Rhetorical training is the study of how to express an argument in prose and speech, as well as the theory behind it. Rhetoric is the term for such written or spoken pieces. Students who receive rhetorical training learn how to construct arguments by learning the logical foundations of argument construction as well as rhetorical devices to improve an argument’s underlying structure. This program teaches students how to express themselves clearly in debates, academic settings, and everyday conversation.
The word “argument” may connote a heated and acrimonious disagreement between two or more people, but it does not have the same connotation of conflict in its academic sense. An argument, in the academic sense, refers to a person presenting a viewpoint and the reasons for which he or she believes it to be correct. This argument can be written about in essays or research papers, or it can be spoken about. Students learn how to prepare and present these arguments through rhetorical training.
The study of logical structures is an important part of rhetorical training. Students can construct logically valid arguments by learning the patterns of how different premises can combine to support a conclusion logically. Students learn how to make arguments that can withstand someone questioning the veracity of their premises when they learn how to support these premises with evidence. Students who have received rhetorical training can then apply this knowledge to evaluate the arguments they will encounter, looking for logical flaws in how certain premises support conclusions or how supporting evidence proves premises are true.
Rhetorical training includes teaching students rhetorical devices that can be used for a variety of purposes in an argument, in addition to the fundamentals of logic and evidence. The rhetorical device of antithesis, in which the author includes two seemingly opposing statements in the same sentence to emphasize the contrast between two ideas, is one that helps give an argument a deeper structure. Alliteration and other rhetorical devices can make an argument sound more literary to an audience. When an author uses alliteration, he or she repeats the same sound at the beginning of each word in a sentence.
Whether they are young or in college, all students receive some rhetorical training in school. Students learn the basics of supporting a conclusion with premises and supporting those premises with evidence when they write persuasive essays, argumentative essays, or research papers. Students can choose to participate in extracurricular activities such as speech and debate clubs, or study rhetoric as a major or minor in college to prepare for postgraduate schooling or law school.