Teaching Rhetorical Criticism the “Natural Way”: By Apprenticeship

Abstract

If Collins, Brown, and Newman (1989) are right in suggesting that ‘‘apprenticeship is the way we learn most naturally’’ (p. 491), then the most natural way to learn the deep-thinking art of rhetorical criticism must be as an apprentice to a master of critical thought. But how does one think critically? Can it be described? Can it be taught, even by a master thinker? Mark Stoner and Sally Perkins, who collaborated in teaching both instructional communication and rhetorical criticism at California State University, Sacramento, contend that, yes, thinking can be taught in much the way an apprentice would learn music-making, pot-throwing, or carpentry from a master. Making Sense of Messages pursues the twin goals of teaching undergraduates how to think critically and how to criticize thoughtfully. In illustrating how to get there, Stoner and Perkins are teaching process and product, and grounding their book where learning begins. Teaching through apprenticeship does entail blazing twin paths, explain Collins et al., because ‘‘we need both to understand the nature of expert practice and to devise methods appropriate to learning that practice’’ (1989, p. 455). In accepting that challenge, Stoner and Perkins bridge gaps in other textbooks by building a blueprint for higher-order thinking. Step by step, they explain how to describe, analyze, interpret, and evaluate rhetoric so that learners can deliver products of thought. Part I offers a readable introduction to the practice of rhetorical criticism in two chapters, followed by five chapters in Part II devoted to explaining and illustrating the endeavor of critical thinking. A hallmark of Making Sense of Messages is that definitions are offered after concepts are introduced and explored, so the definitions reinforce ideas now understood. For instance, Chapter 4, which explains the initial