Definitions of Nonverbal Communication Here are some definitions of nonverbal communication by a variety of researchers and theorists. As you see, the definitions boil down to “communication without words”. You'll find more recent definitions saying essentially the same thing.   The use of interacting sets of visual, vocal, and invisible communication systems and subsystems by communicators with the systematic encoding and decoding of nonverbal symbols and signs for the purpose(s) of exchanging consensual meanings in specific communication contexts. Leathers & Eaves (2008), p ..read more

  Consider each of the following statements about nonverbal communication. Which do you think are true? 1.      With training, you can tell what a person is thinking from watching their nonverbal behaviors. 2.      Lying is relatively easy to detect, especially with those with whom you have a close relationship. 3.      Unlike verbal communication which is learned, nonverbal communication is innate. 4.      Unlike verbal communication, nonverbal communication is universal—members of all cu ..read more

    Here is a great speech text and video link from Red, White, and Royal Blue. Like most speeches, it’s part informative and part persuasive. I think this would be an excellent speech for use in a public speaking, persuasion, or ethics course. “Good morning. Henry and I have been together since the beginning of this year. As many of you have already read, we’ve struggled everyday with what this means for our families, our countries and our futures. And while neither of us is naive about what it means to be public figures, we never imagined our most private and intimate thoughts, fea ..read more

An Informative Speech: Suicide: Some Causes, Some Hope Here is a speech I wrote, though never delivered, to illustrate what a brief informative speech might look like and to provide a speech that students in public speaking could analyze. The questions for analysis and discussion at the end of the speech might prove a useful starting point in rhetorical analysis. I wrote this for my Essentials of Human Communication: The Basic Course, 11/e because I couldn't find a good example of an informative speech that addresses a topic important to college students.  Suicide: Some Causes, Some ..read more

Here is a brief glossary of terms you'll find when reading about nonverbal communication. It comes from my The Nonverbal Communication Book: Glossary of 200 Nonverbal Communication Concepts   Listed here are definitions of the technical terms in nonverbal communication—the words that are peculiar or unique to this discipline. All boldface terms within the definitions appear as separate entries in the glossary.   accommodation The process of adjusting your communication patterns to those with whom you’re interacting. active listening The process by which a listener expresses his or ..read more

This is a new section I wrote for the new edition of Essentials of Public Speaking. But I thought it might be of use to anyone planning a similar speech. Here, then, are a few guidelines and a sample speech with some notes. The Speech of Self-Introduction The speech of self introduction is one of the standard speeches normally required in a public speaking course. It is also a speech that produces a great deal of anxiety—not only because it is normally given at the start of the semester but also because it puts the total focus on the speaker. This assignment is often used to create a community ..read more

Ethics in Public Speaking I wrote this for the new edition of Essential Elements of Public Speaking, 7th edition (Hoboken, NJ: Pearson, 2021) but I thought it might be useful for any class in public speaking as a way of introducing the dimension of ethics and clarifying what is and what is not plagiarism. Because your speech will have an effect on your audience, you have an obligation to consider ethics—issues of right and wrong, or the moral implications of your message. When you develop your topic, present your research, create persuasive appeals, and do any of the other tasks related to pub ..read more

  Universals of Choice Joseph A. DeVito* Universals are qualities or characteristics of a process or concept that are present in all instances. For example, if we consider the universals of language, we’d find that all languages have nouns and pronouns, all languages have a deep and surface structure, and all languages have vowels and consonants (Greenberg, 1963). A universal of choice, the subject of this paper, then, is a characteristic that is present in all choice-making acts.      Along with many of the social sciences, communication is (and has been for at least ..read more

Here's a more positive view for communication majors. https://www.thebalancecareers.com/best-jobs-for-communications-majors-2059631 http://tcbdevito.blogspot.com ..read more

Here is a sobering report on the five college majors students most regret. Unfortunately, communication is one of them with 27% of students regretting their selecting communication as a major--with the most common complaint that it was too general. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/12/the-5-college-majors-american-students-most-regret-picking.html http://tcbdevito.blogspot.com ..read more