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Speaking & Writing about writing & speaking | Author |Speaker | Teacher
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Ms Claire Duffy
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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...
5 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...
3 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...
2 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...
3 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...
2 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...
3 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,...
4 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...
3 min read


Memorable multi modals - Lighten up!
Multi Modal presentations can be a disiaster unless you have a good understanding of how the elements work together. A theory ...
2 min read


Look good and present well
Your Appearance has a great impact on the audience and on your effectiveness as a communicator. Dressing well for the occasion is part...
3 min read


Analogies, the wonder tool for making sense.
What happens if you want to interest  your listeners in something unfamiliar – a  new idea, technique, or approach to something, which...
3 min read


In praise of poetry
Reciting poetry, along with pretty well all training in reading aloud, has disappeared from the modern classroom. And I think we’re the...
3 min read


LISTEN. Seriously. Just. LISTEN.
To be an effective communicator, you have to be a good listener first. Take these key concepts on board: • Attending: This means showing...
2 min read


Storytelling : ‘bore no more’.
To be good presenter you do need to tell good stories. So here is how to start developing those skills. Master them  – and you will bore...
3 min read
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