Uppsala - Stanford || Cross-Cultural Rhetoric Video Conference || February 2, 2009
Activity: Exchange of International Perspectives and Rhetorical Analysis of Speeches.
I. 18:10- 18:20 / 9:10- 9:20am (10 Minutes)
Welcome and Introductory Remarks.
Location: In Marratech, connect to Room A, at http://switchboard.stanford.edu
II. 18.20-18.30 / 9.20-9.30am (10 minutes)
Getting to Know Teams in a Cross-Cultural Context
Location: Rooms A, B, C, D, E & F at http://switchboard.stanford.edu.
Activity: Introduce yourselves by name, age, course of study, place of origin. Use the white board to write
down names and emails; if you like, take a group photo of your teams using the webcam and post it on the
whiteboard.
III. 18.30-19.00 / 9.30-10.00 am (30 minutes)
Rhetorical Analysis of Rhetoric in Speeches
Activity: In your globally-distributed team, rhetorically analyze the speech assigned to your group.
Instructions: Discuss your assigned speech, touching on some or all of the following points:
1. Think about the persona of the speaker. How does she or he embody one idea of a global leader
in the use of oral rhetoric as well as physical appearance, gesture, voice, etc?
o How does this model correspond or not to YOUR idea of an ideal global leader?
2. Think about the rhetorical style. What level of style is the speaker using in his/her speech? For
instance, does the speaker use deliberate repetition of words or ideas? Does s/he use dramatic
pauses or emphasis? Is there a sense of climax or increasing intensity in the speech? Does s/he
speak plainly or use ornate language?
o How do your group members react to the rhetorical choices? What works or not for you?
3. Think about rhetorical strategies. How does the speaker use strategies such as example, telling a
story, appealing to emotions (pathos), citing proof (logos), or invoking right time and place (kairos)?
How is ethos constructed – whether through authority, credibility, virtue or goodwill?
o Which strategies would work or not in your community for a speech on this topic?
4. Think about rhetorical situation. How do the context, venue, and audience seem to affect the
content and delivery of the speech?
o How would your group members respond (if giving a speech) to this rhetorical situation
differently than the speaker did – and why?
5. Think about Doxa: How does the speech reflect or construct particular cultural values? Through
what word choice, allusions, jokes, historical allusions? How might other audiences respond to
these parts of the speech?
o What do you learn about Doxa, or cultural values, concerning this issue based on your
discussion?
Note: All speeches are linked at http://ccr.stanford.edu/workshops/020209.html . Tech tip: You cannot
open speeches to watch simultaneously through Marratech; it will crash the system. If you want to watch
part of the video, watch separately on an Internet browser on each side, then discuss it together.
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CCR Video Conference: February 2, 2009
IV. 19.00-19.20/ 10.00-10.20 (20 minutes)
Collaborative Group Work
Activity: Open Question Session about your own research projects, your universities, or your cultures.
Then, prepare a statement from your team to present to the other groups. Answer the following:
What did you learn about intercultural communication from today’s workshop?
What conclusions have you reached about how a leader or speaker would have to change his
or her persona/speech/delivery to communicate effectively across global audiences?
Instruction:
Choose 2 speakers from your group who will deliver your statement (1 sentence from each side).
Try to perform two different ways of presenting, based on your assigned speech and your discussion
V. 19.15-19.30/ 10.15-10.30 (10 minutes)
Presentation of Team Statements
Activity: Presentation of knowledge; teaching other students about cross-cultural learning
Goals: To learn effective communication across cultures and as mediated through technology; to develop
active listening expertise; to teach others about persona and cultural values; to learn from others
Instructions:
1. In Marratech, switch from your virtual room small group room to Room A
2. Each Team presents its statement of learning – you can emulate your assigned speech in style.
3. Listeners can type into the chat words of praise or feedback.
4. If we have time at the end, we will have an open forum for any last comments.
VI. After the Video Conference
1. Debrief at Individual Universities
2. Please post a reflection on today’s video conference as a comment on the CCR blog at
http://ccr.stanford.edu