A sample of 75 teacher education students participating in a speech proficiency test was used to investigate the relationship between speech proficiency and self-concept. The students took the Tennessee Self Concept Scale after being divided into the following three groups: students judged satisfactory on the speech proficiency test, students judged unsatisfactory who successfully completed a basic speech course, and students judged unsatisfactory who had not completed a basic speech course. Significant differences between these groups were found in certain areas of self-concept, and the study draws the following conclusions: A definite, but not significant, relationship exists between self-concept and speech proficiency. Prospective female teachers have more-adequate self-concepts than do prospective male teachers. Students who are proficient in speech tend to have higher overall self-concepts than those not proficient in speech. Completion of one basic speech course does not significantly affect the overall level of self-concept, and less-adequate self-concepts are most prevalent among students who are not proficient in speech or who have not successfully completed a basic speech course. (Author/RL)