This volume of an annual collection presents 13 essays relating to instruction in the basic communication course. Six of the essays are on the theme of cultural diversity in the basic course. The essays are: "The Differential Impact of a Basic Public Speaking Course on Perceived Communication Competencies in Class, Work, and Social Contexts" (Michael W. Kramer and J.S. Hinton); "(En)visioning Success: The Anatomy and Functions of Vision in the Basic Course" (Glen Williams); "Students Who Stutter and the Basic Course: Attitudes and Communications Strategies for the College Classroom" (Bryan B. Whaley and Aimee Langlois); "Rethinking the Role of Theory in the Basic Course: Taking a 'Practical' Approach to Communication Education" (Shawn Spano); "Rethinking Our Rethinking Retrospectively: A Rejoinder to Spano" (Mark Hickson, III); "Should Class Participation Be Required in the Basic Communication Course?" (Jennifer Wood); "The Basic Course: A Means of Protecting the Speech Communication Discipline" (Charlene J. Handford); "Introduction to Cultural Diversity in the Basic Course: Differing Points of View" (Lawrence W. Hugenberg); "Teaching Communication Behaviors/Skills Related to Cultural Diversity in the Basic Course Classroom" (Nancy Rost Goulden); "Cultural Pluralism: Language Proficiency in the Basic Course" (Bayo Oludaja and Connie Honken); "Diversity in the Public Speaking Course: Beyond Audience Adaptation" (Christine Kelly); "The Speech of Diversity: A Tool to Integrate Cultural Diversity into the Basic Course" (Deanna D. Sellnow and Robert S. Littlefield); and "Meeting the Challenge of Cultural Diversity: Ideas and Issues for the Public Speaking Course" (Kimberly A. Powell). (RS)