This paper quantifies differences in speaking rates in a first and second language, and examines the effects of slower rates on the speakers' abilities to convey information. The participants were 14 fluent (CEF B2/C1) English L2 speakers who held the same oral presentation twice, once in English and once in their native Swedish. The temporal…

The purpose of this article is to provide suggestions for using public speaking tasks in English language teaching (ELT) and to highlight some of their many advantages. For the purpose of this article, the author will focus on two types of these tasks: student presentations and debates. Student presentations may consist of either individual or…

Students enrolled in two sections of the public speaking courses at a small liberal arts university were required to do 10 hours of service in a local not for profit agency. Student comments indicate that doing service-learning in these courses affected their self-perceptions and expectations as deaf persons in a local community. This article will…

Introduction: This paper attempts to build bridges between two sets of theoretical concepts related to information behaviour: the macro-level concepts of Jurgen Habermas related to lifeworlds and the micro-level concepts of Elfreda Chatman related to small worlds. Argument: Habermas and Chatman explored similar issues of information behaviour at…

Web 2.0 is not only for kids anymore, businesses are using it, too. Businesses are adopting Web 2.0 technology for a variety of purposes. In this article, the author discusses how he incorporates Web 2.0 into his business communications course. He describes a project that has both individual and collaborative elements and requires extensive…

Incorporating business skills such as problem-solving, public presentations, collaboration, and self-direction into STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects is an excellent way to build students' enthusiasm for these disciplines. When educators add workplace internships to the learning experience, they are well on their way…

A field-based study of soils and the factors that influence their development is a strong, broad introduction to geologic concepts and research. A course blueprint is detailed where students design and complete a semester-long field-based soil geomorphology project. Students are first taught basic soil concepts and to describe soil, sediment and…

Several randomised controlled studies have shown the efficacy of Internet-based self-help treatments. These studies have centred their attention on axis I (efficacy) of the Guidelines for Empirically Validated Treatments, although there are a few studies that also take into account axis II (effectiveness). The aim of the present work was to test…

The author suggests that students be given specific subjects to research and then lecture on to an audience. The author claims that the knowledge gained from research enhances the student-speaker's self confidence. (MS)

This study examined the effects of the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction in promoting active engagement in the general education classroom and access to the general education curriculum for three junior high school students with significant cognitive disabilities. The goals included improving public speaking, asking more questions in…

This study investigated how the face threat mitigation students received from their teachers during feedback influenced their judgments about mentored relationships with their teachers and the supportiveness of the classroom learning environment. Public speaking students (N=345) at three universities completed an online survey about the speech…

Even with President Barack Obama's promises to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and withdraw troops from Iraq, the subject of torture keeps making the news. With all that detainees have had to endure during their incarcerations--the recent memos detail stress positions, cramped confinement, and waterboarding, among other tactics--perhaps…

Poster sessions are frequently on the menu at professional conferences and meetings. They offer an opportunity to share an idea, a solution, an experiment (successful or failed), or a discovery. Poster sessions tell a short visual story and include a frequently repeated, brief presentation (5-10 minutes), accompanying materials, and informal…

This textbook provides selections for public speaking pieces. The selections embraced in this volume have been chosen with reference to the attainment of these purposes: (1) The pleasant entertainment of both speaker and listeners; (2) The healthy stimulation of the imagination, a factor always active in the minds of children; (3) The cultivation…

Designed to meet the needs and interests of busy principals and teachers, this easy-to-access collection of quotations can be used as "attention-getters, point-makers, openers, closers, and clinchers for all occasions." The classic and contemporary quotes and anecdotes in the collection feature topics and sources not found in other…