Suggests criteria which an ideal first course in speech might meet: (1) focus on the elements typical in all speech communication behavior, (2) delete formal individual oral performance, and (3) utilize the empirical data produced by the behavioral scientists.'' (Author)

A survey was conducted of schools in 15 states to provide a comprehensive view of the status of speech communication in secondary schools and to compare the current status to that found in earlier surveys. Of the 4,341 schools responding to the survey, 76% indicated that they offered a speech course and of these, 32% indicated that they required…

Paper describes a public speaking course that has been taught successfully for six quarters at Florida State University. (Author)

This booklet contains guidelines for developing oral communication curricula in kindergarten through 12th grade. The booklet addresses the issue of whether students are being taught to communicate effectively, and discusses the following topics: enhancing the role of oral communication in elementary and secondary education; the objective,…

Several things should be taken into account when establishing an internship program in speech communication at the college level. Internships begin by being either agency generated or student generated. Objectives of the program include understanding, developing, and applying communication skills necessary for effective performance within an…

Offers a composite picture of the typical junior high school speech programs in two Ohio suburban school systems. (MH)

The author discusses necessary changes in programs intended to teach standard English to nonstandard dialect speakers. The courses discussed are offered on the college level as a required course. The author feels that these requirements represent a stigma which must be eliminated. (MS)

Observing that speech communication, by whatever term it is called, is now a popular major among the traditional liberal arts, this paper proposes an essential speech communication curriculum for the small, comprehensive college. The first part of the paper presents a rationale for the curriculum by exploring how the curriculum reflects (1) its…

A small college's communication arts curriculum, designed for students either going on to graduate school or interested in meeting more immediate vocational needs, is described in this paper. The following components of the curriculum are discussed: (1) use of field experience courses, (2) use of on-campus "practicum" courses and extra-curricular…

Four teaching approaches are discussed. (CH)

This paper argues that quality pre-law communication programs must be developed through an organized sustained effort in the speech communication field. The development of a pre-legal communication program is discussed in terms of three interrelated states: (1) the development of a specific academic program within the speech communication…

Genre studies are offered as a needed alternative to the historical approach to the study of public speaking. Five ways to classify rhetorical genres are suggested: (1) by the changes which messages produce in audiences, (2) by the dominant methods or characterizing strategies of a message, (3) by style, (4) by culture or world view, and (5) by…

More than 600 colleges and universities responded to a survey designed to determine the status of business communication education and to seek the opinions of business communication faculty on content emphasis and supplementary materials for an introductory business communication course. Survey results indicated that business communication…

This paper considers three issues related to the philosophical struggle between journalism and speech communication departments in developing a public relations curriculum. The three issues are as follows: (1) the definition of public relations, with an emphasis on persuasion; (2) the design of a public relations curriculum, using the one at…