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
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...
2 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 ...
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...
2 min read
Developing the speech
Notice I avoid saying ‘write the script’. The spoken word and the written word are different, and this presents a trap for speakers. The...
3 min read
Shape and Structure | Arrange your stuff
The way you assemble your material is crucial for making the right impact. There are some basic components which any essay or ...
3 min read
Oral Presentations: Finish with oomph
How do you close in a way that makes them feel galvanised, reinforces your message and makes you memorable? Not by shuffling and...
2 min read
How to write an ANZAC day speech
If you are saying something official on Anzac Day, you should start by reading the information kit which the APL has compiled. It is...
3 min read
The art of the apology
It took ten years for the Bringing Them Home Report to become the subject of an official apology. It’s a national reminder of how...
2 min read
Presenting Data and Statistics
This famous statistical graphic shows the losses of Napoleon's army as it attempted to invade Russia in 1812. The thick band shows the...
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