2632-6779 (Print)
2633-6898 (Online)
Scopus
Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory (ProQuest)
MLA International Bibliography
MLA Directory of Periodicals
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
QOAM (Quality Open Access Market)
British National Bibliography
WAC Clearinghouse Journal Listings
EBSCO Education
ICI Journals Master List
ERIH PLUS
CNKI Scholar
Gale-Cengage
WorldCat
Crossref
Baidu Scholar
British Library
J-Gate
ROAD
BASE
Publons
Google Scholar
Semantic Scholar
ORE Directory
TIRF
China National Center for Philosophy and Social Sciences Documentation
Tyler Carter
Duke Kunshan University, China
Abstract
In this discussion of a recent course design at Duke Kunshan University, a Sino-American joint university located in Kunshan, China, rhetorical theory is used to facilitate the development of academic presentation skills in the context of an EFL Academic Communication Skills (ACS) course for postgraduate students. Specifically, audience awareness, the rhetorical situation, kairos, and visual design are used to help students develop fluency, confidence, and rhetorical effectiveness in academic presentations. The article begins with a discussion of the teaching context, a rationale for the innovations described, and an explication of the course content before expanding on how theories from the disciplines of rhetoric can be applied to academic presentations. In the end, the author argues that incorporating rhetorical theory into an ACS course is not a replacement for a language-centric approach to teaching presentation skills, but a necessary supplement that will help prepare postgraduate students for academic and professional careers.
Keywords: Course design; academic presentations; rhetorical situation; kairos; visual design