Thematic approaches to teaching rhetorical criticism

Abstract

Few would argue the importance of the rhetorical criticism course in the Speech Communication curriculum, yet fewer still would likely lay claim to having mastered the teaching of the course. In responding to the questions of what is the proper objective or goal when teaching criticism to undergraduates, and what are the best ways for attaining that goal, this essay operates from two assumptions: (1) that most students will have a single course in criticism, and (2) that such a course should provide both exposure to critical theory and rigorous critical practice. The authors argue that a thematic approach to teaching criticism—based on frequent, integrated writing tasks—accommodates the constraints imposed by the assumptions. They illustrate the approach's utility with reference to two themes: Ronald Reagan's discourse and the rhetoric of war and peace.