This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 14 titles deal with the following topics: (1) the rhetoric of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; (2) the rhetorical strategies employed in the political speaking of George C. Wallace in the 1968 United States presidential…

Secondary education majors participated in a one-week microteaching program in which they were trained to identify and quantify verbal behaviors that inhibit teacher clarity. Teacher clarity indicators were identified as vagueness terms and mazes. Vagueness terms are indicated by approximation or lack of clarity and assurance. Mazes are garbles,…

In devising an inventional scheme for considering black communication behavior with possible implications for a more general theory, four constituents must be considered: frame of mind, scope of context, structure of code, and delivery of message. The concepts of rhythm and styling seem indicative of the black frame of mind, while the contextual…

Recent investigations in the field of speech pathology are focusing increasingly on possible relationships among the pathological natures of those speech disorders having an emotional base (e.g., stuttering, stagefright, reticence). The psychological and sociological context of reticence--the avoidance of social and verbal interaction--should be…

The purpose of the study was to devise a program of speech retraining for the college-bound Negro student that could be effected in a relatively short time and be implemented by a typical college speech department. The subjects were black students, recently graduated from high school, attending the Upward Bound program at the University of South…

Clarifies definitions of simulation, game, drama, and exercise, and describes a study of 17- to 19-year-old students which was designed to determine their public speaking anxiety level after using seven classroom simulations to prepare them for the experience. Students' personal development and behavior throughout the experience are discussed.…

Examines the increasingly Orwellian inaugural addresses of the last two decades and how these speeches make use of the mythical principle of "unification," leading to a sacralization of American society and its placement into a cosmic order. Offers these mythic elements as an example of the pervasiveness of Oldspeak and mythic rhetoric…

This volume brings together the majority of lectures and papers presented at the 1998 and 1999 discourse symposia at Vaxjo University. Part one, "Four Perspectives on Discourse," offers a matrix perspective on narrative, a cross cultural perspective on academic rhetoric, a cognitive perspective on informational discourse, and a construction…

This seventh in a series of investigations of the basic communication course at 2- and 4-year colleges and universities that began in 1968 has as its purpose to gather longitudinal data on the nature of the course. This latest study differs somewhat from past studies. The survey instrument from 1999 was revised to include timely concerns such as…

This document reports on a project to conduct four to six in-service workshops for adult basic education (ABE) educators to develop their public speaking skills and create a speakers' bureau of ABE alumni. The goal of the speakers' bureau was to increase recruitment and retention of ABE students and improve public awareness of ABE. The packet of…

This coursebook contains materials for a course to help participants in a workplace literacy project put together a solid presentation that they can deliver with confidence. The course's stated goals are as follows: to enable participants to prepare interesting and informative presentations, use visual aids to enhance presentation, deliver…

The Oral Communication Program (OCP) was established at Radford University, Virginia, in 1988 as a comprehensive program of oral communication across the curriculum. The OCP has generated student and faculty involvement using a variety of information outlets such as meetings, retreats, and communication-intensive courses. Faculty from the…

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: Prior to the persuasion unit, students have spent several weeks in class utilizing library research techniques, public speaking skills, and their writing processes. The unit has been devised to give students practical experience using critical thinking and decision-making skills, persuasive…

Intended to introduce instructors to a number of sources for helping students improve their speaking habits in voice and articulation courses or in courses in acting, interpretation, or public address, this annotated bibliography contains 38 entries in two main groupings: (1) texts and instructional materials; and (2) reference sources for…

In 1979, the Native Indian Youth in Museums project began placing Musqueam teenagers in the University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology to teach them about traditional coastal Indian culture, and train them to share this information with museum visitors. Co-sponsored by the Native Indian Youth Advisory Society and the Native Youth…