The Rhetorical Grounding of Tech CommIntro | ENGL 317

Using language to have a persuasive effect on an audience but lacking in sincerity.

Using language for the sole purpose of defeating the other candidate ---distortions, misinformation, and outright lies presented as factual.

Negative (typical) connotations of “rhetoric”

Classical definition of rhetoric:

Using language to persuade.

Using language to elicit any number and types of responses from audiences for various purposes within diverse contexts.

(This is the definition the course uses.)

Rhetoric: contemporary definition.

My teaching goal: to help you become a strong rhetor.

A strong rhetor is able to:

– Analyze and identify the needs of writing situations, including what is at stake for the writer(s) and reader(s).

– Make effective rhetorical choices to meet the needs and purposes of any writing situation.

– Constantly interpret dynamic communication situations and weigh possible responses to these situations.

– Understand that no single choice is the “right one.” The solution to a problem in technical writing is never the only available one.

– Think of communication as a problem-solving activity rather than a task to produce an end-product.

I’m not really looking forward to reading that feasibility study you wrote.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but no one in the workplace WANTS to read what you write.

6

• Solve problems,• Gain a better understanding of something,• Make effective decisions,• Plan work they and others will do, and• Create a paper trail for business and legal purposes.

Workplace readers will NEED to read what you write to:

This helps me.What a great writer!

7