Resource of the Week #202: A Podcast on Writing and Speaking

Hello again. Most mornings as I get ready for work, I listen to our local public radio station. Doing so helps me keep up with the news and provides cultural enrichment. On Wednesday mornings, it also supplies enjoyable instruction on communication.

The instruction comes from a series titled “In a Word”. This series consists of a 3-minute episode each week. Each episode discusses a different aspect of writing or speaking. Here are some examples of the episodes’ titles:

• Passive and Active Voice
• Slide Design
• Writing Abstracts
• Sentence Variety
• Managing Group Writing Projects
• Email Signatures
• Managing Stage Fright

These radio episodes are available as podcasts. Thus, people can listen to them whenever they want. More than 50 of these podcasts are posted. One can access not only episodes from past weeks but also those for upcoming weeks.

The episodes come from our university writing center. Recently I complimented the writing center member whose voice is now heard in the podcasts. She said the podcasts are a team effort, with some members drafting episodes and others giving feedback.

I encourage you to listen to these podcasts and mention them to others. They’re informative and often entertaining. They also can provide good listening practice. A nice aid for authors and speakers!

Until the next post—

Barbara