Our discussion about speech communication education(henceforth abbreviated as SCE) has been ongoing since the introduction of the communication theory. Heated debates are frequently observed due to the development of civil democracy and the spread of mass media such as radio, TV and movies.
Research may start with microanalysis and ends with macroanalysis, or vice versa. The definition of SCE became a philosophy, which regulates the range of the study. The philosophy developed from the theory of SCE, to a close examination of the topic through discourse analysis, then to the practice and evaluation of the theory. Research trends in and prospects for SCE were discussed within a matrix of education phenomenal strata and research viewpoints. The education phenomenal strata were divided into five substrata: philosophical, theoretical, analytical, practical, and meta-evaluational strata. The research viewpoints were divided into six subgroups: formal, functional, historical, cultural, thinking & problemsolving, and individual/group developmental viewpoints.
The results of this study are as follows:
First, research interest in SCE has expanded from a traditional education of public speech to practical education of speech communication such as debates, discourse, interviews, and presentations.
Second, current research in SCE has a tendency to pay more attention to the speaker-hearer relationship and their emotional domain. It might be caused by the prevalence of the functional viewpoint of SCE in which communication strategies are emphasized.
Third, there is a new approach to SCE in which an individual"s speech communication cannot be understood from the contemporary aspect of his/her speech; it should be considered from a historical perspective, instead. Hence, the need for a diachronic perspective in SCE.
Fourth, it is necessary that we should discuss SCE from a long-term perspective such as SCE for a Unified Korea in the future. We already live in a society which requires us to offer not only SCE to students from multi-cultural backgrounds, but also SCE to students who emigrated from North Korea.
Fifth, researchers came to recognize the importance of an alternative and creative thinking, which can be enhanced by encouraging the students to solve their problems through discussion.
And finally, the horizon of the research in SCE has been expanded from the discussion about an individual"s speech communication to the discussion about the relational speech communication, then to the discussion about SCE with a group developmental viewpoint.
Further research on SCE should reflect the current trends in SCE and include a systematic and comprehensive discussion within a matrix of philosophical, theoretical, analytical, and practical strata. We need new theories or models which can be applied to experimental or action research, and discussions about meta-evaluation are also required.