Representing Asylum

Can I explain how newspapers use

language to represent refugees and asylum

seekers?

Discuss the stories you’ve seen or heard in the news recently about refugees.

“Britain takes more than its fair share of refugees”

“Refugees should be deported back to where they came from”

“Asylum seekers receive massive state handouts”“Asylum seekers are taking our

housing and ‘swamping’ our public

services”

“Only a handful of asylum-seekers are genuine – the rest are ‘bogus’ or ‘cheats’”

“Refugees come to the UK to

abuse its generous benefits

system because they know it

is a ‘soft touch’”

“Asylum-seekers should be locked up”

Why do you think people believe these myths about asylum seekers and refugees?

Organise the headlines you’ve been given into ones

that give a POSITIVE, NEGATIVE or NEUTRAL representation of refugees

and asylum seekers.

How do newspaper journalists use

language to put across their point of view?

Our Town’s too Nice for Refugees

Send in Army to Halt Migrant Invasion

Asylum Seekers have no Respect for our Way of Life

Can Britain Afford To Keep Talented Immigrants Out?

Explain and comment on writers' use of language

Identify and comment on writers' purposes and viewpoints and the overall effect of the text on the reader

Next lesson, you’re going to write about how newspaper journalists use language to communicate their opinions about

refugees and asylum seekers. You’ll be using the following English skills:

With your group, discuss which of the headlines communicate their message most effectively. How do the writers use language

to put their point of view across?