Speech Communication Skills for College Students / Elizabeth A. Jones and Lynn Melander.

This paper defines communication assessment in terms of the four characteristics of communication identified by John Daly, which propose that: (1) communication is interactive and dialogic; (2) communication occurs in real time; (3) communication is inherently contextual; and (4) communication is personal as well as social. The paper then examines the literature concerning the skills involved in communication assessment. The review of the literature on communication assessment is organized into the following categories: adaptability, interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, communication performance (including nonverbal communication), language use, critical thinking skills, and listening skills. The review suggests that: (1) communication goes beyond the use of simple skills to involve sensitivity to the situation and adaptability to changing behaviors and goals; (2) effective communicators must convey a sense of social comfort and maintain a relaxed environment; (3) effective communicators are sensitive to the impact of proximity and body language; (4) critical thinking skills play a dominant role in effective communication because of the speaker's need to constantly adapt to and evaluate the communication context; and (5) listening skills are closely related to critical thinking in communication because listening requires that the interactants understand the words and phrases used and be able to concentrate on and effectively evaluate messages. Contains 83 references. (GLR)

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