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English: Issues Research

Analysing arguments and presenting a point of view

Topic Suggestions

Government Surveillance

Alcohol Advertising

Dangerous Dogs as Pets

Smacking Children

Gambling Advertising during Televised Sport

Reducing National Parks for Development

Duck Hunting

Patenting Human Genes

Gun Control in Australia

Fair Trade Food

Taxing High Sugar Foods

Graffiti or Art?

Asylum Seekers and Detention Centers

Animal Testing

Children and Vaccinations

Baning Live Exports

Taxing Internet Shopping

Celebrity Privacy 

Fracking and Coal Seam Gas in Victoria 

Increasing CCTV - Surveillance Systems

Super-Trawling in the Ocean (Fishing) - By-Catch, etc.

AFL & Helmets

Home Births

Culling Sharks

Rental Properties and Pets

Taser use by Police

Safety and Elderly Drivers 

Hostage Situations with Australian Nationals

Restrictions on High Speed Police Chases 

Restricting Wind Farms

Women on the Front Line in War Zones

Banning Jumps Race (Horses)

Nuclear Energy in Australia

Armed Officers on Train Stations at Night

Parents using IVF to select the Sex of their Baby

Voluntary Euthanasia 

Ethical Consumerism (Fair Trade, etc)

Mandatory Organ Donations

Wage Equality in Sport (the Gender divide)

Police use of Tasers

Foreign Investment in Australia

GST proposed increase

Knights and Dames

Syrian refugees settlement in Australia

Australia's involvement in Middle East

Grand Final Public Holiday

Penalty rates for Hospitality workers

The Ethical Perspectives of an Issue

Ethics Vol. 1, 2 & 3 by John K. Roth.: Located @ College Library in the Reference Area. 
A comprehensive place to find detail about controversial issues, good use of sub-headings. Highly recommended. 

BBC Ethics Guides (UK) 
Includes: Drugs & Sport, Animal Ethics, Contraception, Abortion, Capital Punishment, Slavery, Ethics of War, Charity, Forced Marriage, Torture, Honor Crimes, Euthenasia, and more. 

VCAA Guidelines

AREA OF STUDY 3

Using language to persuade

The focus of this area of study is on the analysis and comparison of the use of language in texts that
debate a topical issue which has appeared in the Australian media since 1 September of the previous
year. Students read, view and listen to texts such as feature articles and opinion columns, cartoons,
editorials, letters to the editor, interviews on current affairs programs, websites and CD-ROMs,
speeches, excerpts from online focus and discussion groups, and advertisements in magazines and
newspapers, and on websites and television. They analyse and compare the ways in which verbal and
non-verbal (including visual) language of these texts is used to persuade readers and viewers to share
the point/s of view being presented.
Drawing on their study of the use of language to persuade, students construct a piece of sustained and
reasoned writing in which they put forward their own point of view on the selected issue in written
or oral form.
Outcome 3
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse the use of language in texts that present a point of view on an issue currently debated in the Australian media, and to construct, orally or in writing, a sustained and reasoned point of view on the selected issue.
 
To achieve this outcome the student will draw on knowledge and related skills outlined in area of
study 3.
Key knowledge: This knowledge includes
 
• the structures, features and conventions of a range of persuasive texts from the Australian media
– print, non-print and multimodal – constructed for different audiences and contexts;
• techniques for the critical analysis of ideas, arguments and evidence presented in persuasive
texts;
• strategies and metalanguage for identifying, analysing and comparing the use of verbal and nonverbal
(including visual) language designed to position readers in particular ways;
• strategies for constructing a sustained, coherent and logical argument;
• the conventions of small group and whole class discussion, including ways of developing
constructive interactions and building on ideas of others;
• the conventions of spelling, punctuation and syntax of Standard Australian English.

Browse For Topics

If your 'Ethical Issue' has been in the media recently (check Google News) you may use this topic. If you want a different topic ... browse these places ...

For Australian Topics ....
 

 

For International Topics ....

 

Background Information on Your Topic

For further reference information on your topic .. visit our Online Resources Page. or click below
     

Using Newspaper Articles

Guide for Oral Presentation

Year 12 students - a reminder

Only use newspaper/magazine articles and resources from Australian media (print and/or electronic) that are dated from September 2022 onwards for your Oral (Language Analysis: Issue). The information must be Australian.

 

Need more resources?

Reference Information

Print Resources

 

     
     
     

 

 

  

The Spinney Press Issues in Society series are perfect for Issues tasks. They include background information and for and against perspectives.

The series is located in the Reference Area of the College Library and many copies have a PDF version accessible via the catalogue.

    
   
 

 

 

Other print resources include:

New Internationalist - Past copies available in the Periodicals Display Shelf.

Time Magazine - Past copies available in the Periodicals Display Shelf.

The Economist - Past copies available in the Periodicals Display Shelf.

 

You can also search the catalogue using the following terms, including the * to locate resources.

Current Social Issues*

Current Environmental Issues*

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

Current Affairs / News Episodes

Search the archives of the programs below for topic ideas or for information on your topic. 

ABC 7.30: Local and National Current Affairs Information. Search the archives here.

 SBS Insight: 60 min discussion looking at the various perspectives on a current issue. Search the archives here.

 

ABC Four Corners current affairs on national and international issues. Search the archive here.