Lunsford's Elements for Rhetorical Analysis, SN Entry 1, 1/26/22 (Revised)

Genre: The genre assigned to me falls into the larger category of a report but belongs in the

subcategory of a definition. The genre is used as a way to classify things in a well-established

way that will guide my readers to understand the definition of African American Vernacular

English (AAVE).

Audience: The text will be directed toward anyone that is interested in expanding their

knowledge of AAVE. This audience can range from fellow English majors, my professor

assigning the definition, and people trying to be well educated in the midst of the BLM

movement. The audience should have full access to the definition so it should not read like an

academic journal or be seen as only a source for people with higher education.

Purpose: The purpose of this definition is to not only tell people what AAVE is but explain its

importance of it as a whole. My audience should understand that AAVE is incredibly important

to the African-American community. My purpose is to educate my audience so they understand

exactly why AAVE is a language, not just a dialect or version of English.

Stance: My rhetorical analysis should remain unbiased. This is a definition so only the facts

should be stated, and my word choice should be neutral.

Context: It is important to recognize that the conditions affecting the definition have become

more relevant in recent years. The growing Black Lives Matter movement is something that is

increasingly vital to the usage of AAVE in a social, political, economic, professional, and

academic environment. The usage of AAVE implemented in professional and academic

environments is something that has been an ongoing argument for years. It has been mentioned

in the CCCC’s “Student’s Right to Their Own Language” that students who come from homes
that use English as a second language or students that may not have access to Standard English at

home should be able to use their version of speaking in schools and not be penalized for it.

Unfortunately, this argument is still being fought for. All of these topics of conversation, the due

date (March 2, 2022), and the length of the definition (6-8 pages) will affect the rhetorical

situation of my analysis.

Medium & Design: The layout should be visually clear and easy to read. It shouldn’t be busy or

overwhelming to the readers accessing the text. There should be adequate spacing, headings, and

subheadings to guide the readers.

SLOs: 1, 4