It is easy to argue that the need for attention to how we navigate rhetorically within and across cultures has never been greater, given ever-increasing global migrations and seemingly instantaneous global communication. Yet, the conceptual basis of intercultural rhetoric (also known in the past as contrastive rhetoric) has been under fire ever since it first emerged as an area of research and pedagogical interest. In recent years, Ulla Connor has built a steadily more extensive and sophisticated case for how a culturally contextualized study of rhetoric in any media can be carried out without static and reductive over-generalizations about culture/s or rhetoric. This volume provides both an eloquent summation and further theoretical expansion of Connor’s arguments. Readers who have wondered about the possibility of exploring connections between their students’ (or anyone’s) culture and discourse style will find many of their questions addressed in this volume; other readers who have not previously raised such questions will very likely begin to see the value of doing so.

This volume explores contrastive rhetoric for audiences in both ESL contexts and international EFL contexts, exposing the newest developments in theories of culture and discourse and pushing the boundaries beyond any previously staked ground. The book presents a comprehensive set of empirical investigations involving a number of first languages; 13 of the 17 authors are English-as-a-second-language speakers, many working in non-US contexts. This work develops a coherent agenda for contrastive rhetoric researchers, studying genres such as school writing, grant proposals, business letters, newspaper editorials, book reviews, and newspaper commentaries. Four chapters provide ethnographies and observations about contrastive rhetoric and the teaching of EFL and ESL. The book ends with a look to the future, suggesting it is more accurate to use the term ‘intercultural rhetoric’ to account for the richness of rhetoric variation of written texts and the varying contexts in which they are constructed.

Shows how a person's first language and culture influence writing in a second language.

In today's integrated global economy, technical communicators often collaborate in international production teams, work with experts in overseas subject matter, or coordinate documentation for the international release of products. Working effectively in such situations requires technical communicators to acquire a specialized knowledge of culture and communication. This book provides readers with the information needed to integrate aspects of intercultural communication into different educational settings.

Wallace (rhetoric and composition, Iowa State University) and Rothschild (rhetoric and professional communication, Iowa State University) highlight the central role of rhetoric in the university. They argue that there is a clear connection between language and the construction of knowledge. They re-cast the roles of student and teacher, advocating greater equality, mutuality, and a shared authority. Chapters concentrate on issues of speech, student writing, interpretive agency, and changes in the discipline. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR

Writing Across Cultures invites both new and experienced teachers to examine the ways in which their training has—or has not—prepared them for dealing with issues of race, power, and authority in their writing classrooms. The text is packed with more than twenty activities that enable students to examine issues such as white privilege, common dialects, and the normalization of racism in a society where democracy is increasingly under attack. This book provides an innovative framework that helps teachers create safe spaces for students to write and critically engage in hard discussions. Robert Eddy and Amanda Espinosa-Aguilar offer a new framework for teaching that acknowledges the changing demographics of US college classrooms as the field of writing studies moves toward real equity and expanding diversity. Writing Across Cultures utilizes a streamlined cross-racial and interculturally tested method of introducing students to academic writing via sequenced assignments that are not confined by traditional and static approaches. They focus on helping students become engaged members of a new culture—namely, the rapidly changing collegiate discourse community. The book is based on a multi-racial rhetoric that assumes that writing is inherently a social activity. Students benefit most from seeing composing as an act of engaged communication, and this text uses student samples, not professionally authored ones, to demonstrate this framework in action. Writing Across Cultures will be a significant contribution to the field, aiding teachers, students, and administrators in navigating the real challenges and wonderful opportunities of multi-racial learning spaces.

This timely and accessible book offers engaging guidance to teachers of second language students on teaching creative writing in their classrooms. Creative writing is a tool that can inspire second language learners to write more, play with language, and enjoy and improve not only their writing, but also their speaking, listening, and reading skills. Addressing the expectations and perceptions of writing in another language, Thorpe demonstrates how to foster successful creative writing environments and teach and assess creative writing in a way that is tailored to the distinct needs of non-native speakers. Covering key topics such as cultural storytelling, voice, genre, and digital composition, assessment, and more, Thorpe shares successful creative writing instructional practices informed by current research in creative writing and second language education. Each chapter includes insights, advice, and student examples that can help new teachers take their first steps in more reflective second language creative writing classroom. An invaluable resource for instructors of non-native students and an ideal text for pre-service teachers in courses in TESOL, writing instruction, and applied linguistics, this book invites you to use creative writing not only as a successful method for teaching L2 writing, but also as a way to improve student motivation and output, for more effective language learning.