Argues that graduate education in rhetoric may become the central core of study in speech communication in the 1980s and may assume added significance in the humanities and social sciences. The reconceptualization of rhetoric as an architectonic and productive art will require a restructured graduate curriculum. (JMF)

Discusses standards and methods for evaluating graduate programs in speech communication, with emphasis on doctoral programs. Includes a discussion of characteristics of program quality and suggestions for internal and external review. (JMF)

Reviews research on writing and talking, concluding that the common contention that oral language forms the basis for pupils' written language in the middle grades must be qualified. (GT)

Discusses erroneous beliefs regarding sign language, namely, (1) sign language is one and universal, (2) its grammar is poor or nonexistant, (3) its vocabulary is concrete and figurative, (4) its "signs" consist of simply gestures, and (5) sign language mimics oral language. (AM)

Discusses information theory and the notions of uncertainty and semantic choice in child language. (AM)

Presents a syllabus for the study of contemporary feminism focusing on feminism as a rhetorical movement as well as on the major topics that currently are being debated by both feminists and the general public. Summaries of lectures, sources, and sample discussion questions are included. (JMF)

Describes three areas in which speech and writing diverge sharply and urges teachers to free remedial students from the constraints of their spoken language. (DD)

Traces the organization of a business communication course, noting that interspersing oral business communication assignments with written assignments keeps class interest high and challenges student ingenuity. (RL)

Presents a brief history of the National Contest in Public Discussion from 1951 through 1963 as evidence of the importance of the contest in the area of forensics. (JMF)

Two studies investigating the development of trait oral communication apprehension among children indicate: (1) oral communication apprehension exists from first to twelfth grades with consistent reliability of measurement, and (2) the Measure of Elementary Communication Apprehension (MECA) is positively related to three existing trait measures of…

Findings indicate some evidence of the adult basic writer's reliance on the oral repertoire when communicating in the written mode. (DD)

Describes a three-step reasoning process, Toulmin logic, which can be used in teaching writing. (MKM)

Discusses the possibilities and problems involved in the use of recording of French conversations in French language instruction. (AM)

Reports on a study of three children's single-word responses to parents' questions, focusing on the interrelations between children's ability to answer questions, the types of semantic content used in appropriate and inappropriate answers, and questions asked by the parents. (Author/AM)

Analyzes joke-telling trends from 1970-75 and emphasizes that such an analysis may yield a significant reflection of American life during this time period. (MH)