Rhetoric

This course is part of the programme
Master in SL studies - Linguistics

Objectives and competences

The main objective of the course is to present students with thorough knowledge of rhetoric and argumentation in order to empower them for rhetorical argumentative analysis and interpretation of public discourse.
Throughout the course students obtain the following competences:
• Understanding of basic concepts from the fields of rhetoric and argumentation, which direct students to analysis and problem solving.
• Developing of language abilities in order to increase possibilities of finding a job, further education and free time activities.
• Developing abilities for searching, selection and use of relevant data and information within the possibilities offered by written sources and modern technology.

Prerequisites

Students should be formerly acquainted with basic language and linguistic notions, concepts and ideas.

Content

Throughout the course students are introduced to the history of rhetorical theory from its beginnings in antiquity until today. In the form of interdisciplinary research activities and with various methodological approaches students become acquainted with rhetorical and argumentative concepts and their practical value.

Intended learning outcomes

Students understand basic differences among theoretical fields of rhetoric and argumentation and recognise their usefulness in their study as well as in pedagogical and scientific research work.
By knowing theoretical concepts they are able to analyse and interpret rhetorical argumentative elements in public discourse.
Students master elements of public performance.

Readings

Mandatory:

• Aristotel (1989). Retorika, Zagreb: Naprijed.
• Babič, M. (2006). Predvaje za pouk govorništva : (pripisane Hermogenu iz Tarsa), Šol. polje, letn. 17, št. 1/2, str. 69-99.
• Kennedy, G. A. (2001). Klasična retorika ter njena krščanska tradicija od antike do sodobnosti, Ljubljana: ZRC SAZU.
• Senegačnik, B. (ur.) (2001). Lisija, Izokrat, Demosten, Ciceron, Evmenij : antologija antičnega govorništva, Ljubljana: Študentska založba.
• Žagar, I. Ž. in Domajnko B. (2006). Argumentiranost kot model (uspešne) komunikacije, Domžale: Izolit.
• Žagar, I. Ž. (2006). Kaj retorika sploh je in zakaj jo (tudi v šoli) danes še potrebujemo? Šol. polje, letn. 17, št. 1/2, str. 101-115.
• Žmavc J. (2013). Govorniške predvaje : priročnik za sestavljanje besedil na osnovi antičnih progymnásmata : univerzitetni učbenik, (Zbirka Digitalna knjižnica, Compendia, 3). Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. http://www.pei.si/Sifranti/StaticPage.aspx?id=136.

Recommended:

• Barthes, R. (1990). Retorika Starih, Ljubljana: ŠKUC/FF.
• Cicero, M. T. (2002). O govorniku : trije pogovori o govorniku, posvečeni bratu Kvintu, Ljubljana: Družina.
• Schiappa, E. (1999). The Beginnings of Rhetorical Theory in Classical Greece, New Haven & London: Yale University Press.
• Verschueren, J. (2000). Razumeti pragmatiko, Ljubljana: *cf, Ljubljana
• Weston, A. (2000). A Rulebook of Arguments, Third Edition, Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett.

Assessment

Successful presentations of two public performances, rhetorical exercise, colloquium and a passed oral exam. Successful presentations of two public performances, rhetorical exercise and colloquium are conditions for an exam.

Lecturer's references

Janja Žmavc is an associate professor in Linguistics and works as a research fellow at the Educational Research Institute in Ljubljana. As a lecturer of rhetoric she collaborates with University of Nova Gorica, University of Maribor and University of Primorska.
Main fields of her research are: history of classical rhetoric, rhetorical theory and practice, rhetorical means of persuasion (ethos, pathos, logos), argumentation and linguistic pragmatics.

Key Publications:
Žmavc, J. (2008). Ethos and Pathos in Anaximenes' Rhetoric to Alexander: A Conflation of Rhetorical and Argumentative Concepts. In F. H. van Eemeren, D. C. Williams & I. Ž. Žagar (eds.). Understanding argumentation: work in progress. Amsterdam: Sic Sat, pp. 165-179.
Žmavc, J. (2008). Retorika: orodje medkulturne komunikacije starih Grkov in Rimljanov [Rhetoric: A Tool of Intercultural Communication Between Ancient Greeks and Romans]. Šolsko polje [School Field], 19 (3/4), pp. 15-33.
Žmavc, J. (2009). Govorniške zvrsti in sredstva prepričevanja v zgodnji rimski retoriki : metaretorika v nastajanju [Branches of Oratory and Rhetorical Means of Persusasion in Early Roman Rhetoric: Meta-Rhetoric In Progress]. Ann, Ser. hist. sociol., 19 (1), pp. 1-14.
Žmavc, J. (2009). Retorični etos: antična retorika v slovenskem političnem govorništvu [Rhetorical Ethos: Classical Rhetoric and Slovenian Political Speech ]. In P. Krašovec & I. Ž. Žagar (eds.). Medijska politika v postsocializmu, [Media Politics in Postsocialism] (Digitalna knjižnica, Dissertationes, 5). Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut, pp. 147-171. http://www.pei.si/Sifranti/StaticPage.aspx?id=68
Žmavc, J. (2010). "Neizrečeno" v Terencijevem Evnuhu : poskus pragmatične analize. [The ‘Unsaid’ in Terence’s Eunuch: An Attempt at a Pragmatic Analysis] V: Kavčič, Jerneja (ur.), Marinčič, Marko (ur.). Musis amicus : posebna številka ob osemdesetletnici Kajetana Gantarja, (Keria, letn. 12, št. 2-3). Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, str. 139-170.
Žmavc, J. & Žagar, I. Ž. (2011). Kako so Evropejci odkrili neznane dežele in se spoznali z novimi ljudstvi: Evropa v slovenskih osnovnošolskih učbenikih. [How Europeans Discovered
Unknown Continents and Met New Peoples. Europe in the Slovenian Primary
Schools Textbooks]. (Digitalna knjižnica, Dissertationes, 14). Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. http://www.pei.si/Sifranti/StaticPage.aspx?id=99.
Žmavc, J. (2011). Vloga in pomen jezika v državljanski vzgoji: komunikacijska kompetenca kot nujna sestavina odgovornega državljanstva [The Role of Language in the Citizenship Education]. (Digitalna knjižnica, Documenta, 2). Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. http://www.pei.si/Sifranti/StaticPage.aspx?id=105.
Žmavc, J. (2012). The Ethos of Classical Rhetoric: from Epieikeia to Auctoritas. In F. H. van Eemeren & B. Garssen (eds). Topical Themes in Argumentation theory: Twenty Exploratory Studies. (Argumentation Library, Vol. 22). Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 181-191. http://www.springerlink.com/content/p26k3558486t1p1j/
Žmavc J. (2013). Govorniške predvaje : priročnik za sestavljanje besedil na osnovi antičnih progymnásmata : univerzitetni učbenik, (Zbirka Digitalna knjižnica, Compendia, 3). Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. http://www.pei.si/Sifranti/StaticPage.aspx?id=136.