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.