Using the Burkeian pentad in the education of the basic speech student

Kenneth Burke's pentad has served as the basis for numerous research projects in the speech communication field over the last thirty years. The pentad, however, has received scant notice in the basic speech course. It is this paper's contention that through pentadic studies, the basic course student can benefit in two ways: (1) by gaining a stronger theoretical base for the understanding of communication; (2) by acquiring a more thorough knowledge of speech criticism.