(6/4) Speechology: The Science of Speech Writing.

Speech writing can be a daunting task. Not only do I have to create something, informative and entertaining but I need to present it in front of 24 pairs of judgemental eyes. But it doesn't need to be daunting. The process of speech writing can be broken down and although we can't bottle 'humour' and 'entertainment' we can make it easier for us to write an effective persuasive speech.

 

So here is the 8 step plan for effective speech writing. (Mr Abbott's speech writer start taking notes now)

 

1. The Introduction.

 An effective introduction boils down to three things. Hooking the audience, clearly introducing the issue and outlining your contention and supporting arguments.

 

 

2. The Hook.
Your introduction needs to include a hook, to grasp the audiences attention. You can't be persuasive if your audience is doodling in their margins. Make your audience take notice by including a anecdote, a relevant joke or cheeky quote. You either pretend to be someone else (called taking on a persona) to make your speech even more interesting.

 

3. Making your speech logical and easy to follow.

 You MUST make your speech easy to follow. This means signposting your ideas throughout your piece and ensuring that your ideas are logically sequenced throughout your speech.

 

4. Your speech must have a structure.

 Structure is important. This may seem obvious but a poorly structured speech can make it impossible to follow and difficult to understand. Signpost you ideas and employ a structure such as the one provided by your teacher.

 

5. Persuasive Language Techniques are boss.

 Include PLTs to help you engage your audience and to also make your speech persuasive.

 

6. Include Evidence.

Each of your ideas need to be supported by evidence. This can take the form of statistics, expert opinion or facts. These provide support for your ideas and validates your argument.

 

7. Speak clearly and in an engaging manner.

 Nothing is duller then a robot reading about euthanasia. Don't be a robot. Be expressive, fluent, engaging, look at the audience, vary your tone, speech with passion. Do not read from notes, do not memorize your speech, do not speak at one pace. Do not be a politician. 

 

8. Conclude your presentation with a <BANG> 

Leave the audience wanting more, with something to think about or a reason to take action. Our conclusion will be the last thing people hear of your. You must restate your contention but do it in an interesting way that engages the audience. Linking into an idea established in the introduction can be effective.

(5/4) Ten Best Tweets On Gender Equality

Ten Best Tweets On Gender Equality

10:
 Overheard: ‘He was crying and I told him to suck it up and be a man, no son of mine is going to be such a sissy.’ It’s the disgusting reinforcement of gender roles that is leading to depression amongst our young men. Lets put a stop to it. #himforher #genderequality


9:
Men can’t sit idly by and expect social change. Gender equality is something men and women must work towards together. #education #activesocialdynamism


8:
Men and women are born different. To suggest otherwise is psuedoscience. True equality will come through separation and the acceptance of difference. #genderrights

(4/4) How to Write Persuasive Tweets 101

How to Write Persuasive Tweets 101

When writing a tweet that is intended to be persuasive you need to bear the following in mind.

1.              With only 140 characters you need to make every word count. NO FLUFF.

2.              It is best to address the opposing argument in the 1st section and establish your own argument in the 2nd. These ideas should be linked and relate to each other.

3.              It can also be effective to propose a call to action suggesting the reader act to enforce change.

4.              You must be direct; your argument can not be vague. You must establish a single argument that is free from ambiguity. Don’t attempt to say too much. Concentrate on the one idea.

5.              Short, sharp sentences will work best. Like any piece of prose your ideas must progress in a logical manner.

6.              Word play is very effective. The use of puns, alliteration, rhyme can provide punch to your tweet.

Each of the points above is tweet length. 140 characters or less.

 Working Example #1

(1)Men can’t sit idly by and expect social change. (2) Gender equality is something men and women must work towards together. (3) #education #activesocialdynamism

 

(1)  First sentence addresses an opposing argument (That men can’t, or aren’t affected by gender inequality)

(2)  Second sentence establishes author’s argument and links into previous sentence. (That men and women must work together to achieve gender equality)

(3)  Hashtags employed to call the reader to action and suggest a solution. (That change will come through actively engaging in a active social dialogue and through promoting education)

 

 

 

(3/4) Euthanasia: About Life Not Death

Euthanasia: About Life, Not Death.

 

A lot has been spoken about death lately. Amongst talk about death and dignity, and about giving the ‘dying’ a voice, has been a quiet yet passionate minority who have suggested that perhaps the euthanasia debate should be defined by life.  Perhaps we should be celebrating the lives of the individuals rather than defining them by their deaths.

 

A change of legislation would provide alternative avenues for the vulnerable to be exploited. The potential for financial exploitation would certainly be in some cases be too great for ‘emotionally distraught’ families. If we place the fate of terminally ill patients in the hands of their often greedy ‘next of kin’ then surely there will be cases of families euthanizing ‘loved ones’ because of the financial burden or to obtain an inheritance. It's a slippery slope. This represents a failing of our ‘duty of care’ as a society. We should be protecting the most vulnerable within our community, not increasing the potential for them to be exploited.

Rather than protecting the dignity of the terminally ill as has been suggested we would essentially be stripping these individuals of the little power they have. Power which comes from the ability to live and from the life they have enjoyed. ‘The Euthanasia Laws Act’ of 1997 repealed a Euthanasia law that threatened the rights of the terminally ill and protected the power they have. Ultimately the law was a celebration in humanity. Protecting the rights of the terminally ill and celebrating the life and value of the lives they represent.

 

We should be celebrating life, embracing it, protecting it. Euthanasia destroys it. purposefully ending life prematurely. That's murder. And murder is NEVER dignified.

 

The post above is fictional in nature. It has been written for educational value. All names and circumstances are not based on real life examples

(2/4) The Life and Death Debate

The Life and Death Debate

Is it really a debate?

When Steven Pickering was 38 he contracted cancer of the oesophagus for 10 years he lobbied to be able to choose to die with dignity and conscious of his decision feel into a deep sleep with a smile on his face on the 19^th of August 2013. He was 51. By his side were his adult daughter Stephanie and his wife of 35 years Marie. Content with the knowledge that Steve had achieved everything he had desired and had been active throughout his latter hands his daughter and wife sat solemnly, but with an ease of gratification on their faces the solitude yet intimacy of Stevens death plain for all to see. Would it be fair to deny Mr Pickering the right to die. Must he endure the pain of his affliction. Must Stephanie and Marie waiting around watching the agony in his face? Listening to the horror in his voice?

Mr Pickering’s case and several others have provoked debate about the morality of assisted suicide and whether commonwealth legislation should be amended to allow people the freedom to die with dignity if they are in severe pain and/or are terminally ill. We enjoy the freedom to live how we desire why do with have that freedom stripped from us when it comes to our death, going peacefully and with dignity.

Stephanie Pickering says she'll remember her dad for the bubbling adventurer he once was and although in latter life he become a shell of the man he once was he nevertheless took solace in the freedom he was afforded.

'Dad died with a smile on his face. This disease was a tragedy it stripped him of his life and freedom in his prime. But he was ultimately able confront it. The process provided him with control, freedom, respect and a sense of dignity and that's all he could ask for.'

 

The post above is fictional in nature. It has been written for educational value. All names and circumstances are not based on real life examples

 

(1/4) 5 Essential steps in writing an awesome comment!!!

5 Essential steps in writing an awesome comment!!!

With a comment you are directly responding to another writer's blog/argument/idea. it is not simply a response however you must establish your own argument that is properly structured.

1) Recognise the Contention from the Blog you are responding to: This should be your first sentence. You are essentially outlining what the opposing side is contending. This response can be as simple as, 'In your latest post you suggest that...' opening in this fashion establishes your understanding of the opposing side and provides a scaffold for you frame your piece.

2) Counter Argument/Rebuttal: you also need to establish a counter argument, that is a direct response to an argument made by the opposing side. It is not enough to simply recognise the argument at this stage, you must provide reasons/evidence for why one opposing argument is false and suggest an alternative. After recognising the opposing contention you are offering a rebuttal. 'In your latest post you suggest that...[opposing contention.] However if...'

3) Establish your own argument: you also need to make one argument to support your side of the issue. This argument does not need to relate to the blog you are responding to, this is YOUR opinion and should be structured so that it is easily accessible. You should establish a topic sentence that outlines your argument and explain why you believe your point is relevant. You should employ the use of persuasive techniques to supplement your argument.

4) Introduce Evidence: You should include evidence of some sort in either the rebuttal or your own argument. This is important to ensure your argument is valid and supported by evidence. this can take the form of statistics, expert opinion or a anecdote.

5) A call to action: you need to conclude by encouraging action on the part of the reader. This is an effective way of concluding your piece and inferring that unless action is taken it will be detrimental in some way. A way to do this would be to suggest that '... we need to ensure that...[what needs to be done] otherwise...[Consequence]'