This article calls for an emphasis on "public listening" within civic education as a means of confronting and reversing negative trends in American public discourse. After providing a working definition of "public listening," I offer the perspective that communication educators and "Communication Education" scholars…

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were initially adopted in 2010 and serve as high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy. The initiative has been met with mixed reviews. At the same time, the National Communication Association called for communication standards and competencies in K-12 education to enhance…

As this forum's call for papers notes, lecture represents one of the more "controversial forms of instructional communication," yet remains a predominant instructional method in academia. Ironically, instructors face increasing pressure to abandon lecture at a time when these classes are popular and students readily enroll in lecture…

In this response, Steven Beebe comments that, as noted by several authors in this "Forum," the National Communication Association (NCA) Learning Outcomes in Communication (LOCs) are wisely proposed as "a starting point for conversation" rather than a prescriptive pronouncement of what all communication students should master.…

Listeners evaluate well-delivered presentations more positively than those that are poorly delivered. In today's world, presenters often face challenging questions and objections from listeners during or after their presentations. Surprisingly, while there are a number of theoretical reasons to anticipate that how presenters respond to objections…

Presents annotations of documents from "Resources in Education" to apprise teachers of current theory, research, and techniques on teaching listening. (PD)

Investigates differences between college students' reading and listening processes in conjunction with variation in oral-based or literate-based language style. Finds that: listening required less cognitive effort than reading, irrespective of language style; listeners and readers alike best comprehended oral-based discourse; and that reading was…

Introduces the articles that follow on empathic listening. Points out the need for communication teachers to rethink the fundamental nature of the listening process in order to improve listening research and teaching. (PD)

Analyzes the assumptions of interpersonal listening based on empathy. Provides (1) a brief historical overview of the empathic tradition as it relates to interpersonal communication study and to listening; (2) a critique of presuppositions underlying the concept of empathic listening; and (3) some guidelines for developing alternatives to empathic…

Offers a selection of ten CIJE and 14 RIE entries into the ERIC data base in l978 on speech communication competence. Particular attention is paid to documents relating speaking and listening to the larger family of communicative competencies. (JMF)

Outlines an alternative interpretive approach to listening which is grounded in the hermeneutic phenomenologies of Heidegger, Gadamer, and Ricoeur. Explains four features of this alternative: openness, linguisticality, play, and the fusion of horizons. Discusses conceptual and pedagogical implications. (PD)

Describes the work of the Speech Communication Association Task Force on Minimal Speaking and Listening Competencies for High School Graduates and provides recommended minimal speaking and listening competencies and implications for further curriculum development and research. (JMF)