Suggests that, for young children, learning begins in conversation. States that children's speech activities in the classroom are a vital aspect of education and should not be limited to acts of speech with pre-determined ends. Argues that young children need to express their emotions and extend their sensibility, humanity, and identity in the…

As part of a review of the Speech and Theatre department, William Rainey Harper College in Illinois conducted a study in spring 1995 of students who had earned at least 12 hours of credit in the program during the past 5 years. Specifically, the study sought to determine students' motivation for enrolling, their current status, and how they…

A study examined the effect of successful and unsuccessful video models on pre-performance public speaking anxiety of students enrolled in basic communication courses. Two hundred twenty-five students enrolled in the basic communication courses served as participants. Subjects were divided into four conditions according to how the instructions for…

An assignment was developed that requires each student in a communication class to observe the dynamic of classroom communication. In this way, both the students and the professor receive feedback about various communication roles both can take. Systematic observation systems can be defined as part of classificatory systems that record certain…

The Oral Communication Across the Curriculum (OCXC) program is a university-wide program using oral communication activities to enhance learning of course content and to improve oral communication skills of participating students. Implementing OCXC programs in postsecondary institutions involves planning, publicizing, gearing up, conducting,…

One of a regular series on the status and progress of studies on the nature of speech, instrumentation for its investigation, and practical research applications, this report consists of 14 papers. Topics covered in the papers are (1) skilled actions, (2) the control of fundamental frequency declination, (3) selective effects of masking on speech…

The author focuses on student teacher interaction and the daily experience of the speech communication instructor to suggest what might happen to the teaching of speech communication 75 years from the date of this presentation. The topics of papers at a Communication Association panel in the year 2059 might include the following: (1) providing…

The ability to communicate content effectively to others is important. Besides using various approaches and techniques to help pupils achieve optimum speaking fluency, language arts teachers must also determine students' present oral communication achievement levels and guide their progress accordingly. Approaches to teaching oral fluency include…

The large section approach to speech communication instruction can be viewed as an opportunity rather than a detriment to effective communication education. Instructional strategies should be considered and applied appropriately to this ever-increasing instructional format. A number of principles may be generated which will lead to effectiveness…

In an effort to introduce communication skills to elementary students, a basic communication lesson was taught to 8 different groups of students (3rd, 5th, and 6th graders) with approximately 15 students in each group. The groups met for 25-minute sessions. One mixed-age group met for 60 minutes. Four objectives were formulated for each class,…

Four reasons why a media course is valuable to students are: (1) mass communication is an important part of their present and their future; (2) students need to know to what degree the media affect and reflect their sense of morality, political decisions, buying habits, and general way of life; (3) students need to know what opportunities and…

Older, nontraditional students are appearing with increasing frequency in conventional basic communication classes, and the unique learning needs of this group present a challenge to instructors, who must take into consideration the following: (1) the challenge of the learning process itself, (2) basic problems or concerns of the adult within the…

Effective oral interpretation, like effective communication, is self-revealing. Teachers and students of oral interpretation can improve analysis and performance of the literature by remaining aware of, first, their own involvement in the presentation and, second, the effect of this personal involvement on the audience. In the performance of oral…

This guide is intended to assist vocational teachers in preparing their students to assume a leadership role in the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA). The five instructional units provided deal with the history; primary objectives; and principal activities of DECA; parliamentary procedure; the skills and qualities required to become a…

As an aid in integrating videotape procedures into effective speech communication programs, this report discusses the advantages and disadvantages of videotaping, provides guidelines for the use and purchase of equipment, and suggests classroom and extracurricular activities involving videotape. After indicating several positive characteristics,…