A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MA in Communication Science University of Zululand, 2001. / In this thesis I present my recommendations regarding the role of direct small group communication and public communication in an envisaged Communication Science curriculum within the Language, literacy and Communication learning area in the Further Education and Training band. I show that the fundamental switch from the traditional educator-centred teaching to learner-centred teaching in OBE requires that both educators and learners be in command of a range of communica¬tion strategies in order to construct meaning in real-world social contexts. Intraper-sonaL, interpersonal and small group involvements are all essential for successful teaching. I also stress the need for knowledge of verbal as well as nonverbal com¬munication skills to give learners the confidence they need in the workplace. The cooperative method of teaching brings democracy into the OBE classroom with learners contributing from their daily lives as well as having their needs met. I examine an array of forms of communication that learners and educators must be in command of to succeed in OBE. I argue that since the human mind integrates knowledge, the demarcations between learning areas are mainly posited for heuristic convenience. An analysis of the Revised National Curriculum Statement (C2005) shows that most of the components required to form the basis for offering Com-munication Science as a coherent formal discipline in the Further Education and Training (FKI) band, can be found, dispersed throughout the General Education and Training (GET) band, (Grades R to 9) within the Language, literacy and Communication learning area. In the penultimate chapter I utilise the insights gained to suggest what the curriculum could include for teaching direct small group communication and public communication as part of the envisaged Communica-tion Science curriculum. Finally, I would like to point out that my thesis forms part of a number of coordi-nated studies on the feasibility of including particular aspects of human communication as part of the envisaged Communication Science curriculum.