Recounts the gratifications of being a debate coach, which include seeing the progress of students, the increased personal contact with students, and the interesting uses of the training. (EL)

Regular debating can be an effective way of improving the performance of ESL pupils and of assessing their language-learning propensities. It requires a lot of listening as well as speaking and generally seems to foster confidence in language use. The relationships set up in debating are pupil-pupil rather than pupil-teacher. (CFM)

A study examined public speaking textbooks from the early 1900s to the present time with regard to two major questions: (1) "Have the authors emphasized the link between public speaking skills and the ability of each student to become effective members of society?"; and (2) "To what extent have public speaking texts used the need…

The goal of the instructor in a communication skills course is to improve the student's ability to communicate. The public speaking course at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is important to the Communication Department and to the university--every college except Fine Arts and Letters and Science requires a passing grade in this course for…

Feedback is an important skill that people need to learn in life. Feedback is crucial in a public speaking class to improve speaking skills. Providing and receiving feedback is what champions feed on to be successful, thus feedback is called the "Breakfast of Champions." Feedback builds speakers' confidence. Providing in-depth feedback…

Peer feedback by students, both positive and negative, has proven to be helpful to many public speaking educators. Asking students to design their own evaluation sheets can not only guarantee the numbers of evaluations they receive, but also assist them to do more audience analysis during the preparation process for their speeches. In designing…

Criticizes the use of unnecessary of ineffective gestures in speaking and points out the distracting quality of verbal mannerisms, especially the vocalized pause." Suggests that everyone who speaks before a group make sure that none of these habits creep into his speech. Bibliography. (RW)

Examines four methods of instruction to teach public speaking students how to use visual aids effectively in their speeches: oral lectures, written handouts, demonstration lectures, and multi-media demonstration lectures. Found that demonstration lectures are the most effective method of instruction and written handouts the least effective. (PD)

Speech is a major medium for the admissions message, and how well it is utilized needs to be evaluated. An understanding of speech communication and the role it plays in the information process can help admissions professionals to help people make better college choices. (Author/MLW)

Details general procedures to be followed for getting science to the public. Considerations discussed include: choosing the topic, knowing your audience and assignment, using the media, translating the physics, and additional aids in effective presentation. The procedures outlined are utilized in the preparations for a solar eclipse day. (BT)

Contains the author's reflections on having been, in effect, censored, that is, told that her talk at a middle school had been cancelled because of controversial struggles at the school about other books. (TB)

Proposes and analyzes Video Audience Simulation Technique (VAST), an electronic instructional aid related to video robotics, used to simulate audiences for public speakers, providing realistic speech rehearsal, instructor control of audience feedback to facilitate learning, and portrayal of specialized audiences unavailable in normal instructional…

Discusses how significant speeches of the golden age of U.S. oratory (1828-1928) might be used in study units for English, history, social science, or civics classrooms. Lists 10 of the best speeches of the age and 5 anthologies of speeches. (SR)

Highlights the rationale for and outcomes of integrating service learning into two public speaking courses. States that service learning enlarged the classrooms and created a wealth of communication examples and opportunities. Judges the success of this pilot experience on five criteria: community voice, orientation and training, meaningful…