Oral Communication and Technical Writing

Daniel Reifsnider

Cibangu, S. K. (2009). Oral Communication and Technical Writing: A Reconsideration of Writing in a Multicultural Era. Journal of Technical Writing & Communication, 39(1), 79-105.

In this article, Cibangu traces the history of oral communications within the field of technical communication in order to show the importance orality has played in the development of technical communications. Cibangu states that, “The article calls for orality as an integral part and driving force of technical writing,” and that, “(it) brings to light the misconceptions that have led to a diminished role of oral communication in technical writing.” Cibangu begins the article with a brief introduction of orality in academia and also defines how he will use orality throughout the article. He then begins outlining the history between orality and literacy through their roots in antiquity and then on to the 19th century and more modern times. Moving past the formal history, he then examines the history of orality within the context of technical communications, with the, ”hopes of crafting avenues for orality” within the field. In doing so Cibangu hopes to add a new dimension in the work of defining technical communications as a field, and also hopes to enrich the field as a whole through the use of oral communication.

This article is interesting within the context of the history of technical communication through its tracings of orality in relation to technical communication. It supposes that technical communication has been in existence since oral communication started, long before the advent of writing. Insomuch it begs for a new look at the field of technical communication, one that combines its rich history of orality with the concrete products of technical writing in order to enrich the field. By doing so, Cibangu argues, not only would the technical communicator benefit, but also would the users for which the technical discourse is intended.