Rhetoric, Genre and Discourse

Genre, Rhetoric, Discourse
Responding to Texts
Rhetorical Analysis Assignments
Other Links

Rhetoric sees texts (and images, sounds, things, places) as persuasive— trying to achieve real purposes in specific contexts aimed at particular real audiences at appropriate times. Readings and materials on rhetoric provide a shared vocabulary for the course, promoting rhetorical awareness and helping students to understand the situated nature of communication. These texts also help students to think explicitly about genres and discourse communities, facilitating the understanding and creation of a wider variety of texts. Rhetorical tools are especially useful as students approach the diverse discursive communities across the college curriculum.

• Purdue OWL’s PowerPoint on Rhetorical Situation A quick introduction to the rhetorical situation that emphasizes the contextual nature of communication.
  
  

• Losh, Elizabeth et. al., (2014) Understanding Rhetoric: A Graphic Guide to Writing.  Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. Print. 
  Chapter 1 (pp. 35-54) of this graphic textbook (think comic combined with textbook) introduces students to basic terms in rhetoric, a brief history of the discipline, and rhetorical analysis. Other chapters cover strategic reading, writer identities, direct argument, research, revision and publication. It’s interesting, genre-bending format means it both informs and sparks discussion about genre.
  
  

• Carroll, Laura Bolin. "Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps Toward Rhetorical Analysis" 
  A great article written for college students that introduces students to key concepts in rhetoric (ethos, logos, pathos, Bitzer’s rhetorical situation, ethical considerations) and ties them to visual rhetorical analyses students perform every day face to face and online. Easy to excerpt.
  
  

• Dirk, Kerry.  "Navigating Genres"
  A clear, detailed introductory article about genre and how it influences the texts students read and produce.
  
  

• Jones, Rebecca.  "Finding the Good Argument OR Why Bother With Logic?" 
  A detailed article that covers argumentation from a variety of perspectives with a strong focus on the principles that support the construction and presentation of strong arguments.
  
  

• Borg, Erik. "Discourse community," ELT Journal, Volume 57, Issue 4, October 2003, Pages 398–400.
  A quick, 3 page overview of the key concept of the discourse community.
  
  

• Roskelly, H.  "What Do Students Need to Know About Rhetoric"
  A short, detailed overview of key terms in rhetoric for students including sections on the rhetorical situation, the appeals, and visual rhetoric.
  
  

• Roberts, P. M. "How to Say Nothing in 500 Words"
  A classic, humorous essay about the genre of the essay and the ways students sometimes fill pages without engaging in any real communication.
  
  
• What Aristotle and Joshua Bell Can Teach Us About Persuasion 
  
  This TED-Ed video breaks down the concepts of ethos, logos, and pathos by dissecting why renowned violinist Joshua Bell is able to play for appreciative, sold-out crowds in symphony halls yet was was met with disinterest when he tried to share his musical talent from a subway platform. 
  
  
• Rhetorical Situations Handout
  This handout on the rhetorical situation contains important terms, descriptions, and questions for close reading.
  
  

Responding to Texts:

• Bunn, Mike. "How to Read Like a Writer"
  In this 15 page article, Bunn urges students to “Read Like a Writer (RLW)...to identify some of the choices the author made [to] better understand how such choices might arise in [their] own writing” (72). The abstract argues it will help “[students] learn to identify key moments in texts, moments when the author uses an innovative technique, which they might employ in their own writing. Detailed steps and comments, incorporating the voices of numerous students, will assist you in teaching students how to practice the habit of reading as writers.”
  
  

• They Say/I Say Chapter 4: How to Respond to Texts 
  “There are a great many ways to respond to texts, but this chapter concentrates on the three most common and recognizable ways: agreeing, disagreeing, or some combination of both.”
  
  

Please click through these links to explore the other suggested readings categories:

• The Writing Process
• Multimedia/Multimodal Composition
• Research as Inquiry

Click here to return to the ENG 1100-College Writing main page

Click here to view recommended assignments for ENG 1100

Click here for information on how to build a syllabus for ENG 1100