ABSTRACT
We hear it all the time: speaking and listening skills are important for success. As many listening experts point out, however, hearing is not listening. Perhaps some numbers on the importance of speaking and listening skills can help us hear better and listen up. In 2004, Randall S. and Katharine Hansen of “Quintessential Careers” cited communication skills as the number one “critical employability skill” desired by employers. They describe communication skills as listening, verbal, and written skills and quote the typical job ad line that highlights this skills, “Exceptional listener and communicator who effectively conveys information verbally and in writing” (para. 6). According to a survey by American Express Small Business Services, verbal communication skills were at the top of the list of important skills with 86% of those surveyed considering them “very important” (2000, p. 12). Listening was rated as an “extremely important” skill by 73% of the group of business leaders surveyed by Don Carstensten, former vice president for education services at ACT. These same business leaders said that only 19% of their high school graduate employees were good listeners (Purdy, 2000, para. 2). According to Kenneth Petress, a specialist in organizational persuasive strategies, “Good listeners
OUTCOME: Students will be able to author and deliver effective
oral presentations that make appropriate and rhetorically effective
use of available means, media, and modalities.
