A discussion of approaches to comparative rhetoric looks at diverse approaches and proposes that analysis can be enriched by incorporating the perspective of ethnography of communication. Contributions to the field of comparative rhetoric from second language learning and teaching mainstream rhetoric, and text linguistics are discussed, focusing on differences in definition, scope and focus, and on the major limitations and biases of each. An ethnography of communication perspective is then outlined. It is suggested that a comparative functional emphasis that incorporates rich specification of contextual factors from internal cultural perspectives can significantly enhance validity of interpretation. Practical and theoretical applications of an ethnography of communication approach to comparative rhetoric are discussed. Contains 42 references. (Author/MSE)