ABSTRACT
Viewing public speaking as an essential liberal arts area of study has a long tradition. This chapter explores that tradition in the context of developing public speaking skills at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). In addition to examining scholarly research on public speaking, results of a study conducted at a HSI in a small Midwestern university are presented, and the authors argue for the importance of seeing public speaking as an essential liberal arts skill that allows students to develop their voice.
