Formal literacy education in predominantly oral societies, such as those in Black Africa, has flourished at the expense of oral cultural traditions resulting in language problems. Libraries should provide nonprint-oriented services for their potential users. (FM)

The concept of competence in speech communication is explored, with emphasis on identification of competency as an education objective. Theoretical and conceptual issues related to communicative competence are reviewed. A number of components are revealed, the most clearly defined being empathy, behavioral flexibility, and interaction management.…

Reviews the career of Prime Minister Thatcher and her participation in the campaign for her election. Identifies the five most salient elements in her image and within the general context of contemporary political communication in Britain: cultural identification, accent and word choice patterns, Tory message, sex, and sense of conviction. (JMF)

Outlines four general categories of current communications study, examines the focus of Alfred Korzybski's work in general semantics, and discusses the theories of Kenneth Burke and of Hugh D. Duncan, in whose work the symbolic interactionist position is said to be most cogently pulled together. (GT)

Explores salary trends and changes in demand for various areas of specialization in speech communication, as they are reflected in the positions listed in the monthly "Bulletin of the Speech Communication Association Placement Service" from August 1966 through July 1978. (JMF)

Offers a selection of ten CIJE and 14 RIE entries into the ERIC data base in l978 on speech communication competence. Particular attention is paid to documents relating speaking and listening to the larger family of communicative competencies. (JMF)

Lists a number of ways in which writing differs from speech, and encourages writing teachers not to uncritically adapt oral rhetorical techniques to writing. (DD)

Examines how speeches are used to entertain, inform, influence, commemorate, and inspire; suggests teaching strategies to be used with famous speeches. (DD)

The utilization of oral history as an information storage technique is detailed. The reliability, credibility, validity, and usefulness of oral history are discussed. Future uses of oral history are listed. (BT)

Suggests films which help get children excited about oral and written expression. (DD)

Outlines the national charges of "Goals 2000" and the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills regarding the expansion of communication instruction requirements. Sees speech communication professionals well positioned to meet these externally generated broad-based goals. (SR)

Examines two lines of feminist criticism argumentation (the "equity" critique and the "cognitive/epistemic" critique) as they apply to composition studies and speech communication. Argues that, although the two critiques apply to argumentation conceived as "war," they do not apply to argument conceived as…

Analyzes various apparently synonymous words for "friend" (e.g., "homes,""bro") as they are used by one former gang-member to persuade two current gang-members to stop "gangbanging." The article's analysis shows how the meanings of these disparate reference terms are made and remade through talk as…

Discusses Prince's (1992) reanalysis of the information status of noun phrases (NPs) into two cross-cutting distinctions, one between NPs denoting entities that are new or old with respect to the discourse and another between NPs denoting entities that, in the speaker's estimation, are new or old with respect to the addressee. (Nine references)…