Introduction to Rhetoric

[syllabus] [calendar]

The purpose of today's lecture and activity is to introduce you to the principles of rhetoric that will guide my teaching of writing and your composing of documents.

Before Class

• Read about Rhetoric (entire node), Purpose (entire node), and Readers (all five links); be prepared to discuss these concepts and your opinions about these concepts. 
• Read over the template of an email. Use these email composing techniques to compose an email to the instructor explaining how these rhetorical principles can be used to explain your previous writing experiences both in your first language and in English; provide specific details.

During Class

• During the first twenty minutes of class, read through the Brass Company speech keeping in mind the principles of rhetoric that you read about in PWO.
  
  
• After you are done reading, address the following questions in the body of an email addressed to the instructor. You will need to send this by 9:20.
  
  
  1. Who is the speaker of the speech? Describe this person as best as you can based upon the information provided.
  2. Who is the audience? Give a brief description based upon the information provided.
  3. What is the purpose of the speech?
  4. What is the situation or context of the speech?
  5. Is this speech effective? Use the answer tothe first four questions to support your answer?
     
     
• We will use your answers to these questions to guide some of the discussion on rhetoric.