How can we get someone to behave in a way that they initially did not intend? And how can we change what our interlocutor thinks about a certain issue? We use language to ‘convince’, ‘persuade’, ‘cajole’, or ‘coax’ our counterpart into a certain behavior or state of mind. These are activities we engage in constantly, usually even without conscious thought. It is words that have the power to mold and influence opinions, attitudes, and behavior. This persuasive power of language is at the center of this symposium.
Linguists have traditionally examined the workings of persuasive language in institutionalized discourses. As genres inherently characterized by persuasion, it is not surprising then that advertising and politics have enjoyed the limelight of scholarly attention here; investigations of the features of persuasive language in TV, radio, and print advertisements as well as political speeches, interviews, and press conferences abound. Persuasion has also been studied extensively in the fields of rhetoric and critical discourse analysis (CDA). The aim of this symposium is to expand the research of persuasive language to other genres and domains (like advice-giving, dating, or sales encounters) and to engage with language and persuasion from other perspectives which have opened up due to technological advances (computer-mediated communication), social changes (globalized and networked publics), and methodological progress (big data and digital humanities, sophisticated statistical and phonetic tools for data analysis).
The symposium on persuasive language brings linguists together with scholars from the fields of psychology, sociology, and media, information, cultural, and internet studies to examine persuasion from new perspectives. The contributions will be grouped into four thematic strands: persuasion online, persuasion in daily life, gender/sex and persuasion, and new approaches to persuasive language.
We will close the registration on November 18. Hurry! Two days left to register.
The book of abstracts for the conference is now available. You can download it here.
A detailed programme of the conference is now available. You can download it here.
We still have free slots for the lightning talks session (3 min talks).
Lightning Talks are short, 3-minute, presentations given in rapid succession and thus force the presenters to focus on their key points and to convey their ideas succinctly and clearly. The best lightning talk will be awarded with a certificate and a small prize. Lightning Talks can be related to any aspect of persuasive language and will be delivered live on Zoom.
Please send an abstract (200-300 w.) to persuasion-conference@unibas.ch until October 15. The best talk will receive a book prize.
Registration for the online conference is now open!
https://forms.gle/EUMksGXWwt8ZjEuw8
Please renew your registration even if you already registered for the original date in June.
The conference will take place online on November 20-21, 2020.
The format of the conference is as follows: recorded video presentations will be uploaded on the website in a panel-organised structure and made available for watching several days in advance. On the conference days, a live Zoom discussion session will be held for each panel. The Lightning Talks will be delivered live on Zoom in a single session.
February 16, 2020
Preliminary programme of the conference is now available! You can download it in pdf format here. Please note that updated version of the programme and the book of abstracts will be posted closer to the conference date.
11 February, 2020
Conference registration form is live! Please, register here until May 26, 2020. Conference is free for everyone as we aim to make the event as accessible as possible to early career researchers and guests from outside Switzerland. Please note that conference dinner is not included: we ask those who join us for dinner on June 27 to pay for their own food.
January 9, 2020
Today, we have notified the speakers of abstract acceptance. Please, check this website for an updated programme in the nearest future.
As the Yodelling Festival takes place in Basel at the same time as the conference, we strongly encourage all the attendees to book their accommodation as soon as possible!
We invite the submission of abstracts for full papers (20 min presentation + 10 min Q&A) in the four conference strands:
Strand 1: Persuasion in Daily Life
Strand 2: Gender & Persuasion
Strand 3: Persuasion Online
Strand 4: New Approaches to Persuasive Language
Abstracts of 300 words, excluding references, should be submitted in pdf-format by email to persuasion-conference@unibas.ch. Please indicate whether you prefer your talk to be considered for a full paper or a lightning talk. The deadline for abstract submission is December 23, 2019.
Notifications of acceptance will be sent out before the end of January, 2020.