ABSTRACT

Traditionally, the education and training of most professional groups placed emphasis upon the former two sets of skills at the expense of interpersonal skills. This is somewhat surprising, given that it has long been recognised that the ability to communicate effectively is essential for success in many walks of life (McCroskey, 1984). The oldest extant essay, written circa 3000 BC, consisted of advice to Kagemni, the eldest son of Pharaoh Huni, on how to speak effectively in public. Likewise, the oldest book, the Precepts written in Egypt by Ptah-Hotep about 2675 BC, is a treatise on effective communication. It can thus be argued that scholarship in the field of communication has been ongoing for some 5000 years.