Description
Chapter 1: What is Professional and Technical Communication?
This chapter defines Professional and Technical Communication (PTC) and distinguishes PTC from other types of writing, including academic writing.
Chapter 2: Rhetoric in the Workplace
This chapter defines rhetoric and its role in professional and technical communication. Topics including the rhetorical situation and purpose, audience, and design (PAD) are introduced.
Chapter 3: Purpose
This chapter develops the rhetorical concept of purpose. Topics include making sure your purpose is clear and avoiding common mistakes.
Chapter 4: Audience
This chapter develops the rhetorical concept of audience. Topics include audience types and audience analysis.
EXERCISE
This exercise is designed to help you understand ways in which you already write rhetorically. Consider the scenario below and analyze how you construct your communications differently based on your purpose (unchanging in this scenario) and audience needs (each audience needs something a bit different here). You already have practice designing documents based on what you know about purpose and audience, but as we move through project 1, the goal is you learn a bit more about these concepts while consciously practicing using them to improve your writing.
Part I: Scenario
You just won tickets to the Once-in-a-Lifetime Tasty-Jams-Summer-Slam concert series as a prize in a contest sponsored by Cool Ranch Doritos that you forgot you entered three months ago!
Bummer, though, you have a class and work scheduled on the same day. Now you have to write a bunch of emails, because theres no way youre going to miss this amazing experience if at all possible. But, can you get out of work, class, and get your best friend to skip class and come with you WITHOUT OVERTLY LYING?
In one document, write a separate email to each of the following people:
- Your boss: You must get out of work! Try not to lie about why (don’t say you’re sick) but maybe don’t tell the whole truth.
- Your teacher: You are definitely not going to class, but your teacher is very strict about attendance and pop quizzes…how can you navigate this and save your grade? Again, don’t tell a lie!
- Your buddy: You wouldnt dream of going to this mega life-changing event without your buddy, but–oh, no!–your buddy is in class with you on that day! What do you say to your buddy? Will they write the instructor, ditch, or just not go to the thing? Email/text/snapchat your buddy with a plan and tell them how to safely escape your professor’s wrath.
Part II: Comparison
When you write your emails, imagine your boss, one of your teachers, and your best buddy. Try to imagine what you would say to each person in your email. Make your tone realistic for each situation. Once you have written the emails, use the Comments feature in your Word or Google doc to compare the style you used in each, and address the following:
- Highlight and comment on the general differences do you see
- Highlight and identify words and/or sentences that characterize the different styles
- Comment on which email do you think would be the most effective, and why
Submit your highlighted and commented Word document.