirirai uses to appeal to her audience members’ emotions. After watching the video, answer the questions below:
- What techniques does Mirirai use to appeal to her audience members’ emotions? Identify specific examples.
- In your opinion, are Mirirai’s emotional appeals in this version of her speech more effective or less effective than the personal examples she used in the first version? Why or why not?