Centered around three core objectives--preparing students for civic life, respecting the diversity of the audience, and sensitizing students to the ethical impact of their words--Public Speaking offers both practical advice for public speaking and an understanding of why such advice works.

The Seventh Edition introduces two models of oral communication--the Mechanical Model, which addresses the physical and technical constraints that shape communication, and the Identification Model, which points out the ethical consequences of oral communication.These concepts are brought to life through examples from real, student, and professional speeches; Discussion and Application exercises at the end of each chapter; and a variety of boxed features throughout the text.