Amanda Norton

Professor James Benton

IS 301
13 November 2015
Interdisciplinary methods applied to Rhetoric and English Studies
Rhetoric was developed as a way more effective way to teach speech to the
Greeks and eventually it was used to teach them how to write effectively. The Greeks
developed many of the aspects of rhetoric that are stilled used today in teaching. It is
often not known as rhetoric when being taught in English course. Should teachers
disclose the use of rhetoric in literary works? Teacher use methods to help students to be
more effective writers that are also used in rhetoricsome of these methods are pathos,
ethos, and logosthese help the writer to send a message that can be analyzed by readers
but students arent often told that the use of these methods are the same methods used in
rhetoric.
Rhetoric is often a discipline that many do not know much if anything about or at
least they believe that they dont know much about it. However, I see it applied
frequently to literary works and taught in classrooms to students who are assigned to
some type of literary exercise. There are many methods that are used in both disciplines
that are attempting to teach the same thinghow to be an effective writer. Every
effective writer has the purpose of sending a message to its audiencein writing or in
speech. Quintilian inherited much knowledge of speaking and writing from the Greeks,
which he shared in a translated version of his works edited by James J. Murphy,

QUINTILIAN on the Teaching of Speaking and Writing to help teachers help their
students to become affective writers.
Aristotle had many theories that he applied to his great works and teaching that
not only applied to memorization and speech but to writing. He thought that ethos,
pathos, and logos helped students to be an affective writer. Ethos is also known as
credibility and each other leaves this behind in their work through the tone and style of
the message the author is leaving in the work. This can be shown in their choice of words
and they way they leave their message. It could also be researched future to actually
obtain knowledge on the author. Pathos is the authors use of emotion to appeal their
audience. This could be a picture that is placed in the work or in many literary works it
would be the use of words to leave picture in the readers mind. It also the use of words or
events that the audience can relate back todepending upon the authors attended
audience. Logos are the logic of the authors message. Once again the author
understanding their audience is important to them displaying their message. All of these
methods are displayed many literary exercises. Rhetoric is often taught and applied
without the student realizing that that is what they are doing. If students understood
rhetoric better it could help them to be more effective writers.
I have very few classes left to complete, after this quarter I will have completed
the requirements for both of my minorsthus leaving only upper division electives left
to fulfill. I will also still need IS 401the second part to this course. I think that this class
will help me to have better understanding of interdisciplinary studies. The course could
also help me to better develop the research question. I anticipate that this class will also
help me to better understand how to use both disciplines in a way that better suits

interdisciplinary studies. The electives I plan to take will be literature related courses
since it is my main focus. These classes could give me more information and/or sources
for the research question. Also now that I have come up with the research question I can
take classes that seem as if they will relate to the research question. Thus anticipating that
all of my future classes can help me to find more research materials and will help me to
better this paper. I have also realized that philosophy and anthropology courses could be
helpful in answering the research question.
Learning experiences that I will apply to the research question is learning about
rhetoric and the methods used to help make an affective writer. I have also learned a great
deal about theorist of rhetoric and their theories. I have also learned how rhetoricians
applied ethos, pathos, and logos to their speeches or writings to better connect and touch
their audience so that they could send their message to others. Because of this knowledge
I can see how I have used these methods of rhetoric in the past for writing exercises with
out realizing it. I can also see now how other authors have used them in their works. I
didnt understand the techniques they were using or that in many ways English Studies
and Rhetoric over lap in teaching students how to be affective writers.
In English studies I have read many books and analyzed the messages that the
authors wanted their audience to receive from the work that they had written. I have also
learned about techniques used to structure a written work and how grammar can affect
the writing in positive ways if done correctly. It can enrich a sentence and make it more
detailed. The words used to make the detail in a sentence is just as important as the
grammar used and helps the reader to analyze the message that the author was putting out
with their writing. Literature gives students a chance to acquire knowledge of larger and

more complex words that will help them add more richness to their writings and help
them to analyze other authors writings. Words are used in rhetoric to teach the student
how to use them in a way that makes them a more effective writer. They both intermix in
so many ways. English Studies has also taught me how to write what I analyze and how
cite works in MLA format for the research question.
Critical thinking and Cultural Anthropology could help add insight to the research
question because they both involve insight on how the author to help the audience
understand the message that is being displayed in the use of writing. Critical thinking
required that I use a deeper approach to analyzing works and their meanings. This could
be beneficial in understanding the process for the research question. Cultural
Anthropology may not be as helpful but it helped me to understand the importance of
words and the process of learning that may be helpful towards answering the research
question.

Works Cited

Quintilian, and James Jerome. Murphy. Quintilian on the Teaching of Speaking and
Writing: Translations from Books One, Two, and Ten of the Institutio Oratoria.
Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1987. Print.