Rhetoric: the Practice of Oral and Written Communication

2017/2018

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

4

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

Department of Foreign Languages

Course type:

Compulsory course

When:

1 year, 3 module

Instructor

Smirnova, Natalia V.

Course Syllabus

Abstract

During the course students will be developing key skills in rhetoric as well as raise their understanding and awareness of the key theoretical foundations of rhetoric within the disciplinary frame of Political studies. As the major learning outcome, we expect students to understand and to become familiar with the theoretical foundations and key concepts of Rhetoric, critically develop skills of a critical rhetor (rhetorical situation, rhetorical act), of speaking and writing in a set of rhetorical situations.

Learning Objectives

• As the major learning outcome, we expect students to understand and to become familiar with the theoretical foundations and key concepts of Rhetoric, critically develop skills of a critical rhetor (rhetorical situation, rhetorical act), of speaking and writing in a set of rhetorical situations.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Knows key historical periods in Rhetoric
• Understands the salient features of each period in Rhetoric history
• Is able to critically compare/contrast different historical periods and demonstrate original thinking, show strong evidence of preparatory research and background knowledge.
• Is able to demonstrate an ability to rhetorically analyze a text and orally present the analysis to the audience
• Is able to develop a clear argument in writing which contains key argiment elements.
• Is able to develop a visual arguemnt as part of visual rhetoric strategies.
• Is able to write an essay and analyze the rhetoric of a political speech, find rhetorical tools (micro, macro, strategies, tropes and schemes, etc.), support the analysis with relevant examples from the text, explain how each of them and all of them together create a certain effect on the reader.
• Is able to critically read a text, ask and answer questions
• Is able to write a reader response
• Is able to prepare and deliver a political speech
• Is able to take part in debates
• Knows salient features of political text (speeches, published media)
• Is able to prepare and deliver a powerful public talk
• Understands cross-cultural communication issues and rhetoric
• Is able to take part in a discussion and demonstrate original thinking, show strong evidence of preparatory research and broad background knowledge.

Course Contents

• Introduction to the course. History of Rhetoric as a discipline
• Rhetorical triangle
• 50 shades of argument
• Visual rhetoric
• From clear thinking towards clear writing
• Critical reading skills
• Political rhetoric
• Language and Discourse
• Public speaking
• Rhetoric across cultures and languages

Assessment Elements

• Group Project "Famous rhetorician"
  The purpose of the task is to read and talk about a famous rhetorician. Choose one person from the list (who you find the most interesting, promising, etc.). List of names is to be sent by the instructor. Create a captivating story about the rhetorician. Dig deep and find something really fascinating about his personality, his texts and achievements in rhetoric. Use small excerpt from the original texts created by the rhetorician to illustrate your points. Talk time is 5 minutes. The quality of your ideas is important.
• Group presentation 'Logos, Pathos, Ethos'
  Team talk is 5-7 minutes. The quality of your own examples is important.
• Group presentation "Verbal vs visual argument"
  Part 1: develop an image using visual rhetoric to send your message. Poster format. Part 2: develop a paragraph and persuade your readers to believe your claim. Use argument structure. Part 1 = Talk – 2-3 minutes. The quality of your visual argument and your explanation are important.
• Экзамен
  End-of-the-course assessment is a written examination. This is an 1,5 hour exam that assesses students' skills of rhetorical analysis of visual/verbal texts. Students write a short rhetorical essay.

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (3 module)
  0.2 * Group presentation "Verbal vs visual argument" + 0.2 * Group presentation 'Logos, Pathos, Ethos' + 0.2 * Group Project "Famous rhetorician" + 0.4 * Экзамен

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• 50 steps to improving your academic writing. Study book, Sowton, Ch., 2012
• Connolly, J. (2007). The State of Speech : Rhetoric and Political Thought in Ancient Rome. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=286701
• Language, Power and Ideology : Studies in political discourse, edited by Ruth Wodak, John Benjamins Publishing Company, 1989. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=673092.
• Rhetoric in European Culture and Beyond, Karolinum Press, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=2057512.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Jerit, J. (2004). Survival of the Fittest: Rhetoric During the Course of an Election Campaign. Political Psychology, 25(4), 563–575. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9221.2004.00387.x