As an overwhelming amount of research has demonstrated that educator preparation programs do not adequately prepare instructors to teach pronunciation, this study aims to help teachers of foreign languages to implement and improve pronunciation instruction (PI) in their classroom by adapting PACE (Presentation, Attention, Co-construction, and…

This paper advocates for using critical intercultural and participatory pedagogy as the basis for an introductory communication course. Communication programs are often concerned with the basics -- teaching students to communicate effectively through writing and speaking. Yet the methods for teaching these two classic competencies diverge widely,…

This essay advocates the use of "unresolved" speech assignments in introductory public speaking instruction. Unresolved speeches work to decenter persuasion in the speech class by asking students to critically explore the landscape of arguments surrounding controversial topics and issue questions without making the turn to opinion giving…

Systematically and explicitly addressing the teaching of speaking is an aspect of English language teaching that is often underestimated. While teachers may be presenting various speaking activities in the classroom, such activities may amount to 'doing speaking' rather than 'teaching speaking'. In this article, I argue that being a competent…

Speaking is often considered one of the most difficult skills to develop in a second or foreign language. Many traditional approaches to language teaching focus on text-based skill development or emphasize aural receptive skills. However, as English continues to grow as a global language, learners want and need to be able to express their ideas…

This article outlines opportunities and challenges of teaching neurologically diverse students in the business communication course, providing basic resources and information for instructors to supplement their knowledge and pedagogical ability to support neurodiverse students. While the business communication course may represent obstacles for…

This study explores extent and frequency of conventional practices in the basic communication course: speeches, video replay, and self-evaluations from 45 basic course directors and instructors. Results indicated three to four speeches per curriculum, with two prominent speech types: informative (97.8%) and persuasive (91.1%). Approximately 76% of…

To successfully assess how language learners enhance their performance and achieve language learning goals, the four macro skills of listening, speaking reading and writing are usually the most frequently assessed and focused areas. However, speaking, as a productive skill, seems intuitively the most important of all the four language skills…

In this article, I test claims made about rhetorical education for women in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by examining Florida State College for Women (FSCW), one of eight public women's colleges in the South. I recover the voices of instructors and students by looking both at the interweaving strands of literature, journalism,…

Explores how the concept of "social capital" relates to the teaching of speaking and listening. Concludes that helping students identify, analyze and employ the aural, visual and verbal grammar of spoken English is not an adjunct to the subject of drama, but an intrinsic part of understanding the art form. (SG)

"Speaking Across the Curriculum" (SAC) has become a catch-all label for a variety of programs aimed at teaching oral communication skills to a large body of students in settings other than the typical public speaking class. Such programs offer both threats and opportunities to the speech field. In many programs, faculty in other…

This paper addresses the question whether or not forensics is a cult. The paper states that forensics can be compared to the criteria listed on the "Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry Homepage" which says that a cult is a group that is unorthodox, esoteric, and has devotion to a person, object, or new set of ideas. In keeping…

Motivating students is one of the primary challenges facing public speaking instructors. Numerous techniques can be used to generate a stronger desire among students to excel in their presentations. For example, instructors can increase motivation through a rather simple process of manipulating the speaker order to create an environment in which…

Universities and colleges are increasingly recognizing the need for programs in oral communication across the curriculum. Many small colleges that do not have faculty in communications do have faculty in theatre who are skilled in oral communication. This article describes a pilot program in oral communication coaching for undergraduate students…

Asserts that media systems and pedagogy affect each other, that electronic media increasingly dominate the society, and that pedagogy must respond. Outlines a heuristic model for talking and thinking pedagogically about the process of speech in the electronic media environment. (MG)