Language and

power
 Thought
experiment
 What might happen if we were never to use
the word “good” anymore?

 What if we had to remove all emotion from

our language?

 What if we replaced all reference to “man”

with “woman”?

 What if we banned any mention of the past

(tense)?
 Role play
activity

In pairs, try to enact one of

the following scenes:
A. Try to declare your love without using emotive language, subjective language, ambiguous
language, metaphors or comparisons.

B. Try to protest a grave injustice brought on to you by your leader, but you must use euphemisms
and cannot express any negativity.

C. Try to explain the word “woman” to an alien without using any gendered (pro)nouns, and without
referring to biological characteristics or societal constructs/gender norms.
What challenges did you face
when completing this task?
Complete your reflection on the
linked handout.
 Pair work: 1984
Verbal communication

What might your passage suggest

about the relationship between
language and power?
What does Orwellian
actually mean?

Video taken from Ted.ed.com

 Exhibition practice

Choose one object that illustrates

the relationship between language,
power and thought.

 Choose a specific (not generic) object.

 Explain the real-life context of the object.
 Explain the significance of the object in
relation to the task set.
 Use TOK concepts where possible.
 Justify any points with evidence.
 Mini-museum (plenary task):
Present your exhibition practice object to your peers.
Communicate your ideas clearly.
Ask interesting questions when visiting other people’s exhibit.