Focusing on the interpersonal communication course offered at Golden West College in California, this paper describes the competency-based approach of the course, the involvement of peer tutor/evaluators, and the use of the speech laboratory, where students demonstrate six specific skill competencies an average of two times during the course. The…

This book focuses on successful classroom practices which used oral communication to develop student confidence in a variety of speaking situations and to expand student understanding of literature through both analysis and performance. The book contains the following essays, listed here with their authors: (1) "Follow the Bouncing Ball"…

Intended to provide current information about graduate programs in speech communication in the United States and Canada to prospective graduate students, teachers, administrators, and counselors, this directory is also useful to those people seeking summary data on the state of the profession and to those evaluating or expanding their own speech…

To gather input for the development of a two semester basic production course in radio, television, film, and media writing, a survey was sent to 278 college speech departments. Ninety departments responded. The first question dealt with the format for the course. The answers were so varied that the responses were combined into those that covered…

The Action-Communication-Expression program, an extension of a speech communication class in a Houston (Texas) high school, involves visual and concrete communication, such as photography, script writing, and filmmaking. Students in two speech classes work in small groups of four or five, independently of the teacher, after receiving initial…

The modified American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Educational Testing Service (ACTFL/ETS) oral proficiency scale was developed in response to a request from the New Brunswick (Canada) Department of Education for assistance in comparing the results of its French immersion and core programs. Because the existing ACTFL/ETS academic…

A study identified characteristics of social skills and communication qualities that prospective teachers should possess in order to work effectively with students, parents, administrators, and other teachers, and sought to use those findings in designing a communication course for prospective teachers. Subjects, 343 practicing teachers of…

One of a regular series on the status and progress of research into the nature of speech, instrumentation for its investigation, and practical applications, this report consists of 17 papers dealing with the following topics: (1) vagueness and fictions as cornerstones of a theory of perceiving and acting--a commentary on D.O. Walter; (2) the…

This study examines the occurrence of transfer in the simultaneous acquisition of French and Hebrew by 57 native English-speaking children in a primary grades French/Hebrew immersion program in Montreal. The study focuses on three issues: (1) whether transfer of genetically related first and second languages differs quantitatively and…

Through a review of literature, this paper focuses on the development of a framework for the teaching of functional communication skills in grades six through nine. Following the introduction, the first section examines the context, purpose, and ability dimensions of oral communication as well as a model that combines all of these elements. The…

At present, departments of communication do not have the same political status as other college departments, even though they provide more than their share of tuition revenue. To establish themselves as a viable political force, departments of communication must create an observable impact on the daily operating procedure of other academic…

A study was conducted to test four hypotheses concerning modification of student self-concept in communication courses: (1) different kinds of training affect student self-concept in different ways, (2) scale bias affects measurement of student self-concept, (3) male and female self-concepts change differently, and (4) course grade affects student…

To be competitive in the job market, speech communication students should have courses in technical subjects and business administration. A focused master's level speech communication education can prepare students for two career paths: public relations management (with emphasis on campaign design and corporate communication beyond the required…

Child acquisition of Mandarin was studied with four middle class families from Taipei, Taiwan. The 2-year-olds were taped at home playing with their families. Two of the children were taped for short periods (7 hours and 9 hours), while the other two children were studied biweekly for 14 months, which resulted in 71 hours of transcribed child…

Three activities for developing speaking skills of advanced English as second language students are presented. Impromptu speaking, extemporaneous speaking, and debate activities are designed to train students to organize concepts, develop spontaneous oral skills, and enhance confidence and clarity of thought. Impromptu speaking develops…