Master Rhetorical Reading for Effective Learning

Writing Skills Lab Rhetorical Reading

Learning Outcomes Define and evaluate strategies for rhetorical reading and building vocabulary Define and identify rhetorical context Identify active reading strategies Use context clues and other reading strategies to learn and retain new words

Why is rhetorical reading important? Rhetorical readers understand that authors make choices about content, structure, and style based on the rhetorical context in which they are operating. Furthermore, rhetorical readers recognize their own context for reading, match their reading strategies with the text, and vary their reading process according to their purpose for reading. Since academic reading and writing represent an evolving conversation in which both the author s and the reader s rhetorical context come into play, it is important for college students to know how to read rhetorically.

Rhetorical Context

Rhetorical Context Rhetorical context refers to the circumstances surrounding an act of reading and/or composition. Rhetorical context includes: the author the author s purpose for composing the topic the audience the occasion, or external motivation, for composing

Rhetorical Context (continued) To understand the rhetorical context of the speech, you must ask yourself the following questions: Who is the author, speaker, or composer? What is the author trying to accomplish? What is his or her purpose? What is the author writing about? What is his or her topic? Who is the audience? What is the occasion, or external motivation, for writing?

Rhetorical Context Visual

Active Reading Principles The recommended amount of time college students should devote to studying outside of class is two three hours per credit hour each week. The path to a college degree means hundreds and hundreds of hours reading. This section will help you use those hours most productively by introducing strategies for active reading, which will help streamline your learning process. You will learn some tips to maximize your reading efficiency and go over the reading-process loop so you have a better sense of what to do before, while, and after you read.

Activity: Strategies for Active Reading Freewrite for at least five minutes about how you practice active reading. What do you do to remember what you are reading?

Active Reading Strategies Purposes for Reading to scan for specific information to skim to get an overview of the text to relate new content to existing knowledge to write something (often depends on a prompt) to critique an argument to learn something for general comprehension

Strategies Strategies differ from reader to reader. The same reader may use different strategies for different contexts because their purpose for reading changes. Ask yourself why am I reading? and what am I reading? when deciding which strategies to try.

Before Reading Establish your purpose for reading Speculate about the author s purpose for writing Review what you already know and want to learn about the topic (see the guides below) Preview the text to get an overview of its structure, looking at headings, figures, tables, glossary, etc. Predict the contents of the text and pose questions about it. If the authors have provided discussion questions, read them and write them on a note-taking sheet. Note any discussion questions that have been provided (sometimes at the end of the text)

During Reading Annotate and mark (sparingly) sections of the text to easily recall important or interesting ideas Check your predictions and find answers to posed questions Use headings and transition words to identify relationships in the text Create a vocabulary list of other unfamiliar words to define later Try to infer unfamiliar words meanings by identifying their relationship to the main idea Connect the text to what you already know about the topic Take breaks (split the text into segments if necessary)

After Reading Summarize the text in your own words (note what you learned, impressions, and reactions) in an outline, concept map, or matrix (for several texts) Talk to someone about the author s ideas to check your comprehension Identify and reread difficult parts of the text Define words on your vocabulary list (try a learner s dictionary) and practice using them

Vocabulary Building One of the key distinctions between college-level reading and reading you have done for school before is the much wider breadth and broader scope of college reading. Being well-read helps you be a better critical thinker in the long run. Look for context clues and word parts can help you build your vocabulary. Learn the best methods for dealing with specialized or technical vocabulary. In college, you ll probably take classes about topics and concepts you don t know anything about. Reading rhetorically (and strategically) can help ensure that you get the most out of those courses.

Read Strategically: Context Clues

What is a context clue? A context clue is a word or phrase in the same sentence or a nearby sentence that can help the reader decipher the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Reading words in context helps ensure a high level of focus, whereas breaking your concentration to lookup words is distracting.

Read Strategically: Context Clues There are six types of context clues: Definition clue Synonym clue Contrast clue Example clue Experience clue Adjacent clue

Practice Question What are ways to retain new words?

Diversify Your Vocabulary Vary Your Interests Learn common roots and word etymology Maintain a personal lexicon Follow a process Leverage every resource your can Practice

Quick Review Consider the author s rhetorical context; Consider your rhetorical context as the reader; Preview the text, and make predictions; Read actively, questioning the author s ideas and annotating the text; Summarize the text after reading, and discuss it with others; Use context clues to help you understand the meaning of new words; Read voraciously and strategically.