Ever since our class began talking about rhetoric and civic engagement, I am acutely more aware of these concepts in my everyday life. When I listen to someone speak, I find myself really focusing on not only what they are saying, but also on how they are saying it. And then I think about it later. Was their talking effective or ineffective? Could they have expressed a certain idea better in a different way? Did this conversation convince me to become civically engaged in any way?
No doubt, this attitude is a result of our class discussions. Sometimes, all it takes is something small like this to cause a change in your perspective on a topic, in this case, rhetoric. Because we’ve been discussing this concept so much, it helps me to recognize it when it occurs in my everyday life.
My professors are a prime example of how I am learning to analyze speech in ordinary situations. During lectures, I pay attention to the words they use and the delivery with which they present the material. If I don’t understand a concept when they initially explain it, I try to see if it somehow traces back to the way in which they presented it. Maybe they used a poor choice of words or accidentally brushed too quickly over an important connecting concept. However, this luckily is a rarity. Most of the time, they present the topic in a clear, concise manner that is easy to follow. I figure that this comes from years of experience in their field of study and in the teaching profession in general. This made me realize how teachers need very effective rhetorical skills in order to their job. Without good communication skills, students would have a very difficult time learning in their classes.
Observations like these have further opened my eyes to the rhetoric that surrounds me in my daily life. As time progresses, I’m sure I will find even more subtle ways that it shapes my life.
I had never thought of relating rhetoric to lectures given by professors until now. Next time I sit in a lecture hall, which will be later today, I will ask myself the questions that you formulated and see for myself the relationship you suggest. I agree that professors need good communication skills in order for their students to get the most out of it but not all teachers posess those skills as well as others. Really good post, I as well have been seeing rhetoric everywhere I go.
I agree with you in regards to some teachers. Other teachers however just do not present well. They tend to drag on. However, something I have noticed is that Penn State professors for the most part try to present their topic in a biased manner. I really appreciate that because it lets us formulate our own opinions. Its hard for us to separate our own opinions from what we teach so the fact that most teachers do this is really helpful as far as learning goes.