Rhetoric and Effective Communication in the Digital Society

2026/2027

Учебный год

ENG

Обучение ведется на английском языке

4

Кредиты

Кто читает:

Департамент иностранных языков

Статус:

Курс обязательный

Когда читается:

1-й курс, 3, 4 модуль

Преподаватель

Тулякова Наталья Александровна

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The course offers students a comprehensive understanding of persuasive communication in the digital age. Students are introduced to classical and contemporary theories of rhetoric, learning how to craft and deliver compelling messages tailored to various digital platforms. The curriculum emphasizes the development of effective public speaking skills, critical analysis of persuasive techniques, and strategies for engaging with audiences across different digital mediums. Furthermore, students explore the impact of digital technologies on communication practices, including social media, online presentations, and digital storytelling. The course prepares students for careers in fields such as digital marketing, public relations, content creation, and social advocacy, where advanced communication skills in the digital realm are essential. The course objectives are to give an idea of the subject, basic categories and concepts of rhetoric, its cultural and historical genesis and place in the system of forms of verbal culture, as well as to consider the factors that determine the success of speech interaction with the audience in situations of business communication.

Learning Objectives

• To become familiar with history of rhetoric and the changes rhetoric has undergone.
• To develop understanding of the principles of rhetoric in written and oral communication.
• To develop offline and digital rhetorical competence.
• To raise awareness of rhetorical devices and persuasive techniques employed in communication.
• To enable identification of unlawful techniques and respond to them.
• To raise awareness of rhetorical differences across cultures and epochs.
• To broaden the terminological repertoire related to rhetoric.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• The students will recognize the rhetorical tradition followed in a text.
• The students will identify the principles of rhetoric in written and oral communication.
• The students will account for rhetorical differences by addressing to norms of cultures and epochs.
• The students will identify rhetorical devices and persuasive techniques employed in communication.
• The students will demonstrate rhetorical competence in speech, writing in the digital and multimodal surroundings.
• The students will identify unlawful techniques and respond to them in the context of face-to-face, distant and digital communication.
• The students will be using terms related to rhetoric accurately and consistently.

Course Contents

• 1. Rhetoric as art and science. Orator and eloquence
• 2. History of rhetoric
• 3. The Five canons of rhetoric
• 4. Logos and argumentation
• 5. Rhetorical devices
• 6. Genres of public speech
• 7. Proxemics. Public discussion
• 8. Basics of persuasion
• 9. Speech aggression offline and online
• 10. Communicative etiquette & netiquette
• 11. Digital rhetoric
• 12. Contrastive rhetoric and AI
• 13. Course Revision and testing

Assessment Elements

• Test
  In four lectures or seminars, students are given a test based on lectures by the course instructor and/or the seminars. The number and form of questions may vary within the same test and from test to test: open-ended, multiple-choice, matching, etc. The test is conducted at an advance notice. There are 2 tests per module. The tests can be retaken with the consent of the course instructor at a time allocated by the course instructor if a student has a valid reason for missing the test. Otherwise, the result for the missed test is marked 0 (zero). The mark for this course component is the average of the marks for all the tests offered throughout the course.
• Classroom participation
  The students are expected to attend all lectures and seminars, complete homework and contribute to discussions. They need to be prepared for class by having read the assigned text(s) or watching the assigned video(s). They contribute to seminar discussions by answering and asking questions relevant to the corresponding class section. If a student does not attend a class for a valid reason, they may be assigned with an alternative task.
• Pre- and post-seminar assignments
  Throughout the course, the students submit assignments that check their command of the theory and history of rhetoric and ability to apply the studied material. If the assignment is not submitted for a valid reason, the course instructor may extend the deadline for submission. If the reason is not valid, the course instructor may accept late submissions with 0,25 penalty.
• Course essay
  The course essay is written in class in late May or early June. Student are assigned with two texts, where the first text represents English discourse and the second represents Russian discourse, and the theoretical framework to analyse the texts. The texts are selected by the course instructor. If the student does not attend a class when the essay is written for a valid reason, they may submit it within time period allocated by the course instructor.
• Final project/Exam
  The final project is presented in the final seminar and is conducted as presenting team projects. The students work on the project in teams throughout the course. Before the presentation, they submit a written analysis, and immediately after the presentation, a written self-reflection. The aim of the project is to compile a rhetorical portrait of a real or fictional person (Russian- or English-speaking). The person is chosen by the students. While presenting the project, the students are supposed to demonstrate command of persuasive techniques and digital rhetoric, as well as ability to interact with each other and the audience.

Interim Assessment

• 2026/2027 4th module
  0.15 * Test + 0.15 * Course essay + 0.2 * Classroom participation + 0.2 * Pre- and post-seminar assignments + 0.3 * Final project/Exam

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Aristotle, Yunis, H., Waterfield, R., & Aristotle. (2018). The Art of Rhetoric. Oxford, United Kingdom: OUP Oxford. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2096818
• Edelman, M. (1998). Language, Myths and Rhetoric. Society, 35(2), 131–139. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02838136

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Rhetoric in European Culture and Beyond, Karolinum Press, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=2057512.
• Worthington, I. (1994). Persuasion: Greek Rhetoric in Action. London: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=80147

Authors

• Tuliakova Natalia Aleksandrovna
• Ursul Natalia Valerevna