Research investigating public speaking anxiety treatments is subject to demand effects. This study tests the relative effectiveness of systematic desensitization (SD) and multiple treatment method (MT) containing visualization therapy against no-treatment and credible placebo controls. Data (N = 238) were collected at six points in a public…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) requires states and the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to define and determine whether schools are making adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward the goal of 100 percent academic proficiency. To address tribes' needs for cultural preservation, NCLBA allows tribal groups to waive all…

The Honors Speech course at Florida A&M University, which is a special section of the Public Speaking course, is designed to develop appreciation of and skills in the preparation, delivery, and criticism of speeches. The honors course is different from the regular course in (1) the smaller enrollment in the course; (2) the topics of the…

President Bush's declaration of April 5-7, 1991 as National Days of Thanksgiving is a unique example of Presidential civil religious discourse: no other President has ever made such a declaration to thank God for a victory in war. Whether he intended to or not, President Bush engaged in a rhetorical form which allowed him to manipulate a very…

A "Speech Showcase," such as the one instituted over the past 5 years at Del Mar College (Texas), gives students enrolled in basic public speaking courses the opportunity to perform before a large audience and thereby gain experience and recognition. The faculty facilitator sets up the event logistically and advertises the event. Student…

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…

The philosophy behind competitive debate is to teach students the art of rational discourse with emphasis on correct use of evidence, analysis of argument, logical thinking and persuasive delivery. Although ethics help define the goals of the activity, the extreme competitiveness of intercollegiate debate threatens to undermine the principles of…

Noting that interactive video instruction (IVI) should not and cannot replace classroom instruction, this paper offers an introduction to interactive video instruction as an innovative technology that can be used to expand pedagogical opportunities in public speaking instruction. The paper: (1) defines the distinctive features of IVI; (2) assesses…

A study examined the question of what sequence patterns, if any, of covering oral interpretation topics emerge from forensic coaching sessions. To answer the question it was first necessary to analyze the process used by the coaches. Process was defined as the action of passing through continuing development from a beginning to a contemplated end.…

If forensic oral interpretation selections are to communicate to audiences, forensics educators must first help their students discover the messages that exist within texts and are communicated through programming and performance. The concepts of relevancy, significance, and depth of insight provide a general background for which aesthetic…

The amount of tournament competition in American forensics should be reduced and replaced with community-centered, audience-involving, service-oriented activities. Many forensics educators are distressed with the direction tournament debate has taken. It is increasingly insular, particularized, and isolated from the mainstream of campus life.…

An instructor in speech communication uses camcorders and videotape as a logical extension and complement to the public speaking curriculum. The instructor uses the camcorder as a concrete tool that parallels the more conceptual tool of public speaking. The first round of speeches made by the students is videotaped and only briefly evaluated…

Students can learn the concepts of descriptive language, "group think," and how to overcome communication apprehension painlessly by using human interest stories with humerous elements. A public relations teacher uses two audio tapes and a true story about a former student in her classroom. Garrison Keillor's 12-minute story "Tomato…

This paper examines the origins of "dissoi logoi" (or twofold arguments) as a sophistic concept and pedagogical practice. A rationale is offered to explain why "dissoi logoi" should be adopted as a conceptual base for teaching invention in contemporary public speaking courses. Aristotelian and Protagorean perspectives on…

A study examined grades on speech assignments in a college public speaking course as a function of students' preferred learning strategies and expressed learning motives. Subjects, 112 undergraduate students enrolled in the basic public speaking course, had their levels of communication apprehension and motives for learning measured early in the…