7 Introduction
Module Two: Examining Multimodal Arguments
Module Introduction
Arguments surround us. Our daily experiences are filled with arguments that are communicated through a variety of media, including those transmitted through radio, television, Internet, and in public and personal conversations. While many of these rhetorical appeals—such as advertisements and other commercial messages—simply create the background noise of our daily lives, it is useful to develop some strategies for assessing these messages and writing about their features. This module will provide you with some rhetorical tactics and a practical vocabulary for analyzing and writing about visual and audio arguments. (1)
It’s in our biology to trust what we see with our eyes. This makes living in a carefully edited, overproduced, and Photoshopped world very dangerous.
~ Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection
Objectives
Upon completion of this module, the student will be able to:
- Identify the rhetorical components of a visual argument.
- Identify prominent features of common communication genres.
- Write about how common communication genres influence the rhetorical situation.
- Identify prominent features of successful speeches and other verbal arguments.
- Write about how verbal arguments create a rhetorical impression with audiences. (1)
Readings
- Online Learning Unit
- Navigating Genres by Kerry Dirk (17)