Since fear of public speaking has been considered a good example of anxiety and an example that is correlated with behavioral and cognitive measures of anxiety levels, a study of Rogerian therapy, desensitization, and modeling techniques in reducing this anxiety seemed appropriate.

Why do people go into rooms to watch other people speak? What is it that is taking place when a performer walks onto a stage, or steps up to a microphone, and, in the silence that has fallen, begins to speak? This thesis considers both the pleasures and the anxieties that attend such public acts of speaking, and responds in particular to the kinds of utterances that announce themselves as in some way 'non-serious'. It takes, as its founding example, comedian Stewart Lee saying, of Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond, 'I wish he had died in that crash', before adding, 'it's just a joke ... like on Top Gear'. This, I suggest, is a complex moment that calls into play many of the key questions of performative theory, restaging them within the context of early twenty-first century Britain, where speech is mediatized and monetized as a form of entertainment. Against this backdrop, the thesis draws on key works by Shoshana Felman and Judith Butler, to argue that the ethics that emerges from such an enquiry would be one based on our mutual, shared unknowingness about what our bodies 'say' when we stand up to speak. Crucially, this might also be an ethics responsive to a certain kind of funniness. This thesis examines performances that are attuned to this kind of funniness: the stand-up comedy of Stewart Lee; the philosophical performance of J.L. Austin; the postmodern theatricality of Kinkaleri, and the stalled conversations via which the practice of performance studies itself takes place. Acknowledging the rhetoric by which its own 'voice' is figured, this thesis both narrates and stages moments of confusion between bodies and figures, examples and jokes, theory and performance. It aims to discover how such confusions, and the pleasure and anxiety they induce, might become politically useful.

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This study sought to further understanding of EFL teachers’ knowledge of speaking assessment and how their knowledge informs their speaking assessment practices in classrooms. Based on a socio-cultural perspective, the present study aimed at investigating EFL novice teachers’ current knowledge and practice of speaking assessment in a Libyan secondary school context. The study is based on the interpretive paradigm and adopted social constructionism as a philosophical stance. Quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were employed in two sequential phases. The findings of this study indicated that EFL novice teachers’ current knowledge of speaking assessment is complex and that was reflected in the different ways these teachers interpreted the concept of speaking assessment and in the ways they expressed their beliefs and values regarding how speaking assessment needs to be or is implemented in the classroom settings. Three main issues regarding teachers’ knowledge of speaking assessment emerged from the data. The first issue is that these teachers, although showing some variability in their knowledge and practice, seem to base their assessment practice on a view of spoken language being more about linguistic content than communicative effect. Secondly, that they mostly seem to afford more importance to summative assessment than to formative assessment. Thirdly, they have a view of assessment that focuses on the content to be assessed rather than on the process of assessment. The findings also indicated that while teachers refer to contextual factors that influence how they implement their knowledge into practice, their understanding of the notion of assessment seems to have more influence on their implementation of speaking assessment as process than that of the context. That is, their current understandings of the notion of spoken language seem to contribute to their current practice of speaking assessment. Also of significance are the participants’ views of the role of context. The results showed that although contexts are similar in some aspects, especially those related to institutional factors, teachers’ views show the uniqueness of the context, especially in the light of the unanticipated social, political and institutional changes. The implications of this study suggest that these EFL novice teachers’ current knowledge of language and of assessment goes beyond factual knowledge to their perceptions of language and their understandings of the purpose of assessment. They also suggest that context plays a role on their current knowledge and practice of speaking assessment. Thus, this study provides further understanding that what these teachers know and how they use their knowledge in practice arises from a complex interweaving of context and individual understandings.

Although there has been an increasing incidence of breast cancer among Non-English speaking background (NESB) women in many developed countries, existing screening services are being underused by these women. Studies show that the barriers to the accessibility of breast cancer screening by NESB women include their lack of awareness, low level of education, low self-efficacy and lack of social interaction with other women. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge relating to breast cancer and mammography, self-efficacy and barriers to mammography use among NESB women in an Australian regional city before and after their attendance at a health education session. This health education session aimed to increase the awareness and use of mammography among these NESB women. Two widely used behaviour theories, ‘Health belief model’ and ‘Social Cognitive Theory,’ were applied as the theoretical framework for this study. A quasi-experimental study was conducted in which the health education session was used as an intervention. Pre-test and post-test questionnaires were completed by study participants before and after the health education session. Their knowledge of breast cancer and mammography was assessed. In addition, their self-efficacy and barriers to the use of mammography were also analysed. Results indicated that informal recruitment strategies were more effective with these NESB women. Initially 49 women were recruited. Of these, 23 women (47%) attended the health education session. As data showed tertiary educated and employed women who already had mammogram/s were more likely to attend the session. After attending the health education session, the women’s knowledge relating to breast cancer and mammography was improved and the perceived barriers to the use of mammography were reduced. During a three month follow-up period, there was no change of mammogram use by the women. However, the results showed a trend of increased intention to use the mammogram over a period of two years (41.7%) compared to six months (25.0%). Based on these results, further studies are recommended to explore the beneficial outcomes of health promotion programs targeting NESB women who are not in the workforce or have a low level of education.

Public speaking anxiety is a common experience in both community and clinical populations and can have a negative impact on quality of life. Although contemporary treatments have been found to be effective, there is a lack of cultural relevance in existing theories and treatments. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of stereotypes, a culturally relevant variable, on public speaking performance and anxiety for African Americans and Asian Americans. Participants (N=97) were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions where they either received feedback that was stereotype confirming or non-stereotype confirming. Analyses of variance procedures were utilized to determine whether stereotype confirming feedback would have a negative impact on public speaking performance and anxiety during a speech performance task. Overall, stereotype confirming feedback was not found to have a negative impact on the participants’ public speaking performance or anxiety as measured by self-report and observer ratings. In particular, participants who received stereotype confirming feedback reported less prediction of poor performance in public speaking situations compared to those who received non-stereotype confirming feedback. However, there was a significant positive relation between the participants’ concerns for confirming negative stereotypes and self-report measures of public speaking anxiety. African American participants also reported fewer negative self-statements associated with public speaking compared to Asian American participants. These results encourage future studies to further examine the relation between stereotypes and public speaking anxiety.

Currently, Communicative Language Teaching has been popular around the world andhas a profound effect on second language acquisition since the 1970s. ForCommunicative Language Teaching to be successful, there is a need for appropriateteaching materials.This paper analyzes speaking tasks in Chinese and Swedish textbooks for grade 8，Gofor it and Magic. The analysis presents content analysis, providing a general overviewof speaking tasks found in both textbooks. First, task description is analyzed, whichprovides the pupils with the topics of tasks in both textbooks. It will be seen if thetopics are real-life. Second, types of speaking, text type, cognitive processes, focus,classroom organization are quantitively analyzed to see if there are differentapproaches to Communicative Language Teaching between Chinese and Swedishtextbooks.Through comparison of these six aspects in different textbooks, there are three similarapproaches to Communicative Language Teaching: First, they both have real-worldtopics under which there are many real-world speaking tasks. Second, the dialoguesplay a main role in both textbooks. Third, pair and group work have dominantposition in these two books.Also there are three different approaches to Communicative Language Teaching: First,the Chinese textbook is directed towards accuracy while the Swedish textbook isdirected towards fluency. Second, the Chinese textbook focuses on form whereas theSwedish textbook focuses on meaning. Third, there is an information-gap approach inthe Chinese textbook where tasks based on information gap are obviously labeled.However, it cannot be found in the Swedish textbook.

This study aims to discover how Korean English language teachers navigate and negotiate their professional identities as they were immersed in the U.S. TESOL program. They would ultimately end up teaching English in Korea upon completing the U.S. TESOL program. For this purpose, this study examines the following research questions: (1) How did their experiences influence their teaching identities? (2) How do they come to reconstruct their teachers’ identities as a result of being matriculated in the U.S. Ph.D. TESOL program? And (3) how would they imagine their professional identities as Korean NNES professionals for their future teaching in Korea? In order to explore Korean NNES professionals’ identity changes, I used critical theory, as an epistemological consideration and narrative inquiry, as a methodological tool. I integrated the qualitative methods for the substantial investigation of different aspects of language ideologies through multiple sources: (1) casual conversation, (2) autobiographical accounts, (3) virtual discussions through blog entries, (4) in-depth interviews, and (5) E-interviews. I used a hermeneutic process to analyze data of the Korean NNES professionals’ identity constructions. From K-12 through graduate program, English was one of the gatekeepers and a form of capital for the participants in Korean society. The implementation of English-only classes led the participants, as NNES professionals, to be marginalized from English language education in Korea due to their lack of proficiency in English. The participants ended up enrolling in a U.S. TESOL program to gain U.S. degrees, to increase their oral proficiency of English, and to understand the theoretical background of TESOL. As the participants engaged in community of practice, they became members in an academic community, transformed their perceptions of English and of their teaching, and had constructed their hybrid teacher identities. The findings provide insights into experiences that would affect NNES professionals’ identity construction, paying attention to processes of ideological influences upon their beliefs and attitudes toward English language education in Korea and in the U.S. This study has implications for restructuring curricula in TESOL programs because its findings inform educators about NNES teacher candidates’ experiences and perspectives on English language education. / Gloria Park, Ph.D. Jeannine M. Fontaine, Ph.D. Lisya Seloni, Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2009. / "Graduate Program in Political Science." Includes bibliographical references (p. 451-456).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 230-255). Also available on the Internet.