Topics: Ranging from rhetoric, politics and society
Disciplines: Critical Thinking, Communication, Argumentationtheory, Rhetorics,
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?
In this course you will learn to identify different rhetorical aspects that are effective in persuading the listener. We will dive into the use of the rhetorical situation, the ideologies of the audience, the use of ethos and pathos, the structure and the musicality of a text. We’ll also analyse what works and what is less effective in the actual performance of a speech.
And should you get persuaded?
At the same time we will ask ourselves whether the use of these rhetorical devices should in fact always lead to us being persuaded. In other words: what criteria can we use to determine whether the speech is in fact up to our standards of reasonableness. Here we will analyse the different arguments, evaluate them (with the help of argumentationtheoretical tools) and recognize fallacies.
These rhetorical and the argumentationtheoretical insights will help you to give a effective speech in class.
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 24
Principles of rhetoric and argumentation theory
by Francisca Jungslager
Session 2: October 31
Seminar Rhetorical insights: inventio
by Francisca Jungslager
Session 3: November 7
Seminar Argumentation theoretical insights
by Francisca Jungslager
Session 4: November 14
Seminar Rhetorical insights: dispositio and elocutio
by Francisca Jungslager
Session 5: November 21
Seminar Speechwriting: actio
Guest lecture
Session 6: November 28
Speeches & feedback Speeches
by students and Francisca Jungslager
Session 7: December 5
Speeches & feedback Speeches
by students and Francisca Jungslager
Session 8: December 12
Seminar & exam
Wrap up and exam
by Francisca Jungslager
Location:
Pieter de la Court 1A.21
Reading list:
Crowley, Sharon & Debra Hawhee (2012). Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. 5th edition. Boston [etc.]: Pearson.
Kjeldsen, Jense E. e.a.(2019), Speechwriting in theory and practice. Palgrave
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: 16 hours (participation is mandatory)
Literature reading: 56 hours
Assignments: 4 x 2 hours = 8 hours
Speech: 30 hours
Exam: 20 hours
Assessment methods:
20% Weekly assignments
Deadlines for these assignments:
Deadline Assignment 1: October 23 before 8.00 AM
Deadline Assignment 2: October 30, before 8.00 AM
Deadline Assignment 3: November 6, before 8.00 AM
Deadline Assignment 4: November 13, before 8.00 AM30% Speech
Subgroup1: November 28
Subgroup 2: December 530% Reflection on your speech
Subgroup1: December 5
Subgroup 2: December 1220% Final exam: December 12, 2024
Assignment 1: Rhetoric, inventio: analysing the use of the rhetorical situation of a speech
Assignment 2: Rhetoric, inventio: evaluating the use/effect of ethos and pathos in a given speech
Assignment 3: Argumentationtheory: making an argumentation structure and evaluating the reasonabless of an argumentative discourse
Assignment 4: Rhetoric, dispositio: evaluating the use/effect of the structure in a given speech
Speech: Presenting in class a 4 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.
Written exam (3 pages A4) making a full rhetorical and argumentative analysis of a given speech
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).
The assessment methods will be further explained in the first session of the class.
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 19 August 2024 up to and including Sunday 8 September 2024 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