The second edition of Communicating Today is a timely revision of this successful text for the basic "hybrid" or "blend" course. In twenty chapters, this text offers a unique look at the field of speech communication, combining thorough coverage of all primary areas of the discipline with an understanding of its evolution from the past to the present and its directions for the future. Communicating Today combines a competency approach to building basic communication skills with a practical introduction to the theory of the field. In keeping with current research and pedagogy in the discipline, this edition contains a chapter on "Technology and Communication" (Ch. 20). Communicating Today includes a major update of the contemporary coverage of today's emerging topics: Critical Thinking, Communicating in Careers, Diversity in Communication, and Communicating in Family and Society. Communicating Today, Second Edition continues to be the only text on the market to explore virtually every area of speech communication by taking a chronological approach.Students will be able to learn how to communicate effectively in a variety of settings including the group, the interview, the public forum, the family, the classroom, and the media. This comprehensive introduction to the field also examines significant topics such as technology, health and lifespan communication, gender communication, free speech, and performance studies.