Reading in Writing Class
The chapters in this section address reading rhetorically and analyzing genres. Of course, reading is a fundamental component to any class. And, we all read constantly – these days more than ever. But the chapters in this section ask us to think critically and metacognitively about the way we approach reading different kinds of texts. These readings ask you to tune into similarities (conventions) and differences (deviations) between kinds of texts and within categories of texts so that you may become a more informed and engaged reader.
In the first chapter in this section, Reading Rhetorically, Melanie Gagich and Emilie Zickel provide tips for how to understand what the author says, the types of information they include, and the arrangement chosen by the author. Specific questions and examples are provided to aid your ability to better read rhetorically and improve not only your comprehension of each text but also your understanding of how it was constructed and with what purpose in mind.
In the last chapter in this section, Analyzing the Genre of Your Readings, Emilie Zickel uses a rhetorical genre approach to reading. By this we mean that all forms of communication are genres, texts that respond to situations that keep coming up in our lives, and if we are attentive to the similarities between those texts, it provides a sort of key to read them more easily. For example, you may read the same kinds of texts every day: magazines, menus, reviews of products, movies, or books, directions, etc. The more you read them and analyze them, the more you start to expect certain things from those genres.
The objectives targeted with the Reading in Writing Class section are Composing Processes, Reading, and Rhetorical Knowledge. Specifically, readers will want to pay key attention to how to read rhetorically in Chapter 10 (Composing Processes and Reading), noting important aspects of the rhetorical situation in a reading (Rhetorical Knowledge), as well as genre awareness addressed in Chapter 11 (Rhetorical Knowledge).
often thought of as a type or category of writing, e.g. business memos, organization charts, menus, book reviews; a discursive response to a recurrent, social action; materials that mediate social interaction
awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes
refers to any form of communication, primarily written or oral, that forms a coherent unit, often as an object of study; A book can be a text, and a speech can be a text, but television commercials, magazine ads, website, and emails can also be texts.
the elements, themes, topics, tropes, characters, situations, and plot lines common in specific genres--types of writing
the action of departing from an established course or accepted standard
the creator of a text or speech; the person or organization who is communicating in order to try to effect a change in his or her audience
the action of arranging or disposing in order; often referred to as the organization state of the writing process, though arrangement takes place across the writing process and can be both an aesthetic and an argumentative consideration
