Topics: Various social issues (dependent on the choice of the texts and speeches)
Disciplines: Communication
Skills: Analysing, Collaborating, Oral communication, Written communication, Presenting, Societal awareness, Reflecting, Independent learning
Admission requirements:
This course is an (extracurricular) Honours Class: an elective course within the Honours College programme. Third year students who don’t participate in the Honours College, have the opportunity to apply for a Bachelor Honours Class. Students will be selected based on i.a. their motivation and average grade.
Description:
How do you get persuaded? And how can you yourself persuade an audience in an effective and - at the same time - reasonable way?
In this course you will learn to look from two different perspectives at the quality of a speech and/or text. A rhetorical framework will help you to analyse the degree of effectiveness of the text: how did the speaker/writer make use of the rhetorical situation, the ideologies of the audience(s), what means of delivery were used?
From an argumentation-theoretical angle you will learn to determine the degree of reasonableness of the arguments. Starting with analysing argumentative discourse, you will make schematic overviews of the different arguments in a line of reasoning, and learn how to recognize fallacies.
With both the rhetorical and the argumentation-theoretical insights you are capable of passing a well-considered judgment of the tenability of an opinion. And you will put your skills right away in practice in class by giving a reasonable and persuasive speech yourself.
Course objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
have gained knowledge of basic argumentative concepts;
have gained knowledge of basic rhetorical concepts;
be able to identify and analyse the argumentative and rhetorical aspects of a text;
be able to provide a basic assessment of the use of these aspects;
be able to compose and deliver a persuasive speech.
Programme and timetable:
The sessions of this class will take place on Thursdays from 17:30 to 19:30.
Session 1: October 26
Principles of rhetoric and argumentation
by Francisca Jungslager
Session 2: November 2
Seminar Argumentation theoretical insights
by Francisca Jungslager
Session 3: November 9
Seminar Rhetorical insights: inventio
by Francisca Jungslager
Session 4: November 16
Seminar Rhetorical insights: dispositio and elocutio
by Francisca Jungslager
Session 5: November 23
Seminar Speechwriting: actio
Guest lecture
Session 6: November 30
Seminar Speeches and feedback
by students and Francisca Jungslager
Session 7: December 7
Seminar Speeches and feedback
by students and Francisca Jungslager
Session 8: December 14
Seminar and exam
Wrap up and exam
by Francisca Jungslager
Location:
Kamerlingh Onnes building, room C0.20
Reading list:
Crowley, Sharon & Debra Hawhee (2012). Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. 5th edition. Boston [etc.]: Pearson.
Eemeren, Frans van, Rob Grootendorst & Francisca Snoeck Henkemans (2010). Argumentation. Analysis, Evaluation, Presentation. New York [etc.]: Routledge.
Other possible literature will be announced in class or via Brightspace.
Course load and teaching method:
This course is worth 5 ECTS, which means the total course load equals 140 hours.
Attending seminars: 8 x 2 hours (16 hours) (participation is mandatory)
Literature reading: 8 x 9,25 hours (76 hours)
Assignments: 4 x 2 hours = 8 hours
Speech: 20 hours
Exam: 20 hours
Assessment methods:
20% Weekly assignments
Deadlines for these assignments:
Assignment 1: October 25 before 8.00 AM
Assignment 2: November 1, before 8.00 AM
Assignment 3: November 8, before 8.00 AM
Assignment 4: November 15, before 8.00 AM30% Speech
December 1 (subgroup1),
December 8 (subgroup 2)30% Reflection on your speech
20% Final exam
14 December 2023
Assignment 1: analysing the use of the rhetorical situation of a speech
Assignment 2: making an argumentation structure and evaluating the reasonableness of an argumentative discourse
Assignment 3: evaluating the inventio of a given speech
Assignment 4: evaluating the use of dispositio and elocutio in a given speech
Speech: presenting in class a 3 minute speech (making use of the insights taught in class)
Reflection of your speech: max 3 A4, reflecting on the effectiveness and the reasonableness given the feedback, using a set format
It is not required to successfully complete all partial exams in order to pass this course. Students are allowed to compensate a ‘fail’ (grades up to and including 5.0).
Brightspace and uSis:
Brightspace will be used in this course. Upon admission students will be enrolled in Brightspace by the teaching administration.
Please note: students are not required to register through uSis for the Bachelor Honours Classes. Your registration will be done centrally.
Application process:
Submitting an application for this course is possible from Monday 21 August 2023 up to and including Tuesday 12 September 2023 23:59 through the link on the Honours Academy student website.
Note: students don’t have to register for the Bachelor Honours Classes in uSis. The registration is done centrally before the start of the class.
Contact:
Francisca Jungslager f.s.jungslager@fsw.leidenuniv.nl