Nail the first paragraph
Introductions Imagine you just walked into a completely strange place, a plain building with no name on the front, no signage, or other...
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Speaking & Writing about writing & speaking | Author |Speaker | Teacher
Ms Claire Duffy
Speak for yourself!
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3 min read
Analytical essays
Appreciating a writer’s intention, understanding what they did to achieve it (which includes their writing techniques – the kind of...
3 min read
Spelling - the nightmare explained
Spelling is the bridge between the spoken and the written word. It’s how we convert one into the other. All children learn to speak as a...
2 min read
Imaginative writing - you can do it!
Writing is a process Nobody sits down and tosses a great piece of writing off first try. Writing well takes time. There are four steps in...
6 min read
Punctuate or perish
We only need punctuation because language was originally spoken. We didn’t get the written form of English first. It’s the spoken format...
3 min read
Tone | Register | Attitude
The language you use changes depending on the situation you're in, who you're talking to, and what it’s about. It's the situation or...
5 min read
Writing Arguments | THE ESSENTIALS
I could call this 'Communication Lessons from a wise old Greek'. Aristotle’s ‘Rhetorical Triangle‘ (ethos pathos logos) is well known...
3 min read
Nuke those nerves – you can!
Public speaking makes most people nervous, but it’s like playing a sport, learning an instrument or being in a play. It’s a physical...
3 min read
Help! I have to be in a debate
I’m a great believer in debating as a life skill, and I am thrilled to see it happening so much, but you may very well have shunned...
3 min read
Impromptu speaking: when you have to wing it
If you find yourself needing to speak NOW, here are some techniques to help you. 1. Scan the audience. Who are they? Why are they here?...
3 min read
How to Deliver a Eulogy
A eulogy is one of the hardest public speaking commitments there is. But delivering a eulogy is a privilege, an honour and an...
3 min read
Secrets to not screwing up under pressure
It’s to do with the way we store and recall things. The conscious or ‘working’ memory is described by researcher Sian Beilock in New...
2 min read
How to make a persuasive speech
Information reveals and clarifies options. Persuasion is about choosing among options. To be persuasive you have to convince and...
2 min read
Special Occasion Speaking
Whether casual or formal, speeches are part of most ceremonies and rituals. These occasions mark a change in someone’s life, a...
3 min read
Speechwriting Step 1: Define your purpose
The spoken word and the written word are different, and the key to success for speakers is being good to listen to. A speech is an oral...
2 min read
Speechwriting step 2: the rough draft
Let’s assume you followed the advice in the first post in this series. Your head is full of things you want to say and you have clarified...
3 min read
Speechwriting step 3: architecture
A ‘pattern of arrangement’ is a way of ordering the contents of your speech. It provides the listener with a sense of shape and...
4 min read
Speechwriting Step 4: write the words
1. Allow enough time The biggest mistake most people make is to underestimate how long this takes. Speeches may appear unstudied,...
3 min read
Speechwriting step 5: Rehearse and re-edit
In theatre there are staging calls, and technical rehearsals, and dress rehearsals, all of which give the performers an opportunity to...
3 min read
Step 6: You’re on!
If your script were a cake, the last step is to bake it. You’ve done a lot of work on the preparation, now you need to make sure it...
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