Cultivating Confident Communicators

If you missed the gifts given for Day 10, you can still access these resources:

• Podcast Episode 204: The Four Language Arts Part 2: Speaking
• Podcast Episode 251: Nurturing Competent Communicators, Part 1
• Podcast Episode 252: Nurturing Competent Communicators, Part 2

Confident communication does not come naturally. Whether speaking or writing, an effective communicator requires a database of sophisticated language patterns and the methods by which to convey them. The gifts from the tenth day of IEW’s Twelve Days of Christmas Giving center on the concept of helping students become competent communicators.

The main gift of the day is a sample of IEW’s newest video-based course Introduction to Public Speaking (available Spring 2023). The sample reveals that public speaking does not have to be daunting. In this twelve-week course, middle- and high-school students learn memory and delivery techniques as they write and present five speeches: self-introductory, narrative, expository, persuasive, and impromptu. Students evaluate recorded speeches in preparation for self-evaluation. This self-explanatory program empowers teachers to help students become competent and confident public speakers.

Reading out loud to students in great quantities and having them memorize lots of poetry are two of the most important ways to help students fill their brains with expansive vocabulary and sophisticated syntax. With his familiar wit and wisdom, Andrew discusses these concepts in more detail in his presentation Nurturing Competent Communicators – The Power of Linguistic Patterns. His words encourage and enlighten teachers and teaching parents to assist in strengthening their students’ communication abilities. A great resource that can help you begin cultivating your students’ minds with sophisticated language is IEW Book Recommendations, which includes literature, poetry, and other related resources.

Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are all skills that develop over time with proper cultivation. These skills, known as the four language arts, are the building blocks of communication. As with any art, proficiency comes with nurturing and practice. For many of us, though, just the thought of writing a paper or speaking in public can bring about doubt, fear, and anxiety. Fortunately, we have another resource that can help build mastery in communication. “The Four Language Arts Part 2: Speaking” (Podcast 204) features Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discussing ways to foster adeptness in formal speaking. Additionally, the article “The Arts of Language” is a beneficial resource covering all four of the language arts.

Proficiency in writing and speaking is essential throughout school, business, and life in general. Unfortunately in today's world, it seems to be lacking. IEW equips teachers and teaching parents with the methods and materials which will aid them in training their students to become confident and competent communicators and thinkers. We have seen many young people grow into exactly that after using IEW materials. From listening to speaking, from reading to writing, students can flourish with the proper training and nurturing.