Divided into two sections, this report describes research on the range and degree of assessment of students' communication skills in colleges and universities and includes the following findings: (1) of the 384 respondents from college speech communication departments, 45 reported using large-scale, uniform testing of students; (2) these…

In 1984 the Human Biology program at Stanford University launched a writing across-the-curriculum project with a year-long writing-intensive introductory class. The immediate objectives were to (1) develop students' writing fluency by demanding more writing, (2) improve the quality of all student writing by increasing attention to the writing…

Research has shown that communication apprehension (CA) has an impact on academic achievement over and beyond intelligence, type of performance-oriented class, language proficiency, and amount of verbal activity. A study explored the idea that this relationship is context-based by examining the impact of CA in the generalized contexts of small…

Aware of the societal problems stemming from a lack of communication skills, the American public is pressing for instruction in speaking and listening in the schools. This response is reflected in the speaking and listening competency recommendations in many national reform reports. Such reports include "A Nation at Risk" by the National…

Successful speech should rest not on prepared notes and outlines but on genuine oral discourse based on "data" fed into the "software" in the computer which already exists within each person. Writing cannot speak for itself, nor can it continually adjust itself to accommodate diverse response. Moreover, no matter how skillfully…

A study compared the results of administration of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages/Educational Testing Service (ACTFL/ETS) oral proficiency interview and those of two laboratory-administered Modern Language Association tests, one in the listening mode and one in the speaking mode. The comparative study was undertaken to…

A forensics background offers the greatest advantages for attorneys who engage in trial and appelate work. Successful lawyers build upon a few basic qualities: (1) the ability to view objectively the arguments on both sides of the case, (2) adequate research and preparation, (3) correct choices as to which arguments to press, (4) a well-conceived…

Six basic areas of the speech communication field that need reconsideration and new directions. (CH)

A program in English as a second language (ESL) was introduced at the University of Malaya in 1975. The purpose of the program was to develop English skills in the students of the university, with a focus on reading. The present report is a description and evaluation of this program. The following articles are included: (1) "Reading for…

The course approach reported in this document provides an alternative method of attaining the departmentally-accepted general course goals for basic speech communication. This approach begins with the identification of the student's core communication competencies which, divided into component concepts and subskills, are stated as behavioral…

The development and content of a freshman engineering program that stresses writing, speaking, and listening skills are described. In conjunction with writing expository essays and research reports, the students make demonstrations, deliver informative and persuasive speeches, and participate in panel discussions and debates. Videotaping,…

This study examines the degree of consistency between students' oral and written expression, with regard to the ideas and opinions communicated. Fifty-five freshman composition students were asked to elaborate on a subject of choice in a 500-word essay and in a private office interview with the teacher. Data revealed that consistency of expression…

This report, covering the period from October 1 to January 31, 1975, is one of a regular series on the status and progress of studies on the nature of speech, instrumentation for its investigation, and practical applications. The manuscripts in this report discuss such topics as the complexity of a motor theory of speech perception, a systems…

This book is a collection of ideas and information, gathered from various sources, which should aid college students in formulating their own methods of improving communication. The four main sections of the book are "Concepts of Communication,""Concepts of Source and Message,""Concepts of Communication Criticism," and "Concepts of Interpersonal…

Describes a holistic strategy for teaching reading and writing skills, beginning with oral fluency, moving to simple transcription skills as part of an oral history exercise, and then to the production of a newsletter based on interviews. The strategy recognizes the relationship between the student's background and the English curriculum. (RS)