The assignment described in this paper is an attempt to provide speech communication students with some training and experience in interviewing. Following discussion of the objective and rationale for conducting an interview and reporting information from an interview, guidelines are offered to help students with selecting subjects or content…

In applying Ernest Becker's work on self-esteem to Erving Goffman's theory of interpersonal society, this paper suggests that Goffman's views about the politeness structure of face-to-face society might be viewed as largely grounded in a basic motivation for individuals to avoid anxiety due to loss of self-esteem. The paper uses this application…

Although listening is a major activity in small group communication, it has received minimal attention. Examination of several books and journals reveals a very sparse treatment of the subject. More attention should be given to listening because it is a key factor in a democratic leadership style and requires different skills than does listening…

The purposes of this paper are to explore the relationship between dialogic communication and conflict analysis and to examine current assumptions about conflict and communication as described in the speech communication literature. The first part of the paper discusses dialogue, in particular that of Martin Buber, as a conflict method.…

This paper contends that views of science as "objectivist" or "subjectivist" not only represent inaccurate and extreme positions on a continuum but also obscure the importance of argument in the scientific enterprise. It examines the role of argument in the objectivist view of science by exploring the analysis of Henry Johnstone, Jr., of the…

This paper contends that the rationality of the logic of good reasons is constituted in its use. To support this claim, the paper presents an analysis of the relationship between being reasonable and being rational. It then considers how following the logic of good reasons leads to rationality in the behavior of individuals and groups; the latter…

Some authorities wish to persuasively define rhetoric as formal or public speeches, while others hold to a more traditional and broader definition pointing to the relevance of speech-act theory to support them. Central to speech-act theory is the illocutionary act (uttering at least one sentence of some language under certain conditions). Two…

The 12 articles in this bulletin were originally published in various issues of "Elementary English" volumes 47 and 48. The purpose of the bulletin is to provide a qualitative analysis of data in the various Educational Resources Information Centers (ERIC) that are related to research in oral language learning. (DB)

Psychologists and linguists often suggest that empathy or role-taking ability is important in the communication process because it enables a speaker to consider in advance the informational demands of his audience. Despite the vintage of the empathy-effective communication hypothesis, it has never been directly tested. In this study, empathy was…

In this book, an attempt is made to describe how people actually speak and the language that is actually spoken. The subject of modern linguistics is presented in a new light. Good language is defined as a tension between the code and what needs to be said and a tension between the expressivity of the speaker and the comprehension of the hearer.…

The 12 articles in this bulletin were originally published in various issues of "Elementary English" volumes 47 and 48. The purpose of the bulletin is to provide a qualitative analysis of data in the various Educational Resources Information Centers (ERIC) that are related to research in oral language learning. (DB)

A course of instruction, including nature and materials of oral decision-making, understanding group dynamics, finding and evaluating facts, steps in problem solving and organization for various forms of discussion is outlined. Through practice with current problems, students can learn leadership and participation in the process of discussion.…

An approach to organizing extemporaneous speeches based on questions inherent in the nature of explanation and speculation is described and recommended as an alternative to the superimposition on a topic of prescribed organizational patterns. (JF)

Presents a general theoretical model of the psychological mechanism of effective speech to provide the basis on which experimental investigations can be conducted and practical recommendations for the field of mass communication can be carried out. (EJS)