MWA 3 Genre Revision

Speech Pathology Genre Analysis

What is Speech Pathology?
Speech pathology is a specialized field where therapists evaluate and
treat speech impediments and swallowing disorders.
After extensive schooling (Bachelor's Degree in speech and hearing
sciences, Masters Degree in speech pathology) and 1-2 years of
clinical practice, speech pathologists will go out into the world to help
the public.
Once completing all the education and clinical practice needed a
speech pathologist can help children with speech delays and disorders,
deaf patients learning how to speak, patients at rehabilitation centers,
and many other people in need.
Genre Options
Through research, I have found two different genres that take a look into the life of
a speech pathologist. The two genres I have found are very similar in information,
but vastly different in their presentation styles. These two genres are online
documentary and online government handbook.
Depending on what format you as a reader prefer to learn will determine whether
the online documentary or the online handbook will be fit best to your liking.
Documentary vs. Handbook
The first genre is an online documentary called Become an Audiologist or
Speech-Language Pathologist and Reward Yourself With a Career that Helps
Others. This online documentary is posted among many other documentaries by
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association retriable on YouTube. This
genre is appealing to visual learners who prefer a narrative perspective.
The second genre has very similar information as the online documentary, but a
very different presentation style. This is an online government handbook that is
titled The Bureau of Labor Statistics: Speech-Language Pathologists. This
handbook is issue by the government and is retrievable online. This genre is
specific also to visual learners, but more so to those who just want the facts laid
out right in front of them for quick and easy viewing purposes.
Advantages of an Online Documentary
The narrative aspect
Documentaries, whether online or televised, appeal
to people who enjoy a narrative aspect in their
research. The audience who is watching, Become
an Audiologist or Speech-Language Pathologist
and Reward Yourself With a Career that Helps
Others, are most likely interested in majoring in
speech and hearing sciences. This documentary has
two intertwined parts to it, a profession in
audiology vs. a profession in speech language
pathology. After majoring in speech and hearing
sciences a student can go on to specialize in either
of those fields in a graduate program. This
documentary visually shows the audience what it is
like to be a speech pathologist or audiologist and
makes it seem like a fun, rewarding workplace.
This goes far deeper into a visual learners mind
and emotions than words and statistics could.
The persuasive aspect
This is an online documentary, opposed to a
televised documentary or movie documentary, so it
is quite brief. Professional speech pathologists and
audiologists get personal with the camera crew and
talk about why they love their career so much in a
span of 13 minutes. That makes this genre in some
aspects a quick reference. This documentary serves
the purpose of informing potential students with
undecided majors by a way of entertainment. Not
only is this documentary informative and
entertaining, but it also has a persuasive aspect to
it. This is because the pathologists and audiologists
are talking about the benefits a professional in this
career would have on potential students.
Advantages of an online
handbook
Easy access
This source is intended for those who enjoy quick
research with main points bolded and made clear
for quick viewing. Like the documentary, this
online government handbook has informational
facts about speech pathology such as salary
statistics, employment statistics, the general need
for this profession, what speech-language
pathologists do, how much schooling is required,
and many more facts for someone who is thinking
about pursuing a career in this field. All the
information about speech pathology is laid out in a
simple viewing format and is made easily
accessible for someone who isnt looking to spend
more than 10 minutes browsing the site.
Informative opposed to
entertaining
This table includes minimum salary, average
salary, entry education level, number of jobs in the
previous year, and job outlook for the upcoming
year. This website is specifically made for
informational purposes. No extra effort was used to
fabricate speech pathology. It has raw statistics and
simple statements on what is to be expected when
entering that profession.
Similarities
Both of my sources, documentary and handbook,
have similar claims in their unique genres
however, they both are supported with different
evidence. The online documentary supports its
claims of being a job that rewards yourself by
helping others, by interviewing people that are in
the field of speech pathology. The information they
talk about on camera is primarily opinion. Each
professional in these clips enjoy the profession
they have chosen and tells the camera why they
feel it is so enjoyable. The online government
handbook supports its evidence with facts. It has
percentages from previous years and has a brief
explanation of what a speech pathologist does and
how to become one. Both of these forms of
evidence are valid.
Differences
Facts from the handbook are collected by government
employees and are put into the handbook for
informational purposes only. The opinions from the
speech pathologists in the documentary are also valid,
even though they are opinion based. Some of the
interviewed professionals are new to their career and
some have been in the field for over 20 years. They
know better than anyone else what is to expect when
pursuing this career, and why it is more rewarding and
more important than the economic factors. Even though
both genres are valid ways of gaining factual evidence
on speech pathology as a profession, they both lack
where the other gains. The government handbook has
cold, hard facts and nothing to make the reader seem
accommodated or entertained. The documentary helps
persuade a student to choose a profession in speech
pathology using emotional support, it lacks facts of
what would be to come economically if one was to
chose a career in this field. This entirely has to do with
the unique genres of each forms of research.
Similarities and Differences
Online Government Handbook
The online government handbook has one form persuasion as to why becoming a speech-language
pathologist is beneficial, and the one form of persuasion used may not be completely persuasive in
some aspects.
This handbook is completely factual, making it a logos appeal. However,what may seem appealing
to certain audiences, could be irrelevant to others. Stating facts about how the career is in need and
has a decent wage could be persuasive for an audience looking into this profession, but for
someone who is only considering many options it may not be the best source because it lacks
emotional appeal.
Another downside to this genre is the consideration that if it was a bad year for speech pathology
economic wise, the data in the handbook might be less appealing than a good year would be. This
is because there's very little fabrication making the job look appealing in any other way than factual
based.
Rhetorical Elements
Rhetorical Elements
Online Documentary
The documentary talks about this field using pathos and ethos.
Because this documentary interviews trained professionals in the field, it makes this research source an
ethos appeal. They are a credible source of information because they have completed the schooling and
are applying themselves physically and mentally in the field of speech pathology making them know all
the inside information about their job.
They also use a pathos argument to appeal to the audience. The speech pathologists as well as audiologists
talk about what makes their profession so rewarding outside of the salary. They show themselves helping
patients and changing lives for the better which could pull at the audience's heart strings.
While these are all great ways of appealing to an audience who is easy swayed by emotions, it would be
beneficial for the audience if this documentary added some statistics and facts to contribute to the logos
appeal. Using pathos and ethos will get the audience emotionally involved and give the speaker credibility
but it lacks facts being laid out in a persuasive way.
The Verdict...
Both the online government handbook and the online documentary relating to speech-language
pathology are equally effective genres to gain information.
Though they are both great ways of gaining knowledge about the subject, they appealing to two
completely different audiences.
The handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics: Speech-Language Pathology, appeals to an audience
who prefers a logos appeal in an easy to access form.
The online documentary, Become an Audiologist or Speech-Language Pathologist and Reward
Yourself with a Career that Helps Others, appeals to an audience using pathos and ethos, in a
narrative form that is made for informational as well as entertainment purposes.
The handbook as well as the documentary offer information such as economic factors, what the job
consists of, and how to become a part of this profession, they just present it in ways that appeal to a
different variety of audiences.
Overall I would rate both of these genres as an excellent source of information on the field of
Speech-Language Pathology. It just depends on the viewer!