In order to improve instruction in basic speech courses, a program was developed adapting creative problem solving to speech preparation and to interactive speech communication. The program, called O-I-C--Orientation, Incubation, and Composition--and based on Howell's five levels of competence and their implications, begins with a thorough study…

This handbook is designed to help vocational teachers promote the development of student oral communication skills in cluster programs. It is divided into two major sections on speaking and listening. Covered in the unit on speaking are the following topics: the importance of speaking in general and in vocational education classes in particular,…

There is a simple but effective process for developing public speakers in elementary and junior high schools. After discussing the importance of effective speaking, the teacher puts a topic sentence, on favorite desserts for example, on the board or overhead projector and students think of their favorite desserts and some related words and…

Data from five first-place orations from the earliest Interstate Oratorical contests (1874-1878) and five recent first-place orations (1978-1982) were analyzed to determine their subjects or prominent theme, the patterns of organization that were employed, and the types of evidence the speakers used. Following this, historical conclusions were…

Second language students are often discouraged in trying to acquire oral fluency skills. Four specific problem areas are: (1) timidity; (2) listening comprehension difficulties; (3) oral reading problems; and (4) difficulty in putting sentences together. An approach that emphasizes writing skills avoids these problem areas and uses skills the…

Reports on experiences with vocabulary booklets written by the students from Grade 5 through Grade 10. These included vocabularies grouped as to subject matter; special attention was given to vocabularies which would have a bearing on the whole school career and on developing free speaking ability. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Discusses the teaching of oral and written expression, including the role of rhetoric and linguistics. (Text is in French.) (AM)

The first step in developing a communication competency assessment instrument is determining whether there is conceptual support for such an instrument. Funding should also be determined, since speaking skills must be assessed as a person speaks, a procedure that requires more time and money to complete than in the case of machine-scored tests.…

A study of President Ronald Reagan's speeches reveals not only a President intent on "identifying directly with the people," but a spokesman adept at the use of symbolic communication as well. Probably the most obvious symbol of the campaign for economic renewal is the term "Reaganomics" itself. Referentially, it has come to…

The intent of this booklet is to provide a general structure for sequential instruction in the oral communication skills of listening, speaking, and responding. The skills are presented in five grade level categories: preschool, kindergarten through grade three, grades four through six, grades seven through nine, and grades ten through twelve. The…

A description is given of three studies on the effects of teacher clarity upon student achievement. Three low inference variables of teacher clarity--vagueness terms, mazes, and additional unexplained content--were selected for study. Vagueness terms are words or phrases indicating approximation, unclarity, or lack of assurance. A maze is defined…

This report, covering the period of January 1 to June 30, 1976, 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 and extended reports contained in this report include "Exploring the Relations between Reading and…

To analyze the use of metaphor in inducing innovative thinking in fourth grade children, two series of metaphorical activities were developed--the first asking children to compare given stimuli to a variety of other things, the second asking children to become other things (e.g., doorknobs). Oral and written responses were elicited from five…

The traditional respiration-phonation-articulation-resonation model of speech production which permeates introductory literature is not the only suitable model of this process. The pump-valve model, which derives from the acoustic theory of speech production, is a viable alternative. This newer model is also consistent with modern theories. It…

This collection of seven essays provides a general theoretical discussion of the overall speech program for the elementary and junior high schools and develops several aspects of instruction in detail. Dorothy C. Higgenbotham formulates a comprehensive proposal for the development of a total speech program. The essentially symbol-centered nature…