Week 9: The Rhetorical Analysis

1. Week 9: The Rhetorical Analysis Caleb Humphreys

2. Free Write (5 minutes) • What concerns/questions do you have about the Rhetorical Analysis? • We’ll discuss these concerns as a class.

3. Housekeeping • Office Hours – Monday 2:30-4:30(ish) (and by appointment). • Study sessions – Tuesday and Wednesday. 5-7 in ENGL 352. • Midterm grades – Will be final today. • Participation grades are not part of this. So, if you want to know what your grade is with participation, homework, and attendance – send me an email.

4. The Rhetorical Analysis (due 10/24) • After selecting your text and critically reading it, you will determine the writer’s purpose and intended audience for the text. • Once you have determined these elements, you will begin to analyze the text so as to determine the specific strategies (rhetorical choices) the writer uses to achieve his or her purpose and to meet the needs of the audience. • After you determine what these strategies or rhetorical choices are, consider how well these strategies (rhetorical choices) actually work • From the Raider Writer assignment description.

5. The Rhetorical Analysis Q&A • What questions do you have about the rhetorical analysis? • How do you think the Rhetorical Analysis is graded? • On what criteria?

6. Grading • No grade disputes for the Rhetorical Analysis. • The grade you get is final because…

7. Rhetorical Analysis vs Close Reading • A close reading of a text simply explains and analyzes what the author is saying. • This is not the purpose of a rhetorical analysis. • Your goal is to analyze how the author persuades his audience.

8. Peer Review Rules • Be honest. • Give good feedback, but don’t be harsh. • Always point out the strengths of the draft. • Focus on the higher order concerns: • How does this function as a rhetorical analysis? • The analysis • The evidence • Lower order concerns: • The organization • The clarity of the writing • Grammar

9. Let’s Practice as a Class… • In his article, “Why a Global Language?”, David Crystal informs his audience, which seems to be people of all different countries, of the reasoning behind a global language by incorporating concrete examples and common diction choices into a skillfully structured article, beginning with a description of what a global language is, how it achieves this status, and finally the reasons for having a global language, and the need to adopt one. The reason his article is effective is because it successfully unifies this complex idea and makes the article more understandable, allowing him the chance then to persuade his audience to adopt a global language with this technique. His reasoning is explained through his straight forward common sense and concise evidence, in order to prove his points effectively.

10. Questions to Answer (to turn in to me) • On a separate piece of paper: • Name of writer. • Is this paper a rhetorical analysis? • Strengths? • Weaknesses?

11. Workshop of Introduction (10 minutes) • Use the packet (if your partner printed it out). Or answer these questions on a separate piece of paper: • What is the thesis? • What audience(s) have they identified? • What purpose(s) have they identified? • What rhetorical choices will they be discussing in their analysis? (Are these accurate for the article?) • How will their analysis be structured? (The order the choices appear in the thesis.)

12. Crystal’s organization is another reason why the article is successful in persuading. In the beginning of his article, he defines what a global language with obvious facts and simple words. For example, he says “A language achieves a genuinely global status when it develops a special role that is recognized in every country” (352). The reason behind this is so that the reader has a clearer understanding of what the topic means. In contrast, if the diction was hard to understand and the definition was put in scientific terms, then it might overwhelm the reader resulting in loss of interest of the subject. Not only does he try to give his audience a better understanding of what a global language is, he also wants them to be interested and involved in it by clearly stating is effects and final product in the beginning to make reader comprehend the diction of his article from its beginning. He also writes, “Such a role will be most evident in countries where large numbers of the people speak the language as a mother tongue – in the case of English, this would mean the USA” (352). He gives the reader a clear and concise example of where a global language can be produced and cites the United States which gives the reader commonality and understanding. This quote is also a concrete example in which Crystal uses a real life location and common linguistics to show how one would benefit a global language. Although the author knows how much the English language unites the United States, he argues that a global language would play a bigger role in the country than what is presen

13. Body Paragraphs (~15 minutes) • For each paragraph: • What rhetorical choice is this body paragraph examining? • Is there a topic sentence that identifies the choice? • Are there quotes from the text? Are these quotes integrated well? • How do these quotations demonstrate the rhetorical choice? • Does the writer include explanations about the quote? Do these actually analyze the rhetoric, or do they simply explain what the quote says? • What audience does this rhetorical choice apply to? • What impact does this rhetorical choice have on the audience?

14. Conclusion (5 minutes) • What was the student’s paper trying to prove? • What was the impact of each rhetorical choice? • Why did the author choose their particular audience? • What action did the author want his audience to take after reading the essay? • Was the author effective in convincing their audience(s) to take this action? Why/why not?

15. Rhetorical Analysis Preliminary Draft • Due Friday (10/24) at 11:59pm • Turn this assignment in on time! (But, if you need more time to make your assignment better it is only 5% off for the first late day. 10% off each day after.) • Include a Works Cited. (10 points off for not having one) • 1200 words (usually 10 points off for each 100 words short). Try to stay below 1500 words. • You don’t need a title. But, usually titles add something. • Study Sessions! Tuesday and Wednesday (5-7 in ENGL 352) • Email me if you have questions or concerns.