Assignment Sheet

Module 2 : Listening Rhetorically, Understanding and Engaging

Deadlines:
Text choice: Week 3 (beginning of the week; once texts have been explored for
homework)
Conference draft: Week 3 (Conferences sometime between Wednesday and Friday)
Peer review draft: Week 5 (Monday in class)
Final draft: Week 5 (Friday @ 11:59 pm)

Goals:
● Engage with multiple texts through careful reading/listening and summarization
● Recognizing the author’s rhetorical choices in consideration of their context including
purpose and audience
● Become familiar with a variety of genres and media
● Practice “assuming a stance of openness” to understand nuances of texts without
judgement (reading without bias)

Objectives of this assignment:

For this assignment, you will choose one text we briefly explored as a homework
assignment, and elaborate on your analysis. We will learn what it means to listen rhetorically to
a text. You will demonstrate your understanding of this module’s key elements including
listening carefully to the author’s messages, while considering the author’s audience, topic,
genre, purpose, and voice/ writing identity. To understand a text well is an important skill in any
discipline. Often, we are asked to jump in with our own opinions and judgements about a topic
or another’s argument, without truly understanding their perspective or issue.

What is this Assignment:

Over the course of this module we will work with a variety of genres and media that you
probably already encounter, and will continue encounter in the future. While working with these
texts, we will practice the skill of listening rhetorically. By choosing one text to carefully listen to,
you will be able to consider the nuances of a text’s rhetorical moves and focus on the specific
details and choices made by the author. ​By closely analysing the author’s topic, stylistic
choices, genre, audience, purpose, time and place of publication, and their own
motivations or position in the topic, you will gain a more complex understanding of the
context of your chosen text. ​This assignment is a great opportunity to discuss and explore
how communicators/ writers/ speakers work to influence their audiences in different ways.
Guiding Questions:
After carefully reading to understand the content of the text, you will need to consider the
following questions in your work.
● What is the author trying to explain/teach?
● What is the author’s background? Who are they to speak on this issue?
● Who is the author trying to reach?
● When and where was this text published?
○ How do they tailor their argument to their specific audience?

What text can I choose from?

● How Twitter and & Texting Saved Writing,​ Geoffrey James
● How Words Change Minds: The Signs of Storytelling,​ Nat Kendall-Taylor
● Lost in Translation: The Power of Language to Shape how we Shape the World,
Shankar Vedantam; Rhaina Cohen
● It’s Time for Miami to Embrace Bilingualism,​ Phillip M. Carter
● You are What you Write,​ Harry Shum

How will I be graded for this assignment?

Your essay will be evaluated in terms of its fulfillment of the following criteria:
● Your analysis is composed of 1000-1200 words
● Include a brief summary of the text being explored
● Employs a structure that is easy to understand and guide the reader through your own
thought process
● Explain terms your reader may not understand, spell out abbreviations the first time
you use them. (don’t assume knowledge)
● Consideration and analyzation of the author’s nuanced rhetorical concepts (purpose,
genre, audience, etc)
● Work that demonstrates an effective writing process, including discovering of ideas,
drafting, revision and proof-reading
● Draw on specific parts/aspects of the text you are “listening to” to prove your point/
show your reader what you mean…. This should include direct quotes, paraphrasing,
and (photos?) when appropriate
● Effective use of syntax, punctuation, and spelling, with few grammatical or mechanical
errors
 Module 2: Listening Rhetorically, Understanding and Engaging
Major Assignment Rubric

Content 60%
● Brief, accurate summary of the text
● Explain terms and abbreviations the first time they are used; don’t assume prior
knowledge about the text you are writing about
● Consideration and analysis of the author’s nuanced rhetorical concepts (purpose,
audience, genre)
● Draw on specific parts/ aspects of the text you are “listening to” to show your reader
what you mean. This will include direct quotations, paraphrasing, and [other] when
appropriate
● This piece is composed of 1000 words minimum

Organization & Style 25%

● Writing should be structure in a way that is easy to understand and guides the reader
through your thought process
● Body paragraphs include topic sentences and relevant supporting details
● MLA/APA format used throughout (citations, heading on first page, last name/page
numbers on all pages, double-spaced, Time New Roman, size 12 font)

Mechanics & Grammar 10%

● Entire writing assignment is well-edited with few grammatical or mechanical errors which
interfere with readers’ comprehension
● Complete sentences throughout
● Appropriate punctuation throughout

Effective Writing Process 5%

● All checkpoints on time
● Work demonstrates an effective writing process, including discovering of ideas, drafting,
revision, and proofreading
● Helpful, prompt, and thorough participation in peer-review process.