Lecture Notes Week 03

Below you'll find the most important information from our third seminar.

Why should we study Rhetoric?

If anything, this course is for you as learners to try and make sense of this question specifically, but also in a broader context.

Essay 02

For this week's essay, respond to one of your peers' questions about the reading (a list of selected questions can be found below).

Reading for March 16

273KB

What Do Sociocultural Studies of Writing Tell Us about Learning to Write?.pdf

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Task 01: Questions about the reading

Formulate three questions about the reading. Submit your questions to Francesca and Djuddah on or before March 14.

Please submit your answers by emailing: [e-mail] and [e-mail]

Questions from the last week's reading

1. (P. 5) Does rhetoric have to "win people over" or is it enough to inform or make a personal statement (convincingly)?

2. How strong has the connection between Rhetoric and philosophy been throughout time? Is there even a connection?

   • I’m reading and trying to understand, but to me it seems silly how only written texts are viewed as important and influential. Rhetoric and composition were put together, but does that mean that rhetoric is ONLY composition? Is that why oral rhetoric was not “rhetoric”. Was rhetoric kind of just, forgotten and writing a text was now called “rhetoric” to replace the real meaning?

3. In reference to Hugh Blair saying that “students would improve their writing most effectively by studying good writing”, how can one decide what constitutes as “good writing”? (18 para. 1)

4. Something so elementary and past or human nature, would it not be beneficial to have the thoughts and opinions of someone who doesn't have any allegiances to theories, who could simply talk about what they and other students in the class value in writing? (Page 28, line 6-9)

5. According to the text, what is the difference between rhetoric and dialectic? How are they similar? (page 7 and 8)

6. Because of such high supply and demand, could rhetoric and composition as a degree skyrocket to one of the most popular degrees regarding the English Department in the far future? (Pages 27-28, “It is however…”?)

7. What are some of the current challenges and opportunities facing the field of rhetoric and composition in today's rapidly changing communication landscape? (just a general question)

8. This question is not directly related to the text but the paragraph starting with “Also, Aristotle says, rhetoric and its counterpart dialectic…” on page 8 made me want to ask the following: If we were to teach rhetoric and composition to all children since they were young and everyone was relatively good at “arguing” then would anyone ever really be able to win an argument?

9. Although rhetoric as one term is preferred, would it not be a good idea to still classify it further (such as the past, present and future classification) in the sense that rhetoric may be used in both a positive and negative way? (Page 13, Paragraph 1, starting with “Rhetoricians…”)

Task 02 Essay: Respond to one of your peers' questions about the reading.

From the list of questions presented here, select one of the questions (which is not your question) and answer the question based on the information you read and include your opinion. You can use additional sources to back up your claims if necessary. You can write the essay in the same document as your previous essay. This will help us to see progression in your work and thinking.

Please submit your answers by emailing: [e-mail] and [e-mail] on or before March 14

What is Composition?

Task 03

Write down your definition of composition, and set this off against the backdrop of Rhetoric or any other terminology we might use to describe writing, for example, literacy, written communication, etc.

Please submit your answers by emailing: [e-mail] and [e-mail] on or before March 14