Writing as Responsive, Situated Practice: The Case for Rhetoric in Canadian Writing Studies

Authors

  • Michael Lukas University of Victoria
  • Tim Personn University of Victoria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31468/cjsdwr.779

Abstract

This article responds to a widely held presumption that ineffective student writing in Canadian classrooms can be resolved through technical solutions on the model of the popular Grammarly app.  In contrast, this article suggests that a solution to the problem of writing instruction should focus on how to teach argument through rhetoric as a responsive, situated practice that occurs within different dynamic discourse communities. The article makes this case by recommending a renewed emphasis on the rhetorical concept of kairos, which provides students with an ethical comportment for decision-making in a pluralistic and uncertain world. This article concludes with a call for revitalized interdisciplinary attention to rhetoric in Canadian writing studies and programs.

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Published

2019-11-29

How to Cite

Lukas, M., & Personn, T. (2019). Writing as Responsive, Situated Practice: The Case for Rhetoric in Canadian Writing Studies. Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie, 29, 160–172. https://doi.org/10.31468/cjsdwr.779

Issue

Section

Special: Writing Instructors, Academic Labour, and Professional Development