The Rhetoric of Twitter in Terms of the Aristotelian Appeals (Logos, Ethos, and Pathos) in ESL/EFL Educational Settings

Abstract

The article argues that the Aristotelian appeals (logos, ethos, and pathos) can be taught through the use of Twitter as an educational tool to build connections between everyday informal writing on social media and academic writing. It highlights the utilization of Twitter in English second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) educational settings for supporting learners’ rhetorical awareness and understanding of different writing genres. The main purpose of this article is to provide pedagogical implications and future research potentials on the use of Twitter in ESL/EFL educational settings. The Aristotelian appeals are discussed as the framework for the analysis of Twitter’s content in ESL/EFL educational contexts. In this regard, this research question is addressed: How can Twitter serve as a tool for teaching the fundamentals of writing competency in terms of the Aristotelian appeals (logos, ethos, and pathos) in ESL/EFL educational settings? To explore the current state of research and inform future studies, the researcher reviews selected academic articles on the use of Twitter in ESL/EFL language classes. All articles were accessed using Google Scholar, ERIC, and ProQuest databases. The researcher examines empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals as well as non-empirical studies. This article addresses Twitter users’ constructions of logos, ethos, and pathos, and presents some of the accessible characteristics of Twitter. Also, it briefly provides pedagogical implications of understanding the Aristotelian appeals through Twitter in ESL/EFL educational contexts that can support the teaching and learning processes. Lastly, the researcher proposes potential research directions for Twitter use in ESL/EFL educational settings.

Comparing the Use of Rhetorical Appeals by Two Malaysian Politicians in Their Social Media Communication

“…Ethos, in general, focuses on appealing to the readers' belief system, to convince them and change their way of thinking (Saaty, 2020). This type of persuasive strategy is generally framed by establishing the credibility of the communicator.…”

“…Next, pathos is described as the appeal to elicit and trigger the audience's emotions (Oeppen Hill, 2019). Saaty (2020) affirmed that pathos is a rhetorical device that is used to invoke the audience's feelings and place the audience in a certain frame of mind so that he or she is receptive to a message. In the use of pathos for political purposes on social media, the posts usually present emotional and motivational appeals.…”

Rhetorical Appeals Used by The New Generation of Malaysian Politicians in Their Social Media Communication

“…Using the three Aristotelian rhetoric forms of ethos, pathos and logos, scholars argued that persuasion relies on a rhetorical strategy "starting with pathos, followed by logos, and ending with the ethos" (p.3) as a process to shape common beliefs and persuade an audience for different purposes in various ways. Ethos, in general, focuses on appealing to the readers' belief system to convince them and change their thinking (Saaty, 2020). The appeals using ethos are generally framed by establishing the credibility of the communicator.…”

“…Next, pathos is described as the appeal to elicit and trigger audiences' emotions (Hill, 2019). Saaty (2020) affirmed that pathos is a rhetorical device that an individual uses to invoke the audience's feelings, and places the audience into the right frame of mind to be receptive to a message. In the use of pathos for political purposes on social media, these posts present emotional and motivational appeals.…”

Correlations Between Expressing Feelings, Conveying Thoughts, and Gaining Confidence when Writing Personal Narratives in One’s First and Second Language

“…Many empirical studies have shown that students' experiences are positively and significantly correlated with expectations for continuing education and developing a sense of belonging in the academic community (Asri et al, 2022;Hanauer & Bauerle, 2012;Jubhari et al, 2022;Pierson, 2014;Rakhmanbergenova, 2022;Saaty, 2015Saaty, , 2019Saaty, , 2020. Nonetheless, few research studies (e.g., Hanauer, 2010Hanauer, , 2012Hanauer, , 2015Nicholes, 2017aNicholes, , 2017b have linked creative writing, such as poetry and fiction writing, to a meaningful literacy instruction approach that focuses on the individual learner to place them at the center of the learning process to facilitate writing development.…”