RHETORIC & ANALYSIS
ANALYSIS
Analytical skills are what every professional and academic wants and requires yet it is often what they have the most difficulty explaining. ​There is still a lot of debate as to whether analysis and critical thinking can even be taught. However, I believe instructors can demonstrate them and provide spaces where students can practice and receive feedback to develop these skills.
Students should be asked to identify textual differences (paragraph length, citation style, vocabulary, sentence length, author information, etc.) to support their claim on which one is scholarly.
Cup Round or Square (Tony Fisher)
Since international students are typically unfamiliar with the geography of LA, I often presented this and asked the class to describe each child's socioeconomic status. They were then asked to discuss how they could determine that from the images, which led to a discussion about what information their audiences might not know about the topics of their own essays.
TEXTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THREE DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS
THAT ALLOW DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
RHETORIC
RHETORIC
RHETORIC
Worksheet - This worksheet is designed for an extended cut of the episode. The link provided will serve for the final portion only.
Logical Fallacies Handout
RHETORIC
Incorrectly Attacking Credibility (youtube)
Cultural Logic
Show this image to a class of mixed nationalities. Western students are more likely to group the Panda & Monkey as categories (i.e. taxonomic analysis). Eastern students will be more likely to group the Banana & Monkey and Panda & Grass due to their Relationships, i.e. "monkeys eat bananas".
Understanding the Assignment
RESTATEMENT - What a text says.
When your instructor asks for a summary. A common assignment is a summary response. A response can be analytical but need not be. Instructors vary on whether they want the thesis at the end of the summary or at the beginning of the response. However, at the end of the summary does show better writing control of essay structure.
DESCRIPTION - What a text does.
When your instructor asks for a specific type of analysis. These usually include assignments on materials to be used for larger assignments. They also include short assignments to introduce textual analysis. How is the author making their claim? Who is the intended audience? What was the historical or cultural context at the time of writing? And would that change in another culture or time? Rhetorical Analysis generally fall into this category but can be a deeper level if you are asked to make claims about the effectiveness of the rhetorical devices used in the text.
INTERPRETATION - What a text means.
As noted above, this is often where rhetorical analysis lead to; however, the term Critical Analysis is typically used outside of writing courses. The word 'critical' simply means serious, scholarly, and judicious. The idea is that you are not simply stating your opinion, but making a claim with substantial support. This could include analyzing a text or it could be applied to any debatable issue.
RESOURCES
Know Your Logical Fallacies (yourlogicalfallacyis.com)
Media Bias Chart (adfontsmedia)
The Status Quo as a Moral Compass (theconversation)
Wallace on Essaymercials (Wallace)
Facebook Deception Quiz (Nytimes)
Reality vs. Headlines "why pathos distorts"
