Shared Meaning: An Introduction to Speech Communication provides a means of integrating interpersonal and small group communication with speaker-audience communication. Instructors are given the option to provide emphasis in areas most relevant to specific students by selecting appropriate activities and chapters for reading. This text can be effectively used for interpersonal communication courses, for the integrated speech communication approach, or for a two-semester or two-quarter course of interpersonal communication followed by speaker-audience communication. It can also be used in public speaking courses where exposure to more general communication skills is desirable. This textbook is organized in to five parts and contains many readings and activities which design a course to meet the speech communication needs of most students. Shared Meaning: An Introduction to Speech Communication integrates activities in speaker-audience communication with activities in the interpersonal and multi-cultural communication areas. This gives students exposure to helpful skills in day-to-day living and provides experiences in speaking before an audience. The use of this integration allows the student to gradually move from making a somewhat informal statement before an audience to eventually providing the audience with a formal message.
