RHETORIC AS A TOOL FOR DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ ARGUMENTATIVE COMPETENCE IN THE CONCEPTUAL AND SOCIOLINGUISTIC DIMENSIONS OF CONTEMPORARY COMMUNICATION

Abstract

The practice of higher education demonstrates that a considerable number of students experience difficulties in constructing logically coherent and persuasive statements in both oral and written communication. This situation creates the need for the purposeful development of argumentative competence as an integral component of professional training. Rhetoric, which integrates a logical culture of thinking, precision of speech, and a strategic understanding of communicative situations, represents one of the most organic methodological tools for addressing this task.
The adaptation of rhetorical strategies to the conditions of a multicultural and digital environment, together with the necessity to develop critical thinking and students’ ability to engage in effective argumentation in various communicative contexts, requires attention at both the theoretical and practical levels. Therefore, it is important to provide a scholarly interpretation of rhetoric as a universal instrument for discourse organization that contributes to the formation of a conscious, responsible, and competent participant in contemporary communication.
The present study clarifies the meaning of the concept of “argumentative competence” within the framework of rhetorical education and outlines its theoretical foundation based on contemporary theories of argumentation. Theoretical principles reveal their effectiveness when they are applied in practice, particularly through specially designed exercises. A distinctive feature of such exercises is their orientation toward authentic communicative situations, which motivates students not only to acquire knowledge and apply it in practice, but also to formulate, select, interpret, refine, and evaluate arguments.
The article proposes a system of practical exercises aimed at developing argumentative competence among higher education students on the basis of rhetorical principles and teaching methods. The suggested approach contributes to improving students’ communicative effectiveness, strengthening their critical and analytical thinking skills, and fostering their ability to participate successfully in academic and professional discourse.