Introductions Imagine you just walked into a completely strange place, a plain building with no name on the front, no signage, or other...

Appreciating a writer’s intention, understanding what they did to achieve it (which includes their writing techniques – the kind of...

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...

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...

We only need punctuation because language was originally spoken. We didn’t get the written form of English first. It’s the spoken format...

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...

I could call this 'Communication Lessons from a wise old Greek'. Aristotle’s  ‘Rhetorical Triangle‘ (ethos pathos logos)  is  well known...

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...

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...

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?...

A eulogy is one of the hardest public speaking commitments there is. But delivering a eulogy is a privilege, an honour and an...

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...

Information reveals and clarifies options. Persuasion is about choosing among options. To be persuasive you have to convince and...

Whether casual or formal, speeches are part of most ceremonies and rituals. These occasions mark a change in someone’s life, a...

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...

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...

A ‘pattern of arrangement’ is a way of ordering the contents of your speech.  It provides the listener with a sense of shape and...

1. Allow enough time The biggest mistake most people  make is to underestimate how long this takes.  Speeches may appear unstudied,...

In theatre there are staging calls, and technical rehearsals,  and dress rehearsals, all of  which give the performers an opportunity to...

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...