Örebro-Stanford || Cross-Cultural Rhetoric Project || Marratech October 28, 2008
Activity: Rhetorical analysis of political speeches from the 2008 U.S. Presidential campaign by globally
distributed teams.
I. 17:10- 17:20 / 9:10- 9:20am (10 Minutes)
Welcome and Introductory Remarks.
Location: Connect to Marratech room T217, virtual auditorium
(http://emeeting.tech.oru.se:8000/index.jsp)
Introduction: The context of American campaign rhetoric and overview of the canon of style
II. 17.20-17.30 / 9.20-9.30am (10 minutes)
Politics in a Cross-Cultural Context
Location: Rooms A, B, C, D, E & F at http://switchboard.stanford.edu.
Activity: Talk about the differences in political processes in the U.S. and Sweden. How much does each of
you know about the political processes of your partners’ countries? Use the white board to help you
explain to your group how members of your respective governments come into to power.
III. 17.30-18.00 / 9.30-10.00am (30 minutes)
Rhetorical Analysis of Oral Rhetoric in Speeches
Activity: In your globally-distributed team, rhetorically analyze the political speech assigned to your group.
Instructions: Discuss your assigned political speech, touching on some or all of the following points:
1. Think about the persona of the speaker. How does she or he embody the idea of a political leader
in the use of oral rhetoric as well as physical appearance, gesture, voice, etc?
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?
3. Think about rhetorical strategies. How does the candidate use strategies such as example,
comparison/contrast, definition, cause and effect in making his/her argument? Does the speaker
use the rhetorical strategies (appeals to ethos, pathos, logos, kairos) in his/her speech?
4. Think about rhetorical situation. How do the context, venue, and audience seem to affect the
content and delivery of the speech?
5. Bonus Question: How does the speech reflect or construct specifically American cultural values?
Note: Your speeches and transcripts are linked at http://ccr.stanford.edu/workshops/102808.html . Tech
tip: You cannot open speeches to watch simultaneously through Marratech; it will crash the system. If you
want to watch a clip, watch separately on your own computers and then discuss.
IV. (19.00-19.15/ 10.00-10.15)
Collaborative Group Work
Activity: Create a 2 minute presentation in the style of American campaign rhetoric that summarizes your
group’s collaborative cross-cultural analysis of your designated speech.
Instructions:
1. Choose a speaker from your group who will deliver your presentation.
2. Use the whiteboard to outline your presentation.
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October 28, 2008
3. Draft your script, with attention to using rhetorical strategies consistent with the style used in
American campaign rhetoric.
4. Practice your presentation at least TWICE, with the group giving feedback on the script and the
delivery.
V. 19.15-19.30/ 10.15-10.30 (15 minutes)
Presentations to the Group and Dialogue
Activity: Presentation of knowledge; Teaching other students about cross-cultural learning
Instructions:
1. In Marratech, switch from your virtual room small group room to the virtual auditorium T217
(http://emeeting.tech.oru.se:8000/index.jsp)
2. Have your group speaker give your two minute presentation. We will go in order, beginning with Group
F and ending with Group A.
3. After each speaker, feedback givers should type into the chat words of praise or constructive criticism
to each group. If we have time at the end, we will have an open forum to give feedback on the
argument of the presentations: Are you persuaded by the presentation?
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 blog post at
http://www.stanford.edu/group/ccr/blog/2008/10/reflections_on_the_1028_video.html.