Rhetorical Situation: Merging Social Construction Theory and Aristotle’s Rhetoric While my official title is English teacher, I believe my role is to facilitate students maturing as communicators. A poster hanging in my room says “Facilitator’s Goal: Students will improve as readers, writers, speakers, viewers, listeners, critical thinkers, reflectors, self-learners.” The rhetorical situation is central to each of these communication opportunities, and whether students encounter the communication opportunities individually, with another person, in a small group, or in a large group, the rhetorical situation remains crucial. When students grasp the critical significance of the rhetorical situation and incorporate it in all areas of communication,
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Dixson (2001) reminds educators that students often perceive public speaking through self-preservation, focusing on self-image and grades, rather than student speakers focusing on and connecting with their audiences. SCT looks at public speaking as “a shared reality/understanding” speakers create with their audiences concerning the subject of the speech (Dixson, 2001, p. 159). When students focus on themselves rather than their audiences, they do not consider their audiences’ perspectives. Aristotle’s approach to reasoning is the enthymeme, meaning “grasped internally” in Latin, and he states in his second rationale for rhetoric’s utility that speakers should compose arguments based on the mutual beliefs of the speaker and the audience (Herrick, 2013, p. 74). Thus SCT and rhetoric both emphasize the connection between the speaker and the …show more content…
Both emphasize the importance of the audience; therefore, both place value on the rhetorical situation. The rhetorical situation has evolved just as education has progressed. When students encounter the rhetorical situation in multiple communication modes, such as reading, writing, speaking, viewing, and listening, they can experience more connections that will facilitate their growth as communicators, making the rhetorical situation a useful approach. So, while social construction of reality theory and Aristotle’s rhetoric appear diverse, they do share similarities that are applicable to enhancing student learning
Dixson (2001) reminds educators that students often perceive public speaking through self-preservation, focusing on self-image and grades, rather than student speakers focusing on and connecting with their audiences. SCT looks at public speaking as “a shared reality/understanding” speakers create with their audiences concerning the subject of the speech (Dixson, 2001, p. 159). When students focus on themselves rather than their audiences, they do not consider their audiences’ perspectives. Aristotle’s approach to reasoning is the enthymeme, meaning “grasped internally” in Latin, and he states in his second rationale for rhetoric’s utility that speakers should compose arguments based on the mutual beliefs of the speaker and the audience (Herrick, 2013, p. 74). Thus SCT and rhetoric both emphasize the connection between the speaker and the …show more content…
Both emphasize the importance of the audience; therefore, both place value on the rhetorical situation. The rhetorical situation has evolved just as education has progressed. When students encounter the rhetorical situation in multiple communication modes, such as reading, writing, speaking, viewing, and listening, they can experience more connections that will facilitate their growth as communicators, making the rhetorical situation a useful approach. So, while social construction of reality theory and Aristotle’s rhetoric appear diverse, they do share similarities that are applicable to enhancing student learning