Modular facultative lecture: Persuasion and manipulation in public discourse and everyday communication Serdecznie pozdrawiam, 3200-L1-MPF-PIM

COURSE FORMAT
The course takes the form of a seminar, relying on interaction and the co-creation of knowledge by both students and the instructor. Activities include: collaborative analysis of texts and messages, engagement with academic literature, discussions, work in pairs and small groups, and short presentations followed by moderated discussion.
FULL DESCRIPTION
This course serves as a guide to the mechanisms of communication and is divided into five main thematic areas. Through concrete examples—drawn from media, politics, advertising, literature, and film—we will explore how various communication tools function.
• RHETORIC: We will examine three classical types of discourse (political, judicial, and ceremonial) as well as the three pillars of persuasion (ethos, pathos, and logos). We will look at how rhetorical figures—such as anaphora or vivid description—strengthen a text, and how psychology explains why we are susceptible to influence (via central and peripheral routes).
• PRAGMATICS—READING BETWEEN THE LINES: We will investigate how language is used to trigger specific actions (speech acts) and how mechanisms of covert manipulation operate. This includes an analysis of "loaded" questions that steer the recipient toward a predetermined answer (through presuppositions and implicatures).
• DISCOURSE ANALYSIS—HIDDEN POWER: We will explore how metaphors and metonymies shape stereotypes. We will examine the macro-strategies used by media outlets and politicians to construct a specific version of reality—for instance, by reducing systemic issues to individual character traits ("psychologization") or by framing political decisions as natural and inevitable ("naturalization").
• CONVERSATION ANALYSIS—MORE THAN JUST WORDS:
We will examine direct, face-to-face communication as a multidimensional phenomenon. We will examine the role of voice, body language, and facial expressions, as well as how the space in which a conversation takes place influences interpersonal relationships (proxemics).
• SOCIAL SEMIOTICS—THE LANGUAGE OF IMAGES: we will learn to "read" visual and iconic messages. We will explore how images and texts represent people (social actors) and how hidden meanings (connotations) shape the recipient's interpretation.

Course coordinators

Agnieszka Kulczyńska

Type of course

elective courses

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

PREREQUISITES NO FORMAL PREREQUISITES: The course is introductory in nature, meaning no prior knowledge of linguistics, rhetoric, or discourse analysis is required. All key concepts and research tools will be explained in detail from the ground up during the sessions. EXPECTED COMPETENCIES AND ATTITUDES: • CRITICAL MINDSET: A willingness to challenge conventional interpretations of media and public messages, and an inclination to examine the language we use in our daily lives. • ACTIVE PARTICIPATION AND OPENNESS TO DISCUSSION: As the course is conducted in a seminar format, participants are expected to engage in collaborative work, share their own insights, and exchange arguments. • CURIOSITY ABOUT THE WORLD OF MEDIA AND CULTURE: An interest in current public affairs, advertising, cinema, or literature—all of which will serve as the primary sources for the examples analyzed.

Learning outcomes

LEARNING OUTCOMES
KNOWLEDGE (The student knows and understands):
• Fundamental terminology in the fields of rhetoric, linguistic pragmatics, discourse analysis, and social semiotics.
• Persuasive, argumentative, and manipulative mechanisms and strategies employed in various types of texts and communications (media, political, advertising, and everyday discourse).
• The multimodal nature of communication, including the role of non-linguistic elements (body language, proxemics, imagery) in the construction of meaning.
SKILLS (The student is able to):
• Identify and critically analyze both overt and covert persuasive and manipulative strategies.
• Apply specific research tools (e.g., the analysis of presuppositions, semantic fields, or metaphors) to independently deconstruct communications.
• Formulate precise arguments, participate substantively in debates, and moderate discussions concerning research issues related to language analysis.
SOCIAL COMPETENCES (The student is prepared to):
• Critically evaluate information circulating in the public sphere and maintain a skeptical stance toward media and political manipulation.
• Recognize the responsibility that comes with the use of language and ensure the ethical conduct of their own communicative behavior.
• Work effectively within a group, respect diverse research perspectives, and engage in constructive dialogue.

Assessment criteria

ASSESSMENT METHODS AND CRITERIA
Components of the final grade:
• Presentation and discussion moderation (50%): An individual or paired presentation on a selected research tool, concluding with the posing of questions and the facilitation of a brief debate with the group.
• Independent written analysis (50%): An analysis of a chosen piece of communication (a text, advertisement, film, or speech) using tools covered during the course.
Grading scale (percentage thresholds):
90% – 100%: Very Good (5.0)
85% – 89%: Good Plus (4.5)
75% – 84%: Good (4.0)
65% – 74%: Satisfactory Plus (3.5)
51% – 64%: Satisfactory (3.0)
0% – 50%: Unsatisfactory (2.0)

Bibliography

LITERATURE
BARTHES R., 2008. Mitologie. Warszawa : Wydawnictwo Aletheia. Przełożył Adam Dziadek.
DUSZAK A., N. FAIRCLOUGH (red.), 2008. Krytyczna analiza dyskursu. Interdyscyplinarne podejście do komunikacji społecznej. Kraków: Universitas.
KOROLKO M., 1998. Sztuka retoryki. Przewodnik encyklopedyczny.Warszawa : Wiedza Powszechna.
LIDDICOAT Antony, 2011. An Introduction do Conversation Analysis, second edition. London, New York : Continuum.
RANCEW-SIKORA Dorota., 2007. Analiza konwersacyjna jako metoda badania rozmów codziennych. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo TRIO.
WODAK R., 2008. „Dyskurs populistyczny: retoryka wykluczenia a gatunki języka pisanego“. W: A. Duszak, N. Fairclough (red.): 185-213.
ZIOMEK Jerzy, 1990. Retoryka opisowa. Wrocław – Warszawa – Kraków: Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich.