Eng. 609 - Week 5 Blog 2

Aristotle’s topoi concerning deliberative oratory focuses on using persuasion to illustrate for a society the advantages or disadvantages of certain topics affecting the societies overall health. Paul J. Hopper's essay “Linguistics,” while focusing minimally on the negative theories affecting linguistics, markedly centers on the advantages theorists and applicationists have brought to the field of linguistics. Hence, this week I will again work on a rhetorical précis using the topoi within the précis…

Paul J. Hopper, in his article “Linguistics” (2005), conveys the major themes and assumptions (20) that have created contemporary linguistics; namely “speech production and comprehension are distinguished from a ‘mentally represented language system,’ and this language system is ‘access[ed]’ when we speak” (20). Hopper supports his overview by offering a comprehensive historical and biographical illustration of the advantageous occurrences, theories, and theorists that have created linguistics current sturdy state. Hopper’s purpose is to give a foundational painting of linguistics for readers needing to familiarize themselves with linguistics. Hopper creates a formal relationship with his audience of graduate students interested in linguistics who “need a research agenda for linguists” (20).

Eng. 609 - Week 5 Blog 1

Wow! Unless one is in the TESL track, this weeks readings consisted of some dense stuff... That being said, I'm going to do a rhetorical precis and apply Aristotle's topoi within the precis--

Heidi Byrnes, in her essay "Language Acquisition and Language Learning" (2005), articulates a general overview of modern linguistics. Byrnes accomplishes this by showing examples of the general theoretical and applicational laws (topoi) of linguistics that have molded the field into its current formation. Her purpose is to make her readers aware of the current state of linguistics and its underpinnings so they will be better prepared as scholars and teachers to engage linguistics in work environments, “knowledge is presented in the fields of linguistics, psychology, sociology and education would enable scholars to understand better something they also do, namely, teach a language” (48). Byrnes establishes a formal relationship with her audience of university students and scholars searching for a deeper understanding of lingustical laws that they can translate and apply in scholarly and intsructive pursuits.