Rhetoric involves utilizing language techniques to persuade or inform an audience (Rowland, 2019). Examples of established rhetorical techniques include, antithesis, metaphors, and tricolons (see Leith, 2019; Herrick, 2018; Lucas, 2015; Toye, 2013). In a world now heavily influenced by global communication, research into modern rhetoric is of critical importance. Research to date though, has primarily focused on how speakers utilize these rhetorical techniques, largely ignoring the audience. Therefore, this study explores the rhetorical awareness of such techniques by members of the audience, comparing university students with previous instruction in rhetoric to students without previous instruction. The study employs a qualitative research design, utilizing thematic analysis, and is framed by the key research question: Can rhetorically aware students collaborate with rhetorically unaware students to foster a mutually beneficial learning experience? The study and its findings will be discussed in the presentation, with an emphasis on pedagogical implications for ESP instructors.