A future for speech communication

William Work's assessment of a technologically rich communication environment stresses a need for developing comprehensive literacy. The failure of education in producing such skills may be due to a time‐bias favoring the present and past in curricular programs. Four developments must take place in order for the field of speech communication to contribute to the future development of high levels of consciousness in human communication. Speech communication must be futurized, civilized, politicized, and globalized.