Intro to technical writing course.

1. The Rhetorical Grounding of Tech Comm
Intro | ENGL 317

2. 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”

3. Classical definition of rhetoric:
Using language to persuade.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.
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7. • 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!
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