Glossary

a component of the rhetorical situation; any person or group who is the intended recipient of a message conveyed through text, speech, audio; the person/people the author is trying to influence

the professional field and academic discipline that revolves around writing, research into writing, and instruction of writing

a metaphor (or figurative comparison) in which one idea (or conceptual domain) is understood in terms of another

(also known as rhetorical situation) the context or set of circumstances out of which a text arises (author/speaker, audience, purpose, setting, text/speech)

depending on or relating to the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea

(also referred to as independent contractors) workers hired on a temporary or short-term basis

the elements, themes, topics, tropes, characters, situations, and plot lines common in specific genres--types of writing

the close, careful reading/listening/viewing of a composition that is undertaken in order to understand it fully and assess its merits, while taking into account the composition’s context or rhetorical situation

is a theory of writing instruction focused on grammatical correctness.

speech or writing that attempts to persuade an audience to take—or not take—some action

the action of departing from an established course or accepted standard

a community of people who share the same goals, methods of communicating, genres, and specialized language

prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination; the tendency of something to act in a certain manner under given circumstances

a system allowing students to be simultaneously enrolled at two different academic institutions; typically refers to high school students taking college-level courses to earn early credit

philosophical exploration of moral principles

assessment of a subject according to a set of criteria

the event or occurrence that prompts rhetorical discourse; the event begins the “cycle” of rhetorical discourse about a particular issue

college-level general education writing and communication courses

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

an analysis of the conventions and deviations for a specific genre

the norms and expectations (or similarities) of a genre

the norms and expectations (or similarities) of a genre

the formal features of language and language construction

a theory of rhetoric developed by Sonja K. Foss and Cindy L. Griffin in 1995; invitational rhetoric seeks to abolish the patriarchal tendencies that go hand-in-hand with traditional rhetoric, such as domination and intimidation; it is not about persuading the audience to adopt the beliefs of the rhetor

the quality, condition, or state of being literate; the ability to read, write, speak; the ability to ‘read’ a specified subject or medium; competence or knowledge in a particular area

writing from a single individual’s perspective on their own experiences with literacy development and growth, including learning to read and write, as well as experiences with other aspects of literacy

awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes; thinking about how you think and learn

relating to metacognition, or "thinking about how you think"

new forms of literacy made possible by digital technology developments: instant messaging, blogging, social networking, conducting online searches . . .

An Open Education Resource (OER) is a free or low-cost text available digitally. Many OERS have copyright licenses that allow remix or revision. They are intended to offer high quality educational content and keep down costs for students.

is a set of ideas that communicates how something changes or develops through a sequence of events.

the author’s motivations for creating the text

is the principle methods of instruction that teachers use with students when teaching the principles, practices, and profession of teaching reading

the action or process of thinking carefully or deeply about a particular subject, typically involving influence from one's past life and experiences; contemplation, deep or serious thought or consideration; the process or faculty by which the mind observes and examines its own experiences and emotions; intelligent self-awareness, introspection, metacognition

a genre of writing that captures the process of thinking carefully or deeply about a particular subject

Is the thorough process of rethinking and re-seeing your work. Revision is distinct from editing and proofreading, which usually just address grammatical and syntactical changes. Revision instead may include reorganization, finding new evidence, or similar substantive changes to a composition

a teacher or user of rhetoric

the study and use of strategic communication--or, talk and text in social interaction; the way that rhetors/authors/writers/composers use language in order to communicate with an audience; the art of using language effectively so as to communicate with or influence others

the careful study of a text/speech where the context, audience, and purpose for discourse are considered; the process that helps demonstrate the significance of a text by carefully considering the rhetorical situation in which it develops and the ways that it supports its purpose

an approach that examines texts primarily as acts of communication or as performances rather than as static objects; the study of both production and reception of discourse

(also known as rhetorical situation) the set of circumstances out of which a text arises, which includes attention to author, audience, purpose, setting, text

Being open to explore, understand, and incorporate other's perspectives into our own rhetoric

the strategies and approaches used by a writer to communicate effectively with an audience

(also known as rhetorical context) the context or set of circumstances out of which a text arises (author, audience, purpose, setting, text)

the set of circumstances out of which a text arises, which includes attention to author, audience, purpose, setting, text

in rhetoric, stock formulas such as puns, proverbs, cause and effect, and comparison, which rhetors use to produce arguments

teachers of rhetoric

an evaluation of one's own work, process, or performance

the associated genre conventions with which an author chooses to compose; these conventions include tone, level of formality, choice of register, punctuation, and grammar and syntactical concerns

a series of carefully-designed questions put together to gather information to help answer a bigger research question; can help you determine countable, or quantitative, information about respondents

the act of bringing knowledge or skills from one context to another; the goal of a first-year writing course is to transfer the writing skills developed in the class to other writing situations

a learning plan through which what students learn in one lesson, course, or grade level prepares them for the next lesson, course, or grade level

underlying philosophy/approach to teaching composition

an iterative, recursive process in which authors develop compositions

is an interdisciplinary academic discipline centered on the study of composition, rhetoric, literacy, research, and instruction.