SPE-301 Oral Argumentation
The course will identify and explain the concepts
students must know and the steps they must take
when constructing an argument. The course will
emphasize argumentation as a communicative
activity in which students advance claims and
their grounds, then strengthen and refine them
using compelling evidence that will resist the
refutation of others. Real life application of
the theories of argumentation will be stressed
along with the importance of academic debate of
current social issues. Students will participate
in debates and presentations designed to build
their skills in argumentation. Students will also
be tested on their understanding of argumentation
models starting with Aristotle and the Greeks,
then concluding with Chomsky and other modern
critics of rhetoric.
Prerequisites: SPE-101