Back to topics

A summary and a call to action do different jobs

A summary tells listeners what to take away; a call to action asks what they could do with it. The two can support each other, but a clear request also depends on whether the audience has the information, opportunity, and ability to respond.

3–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • What makes the proposed action relevant and feasible for these listeners?
  • How could the ending change when the goal is understanding rather than a specific action?

Start reading

Ready to try your ideas aloud?

Your topic carries over. Record up to 2½ minutes, depending on your plan.

Communication

Why can the same pause mean different things?

A pause after a difficult question can sound thoughtful. A pause after a joke can feel like rejection. Silence has no words, yet we interpret it against the response we expected and the relationship we think we have.

4–6 min

Why can the same pause mean different things?

Communication4–6 minA pause after a difficult question can sound thoughtful. A pause after a joke can feel like rejection. Silence has no words, yet we interpret it against the response we expected and the relationship we think we have.

Communication

A warning for readers 10,000 years from now

Buried radioactive waste can remain hazardous far beyond the lifespan of today's institutions and languages. A warning intended to last 10,000 years must survive, attract attention, and communicate danger to unfamiliar readers. Explore which assumptions about future people a marker design can safely make.

3–7 min

A warning for readers 10,000 years from now

Communication3–7 minBuried radioactive waste can remain hazardous far beyond the lifespan of today's institutions and languages. A warning intended to last 10,000 years must survive, attract attention, and communicate danger to unfamiliar readers. Explore which assumptions about future people a marker design can safely make.

Gestures can supply information missing from a sentence

Communication3–7 minGestures can convey ideas that differ from the accompanying words. In one study of children explaining math problems, researchers examined what adults did with those additional clues.

A summary and a call to action do different jobs | Speech Topic | speaking.app