James Callaghan's speech at Ruskin College, Oxford in October 1976 is widely considered a pivotal moment in modern English educational policy. Whilst it is not our intention to challenge this fundamental point, the paper will critically interrogate some long-held assumptions about the motivation that led Callaghan to deliver his speech at Ruskin…

Challenge and threat responses have been seen to predict success in meaningful performance environments, however, it is not as clear whether challenge and threat states predict academic outcomes. We tested if predictions from the Theory of Challenge and Threat in Athletes (TCTSA) can be extended to an academic context, by considering antecedents…

Given the importance of communication skills, the high incidence of communication apprehension felt amongst accounting students is concerning. Much research has investigated apprehension towards oral communication and has confirmed public speaking as the mode which raises the greatest fear amongst students. Despite widespread evidence of this…

Background: Undergraduate research is evident in many forms across higher education: in journals, at conferences and on research placements. It is widely reported that undergraduate research can encourage the development of discipline-specific and transferable communication skills and, in some cases, a more complex development of higher-order…

Engaging in a final year project is required in most undergraduate degree programmes. However, the student research experience often differs from the academic experience due to a lack of opportunities for research dissemination. We present the Student Thesis Conference as an innovative research dissemination model used in Sports Science degrees at…

Most forms of contemporary preaching elevate the role of the listeners, who are seen as co-constructors of the sermon. This article investigates how preachers may respond to a call from homiletics to "turn-to-the-listener" through their deployment of metadiscourse, operationalized as a framework for understanding preaching not primarily…

The paper first traces the history of thinking about language from the Greek writers of the fifth century BC to the development of the first Greek grammar in about 100 BC. Since the glories of Ancient Greek literature predate the development of grammar, there is every reason to doubt the received wisdom that one must have an explicit knowledge of…

An American observer's report on contemporary House of Commons debating and debaters. Discusses (1) traditional influences that come from the adversarial nature of parliamentary debate and its implications for communication style; and (2) contemporary influences, including education, that come from the changing characteristics of members of…

Examines the role of parliamentary debate in the demise of the friendship between Fox and Burke over the issue of the French Revolution and English domestic reform. Investigates the drawing out of Fox's position and the polarization of opinion in Commons by Burke's rhetorical destruction of traditional Whig principles. (JMF)

Examines the work of Hazlitt as a critic of parliamentary oratory. Discusses his standards of rhetorical eloquence and details his critical estimate of parliamentary speaking. Assesses his contribution to the criticism of British public address. (JMF)

Uses three examples of children's spoken English to indicate the need to teach children organized, sequential speech. (DD)

Points out that textual authenticity of speeches has been a constant concern of speech communication scholars. Examines the procedure, personnel, and philosophy employed to record the proceedings and debate in today's British House of Commons. Concludes with a comparison of "Hansard's Official Report" and the "Congressional…

THE STUDY ATTEMPTED TO RELATE THE DEGREE OF SPEECH FLUENCY TO SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS OF THE SPEAKER. THE FORM OF THE SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP ACTED SELECTIVELY ON THE SPEECH POSSIBILITIES OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND AGAIN IN SOME WAY THESE POSSIBILITIES CONSTRAINED BEHAVIOR. THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE TRANSFORMED LANGUAGE POSSIBILITIES INTO A…

A test of predicted anxiety which focused on public speaking was given before and after two life skills courses in an English college. The students' own reports and observations by the author supported the results, which indicated a reduction of anxiety in the course which used simulations. (Author/LRW)