A review of the literature on assessing communications skills is presented. Communication skills are dividied into five areas: reading literacy, writing literacy, functional literacy, oral communication, and listening. Within each area, a definition is given, current assessment views are listed, and descriptions of relevant research are provided. The research reported is generally limited to new assessment techniques which show potential for future applications, and to studies at the elementary through secondary levels. Activity-oriented research is emphasized. Innovative and technical research from Canada, the United States, Great Britain and other English-speaking countries is reported. Reviews are limited to research from 1970 to the present. The literature review is organized as follows: (1) assessing communication skills--an overview; (2) bibliographic essay on research for literacy assessment; (3) bibliographic essay on oral communications and listening; (4) bibliographies on each of the five skill areas, and general overview; and (5) five appendices which contain summaries of individual research projects in each of the skill areas. (MH)