The authors investigated ways of encouraging students to consider more counterarguments when writing argumentative texts. One hundred eighty-four undergraduates wrote essays on TV violence. In Experiment 1, students given specific goals generated more counterarguments and rebuttals than controls. In Experiment 2, some participants were provided…

This book emphasizes the role of critical thinking and reading skills in the development of persuasive writing. The book also introduces several different methods to teach argument (for example, those of Aristotle, Stephen Toulmin, and Carl Rogers) as a way of giving students the freedom to find the systems that work best for them and to find ways…

In this article, the author notes that it is not an uncommon scenario for a student assigned an argumentative paper in the composition classroom to appropriate a "hot" topic from the currency of public discourse, one for which they often already have a pre-formed opinion that becomes codified simultaneously with the need to formulate a…

A course in speech writing (preparing speeches for delivery by another person) is critical to the development of public speaking skills for college students. Unlike the traditional public speaking course, speech writing classes emphasize the preparation of the content of a speech over the delivery of the message. Students develop the ability to…

States that persuasion as a discourse mode in composition classrooms tends to emphasize conflict and polarize students' positions. Proposes a "negotiative" mode of writing, focusing on the reader to achieve a cooperative settlement to opposing argument positions. Uses strategies including dialogic styles and structures that address issues of…

Presents ways in which thematization can be used to control hortatory rhetoric, including varying the complexity of thematic structure and varying the amount of discourse participant themes. The article examines how different choices of thematic progression as text organizers can produce different effects and finds correlations with the…

Proposes that the qualities of nonsequentiality that make hypertext appealing to writers and readers of informative and literary texts are also those that problematize arguments in the same settings. Contends that for a hypertextual argument to succeed, it should clearly employ the fundamentals of giving good reasons and ample evidence. Presents a…

Cites essays by Joan Didion, John Berryman, and Martin Luther King in arguing that the essay, no matter how serious, can be considered as a fiction and a playful, exploratory and deeply interesting rhetorical game. Describes how these works were used to teach students that the essay is a living document calling for interaction. (SG)

Describes an assignment that introduces students to argument through a collaborative process of data collection and problem solving. States that the goal of the assignment is to build students' confidence in their ability to apply the kinds of thinking and writing strategies they will need to succeed in college. (PRA)

A study investigated the extent to which children consider writing strategies in relation to types of writing. Data were evolved by interviewing 48 fifth-grade children on their processes of evaluating other children's papers. Each child was asked to read paired texts, judge their comparative quality, and explain the basis of their judgments. They…

Discusses some aspects and strategies of persuasion that might underlie any written persuasive business message. Focuses more on "Think about It" rather than "How-to." (KEH)

Describes the Thesis Analysis and Synthesis Key (TASK), a strategy which helps high school and college students to think through the elements of an argumentative essay, and to write more convincing arguments themselves. (SR)

Students, either male or female, can be silenced by the adversarial discourse that often characterizes argumentative situations. Alternatives proposed by feminist rhetoricians should apply to any voice silenced in the classroom. Rhetoricians concerned with empowering writers of argument have illustrated three alternatives that enable writers to…

Studies the speech act strategies of indirectness in professional letter writing through an analysis of statements which were evaluated by college seniors. Discusses indirectness strategies from the perspectives of (1) value index; (2) writer/addressee orientation; (3) linguistic characterization; and (4) location within sentences. Suggests that…

Reports on a study in which students with and without learning disabilities wrote persuasive essays about controversial topics. One group of students was given an elaborated goal that included explicit subgoals based on the elements of argumentation. Sixth-grade students in the elaborated goal condition produced more persuasive essays and included…