Activities for Rhetorical Knowledge

Activity 2.5A

As directed by your instructor, individually or in groups, analyze a text (or series of texts) for its rhetorical situation using the various rhetorical features presented in this knowledge domain section. Whether the text is a published article for a more general audience or a specialized workplace document, for example, be sure to consider this text discourse (i.e. communication in action); therefore, conduct any needed primary and secondary source research (e.g. historical context, author decisions, etc.). What do you find interesting in analyzing this text’s rhetorical situation? In reading/analyzing a text in this way, what do you think you can learn and apply to your own writing?

Activity 2.5B

Think about a writing project you are working on (or recently completed) for another class, for work, or for another context and use the prewriting questions from this knowledge domain section to analyze your rhetorical situation. Identify at least three specific things you need (or needed) to do as a writer composing in this rhetorical situation. (If you had some sort of written guidelines or prompt, incorporate this information into your analysis.) Which of these seemed obvious to you and which were more subtle—things you didn’t notice until you took the time to conduct this analysis?

Activity 2.5C

As directed by your instructor, access a text (or series of texts) in which any identifying context information (such as author and publication) has been removed. The text could be published or professional or it could be an anonymous writing project for this class or another. Analyze the text for the way in which it invokes an audience—identify any cues in the text (from style and word choice to content and topics) that serve to include certain groups of readers. Which readers seem to be included and which may be excluded? What roles does the text invite readers to adopt? How does the author come across to readers of this text—their ethos, their “character”? How would you describe the relationship in the text between the author and audience? Then, discover the context information for this text. Do you think the way the audience was invoked in this text is effective or appropriate for the rhetorical situation of this text? Why or why not? What is particularly effective and what needs to be revised? How might any changes and revisions affect the meaning of the text in its particular rhetorical situation?