6.1 Rhetoric

Where and when did I find it: I came across the word rhetoric, on the front cover of a high school text used for a tenth-grade English course. I was surprised to see the word on the cover of the text. Since I love words and language, seeing the word caught my attention and I was immediately curious about the text. 

Full citation: Shea, R.H., Scanlon, L., & Aufses, R.D. (2008). The language of composition reading, writing, rhetoric. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 

What it means:   Rhetoric is using language to effectively communicate an idea to persuade an audience. To expand upon this, Dictionary.com defines rhetoric as the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech. The glossary of the text where I found the word defines rhetoric as, “the study of effective, persuasive language use; according to Aristotle, use of the “available means of persuasion” (Shea, Scanlon, & Aufses, 2008, p.1012).  

http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/r/rhetoric.asp

Level of familiarity:  During my undergraduate work as an English Literature major,  critically analyzing language and the interaction between the speaker, audience and the subject allowed me to become very familiar with this word.  One area that I am less familiar with is rhetorical analysis as it is used in documentaries. Becoming more familiar with how rhetoric is used within documentaries would allow me to integrate nonfiction in the classroom. 

Do I want to know this word well and why?  I want to know this word well, since I am surrounded by rhetoric daily, through literature, nonfiction texts, advertising, and visual texts, including political cartoons. I want to be able to continue to develop and hone my literacy skills, and critically analyze language as a teacher and a literacy specialist. 

Do I think others should know this word well...if so WHO AND WHY?  Teachers across the content areas should understand the use of rhetoric even if it is only in keeping current with new and best practices. The amount of educational materials marketed to teachers is staggering... it’s a profitable business. Some of these educational materials are worthy, while others are not, and knowing how to critically analyze these materials is  crucial. In addition, being able to integrate language and it’s use across the content areas using documentaries, political cartoons, and nonfiction texts also supports building students’ literacy skills.