This oral interpretation thesis studies the use of oral interpretation in social contexts. The context chosen was the Hospice movement, which deals with assisting terminally ill persons and their families through the stages of death and bereavement. A readers theatre script was compiled for "Ann's Haven: Hospice of Denton County," which was selected for the locus of this thesis. The script was presented to various civic groups for the purpose of informing the public and eliciting support for Ann's Haven. It was found that oral interpretation is a viable rhetorical tool and is well liked by audiences as a means of public enlightenment.

This study investigates the use of oral interpretation in social contexts. The context chosen was a community corrections program which provides education and employment assistance to adults on probation in Denton County, Texas. A solo interpretation script was incorporated into a public awareness presentation about the Denton County Probationer Education and Employment Program. The presentation was presented to a pilot audience to test the effectiveness of combining oral interpretation with public speaking to inform audiences about and elicit support for community corrections. It was determined that integrating an interpretative performance into an informational presentation is an effective method of employing oral interpretation outside the classroom and expanding its rhetorical dimensions.

This study consists of two parts, the completed videotape production and the production book. The videotape explores the history, organizational structure, and training requirements of the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Department of Public Safety. A copy of the videotape is shelved in the North Texas State University Media Center Library. The production book describes background preproduction, production, and postproduction of the videotape. Problems, their effects, and solutions are described. The study concludes that an effective videotape can be produced in-house with limited time, equipment, and personnel, at a cost far less than commercially produced films. The study makes specific recommendations for guidelines and planning of future productions.

The present study used a variety of procedures to investigate which selected communication factors interfered in the interpersonal communication process between hearing-impaired and hearing persons. Three hypotheses were tested and all of them were confirmed. The results of the analyses of responses to the variables revealed that hearing-impaired subjects had greater communication problems when interpersonally interacting with hearing targets than with deaf targets. The hearing subjects reported a higher level of state communication anxiety and an overall lower level of self-disclosure when interacting with deaf targets than with hearing targets.