No School Left Behind Speech by Stephen Twigg

by Blogmaster Posted on June 18, 2013
Stephen Twigg speech at the RSA
Stephen Twigg’s “no school left behind” speech at the RSA

Shadow Education Secretary Stephen Twigg has joined the schools debate with a speech at the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts.

The speech by the Member of Parliament for Liverpool West Derby is likely to win him friends in the public education field…simply because he’s not Michael Gove MP, the Secretary of State for Education.

Unusually his speech took three themes: freedom, devolution and collaboration. But he stayed true to those themes throughout the speech.

His speech emphasised the current fashion for very short non-sentences:

As Andreas Schleicher says, collaboration doesn’t just fall from the sky. Here there is an important role for central government.

As the enabler of collaboration.

Short non-sentences do work in speeches, but not in too great a quantity.

The very important not this, but that device favoured by just about every politician made an appearance:

Not new duties, but giving teeth to existing responsibilities.

Laboured Turn of Phrase in Speech

Without an intended pun much of the language in the speech was very laboured, with hints of origins in a policy focus group. For example, we heard:

That is why I would bring forward changes to the Schools Admissions Code…

Political speakers appear to have eyes and ears only for “bringing forward”. Their speeches would have a better turn of phrase were they not too timid to use alternatives such as:

  • Introduce
  • Implement
  • Do
  • Make happen or make changes

It is strange and I suspect that its source is the Commons debating chamber.

I’m not sure whether he’d intended for the title of his speech, “No School Left Behind,” to have echoes of a George W. Bush legacy. Somehow I doubt it. But President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind Act” was probably closer to the former Labour Government’s school apparatus of test, checks and controls than many would expect.

It’s clear that Mr Twigg had a huge amount to say in this speech. That much was apparent with one passage two thirds of the way through his speech:

A school system based on evidence not dogma.

That is what a One Nation schools system is about.

Networked schools in a networked world

No school left behind.

That means schools working together.

Working in collaboration to spread excellence.

It’s all there. Everything an audience could hope for from an opposition front bench spokesman’s speech.


 

 

 

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No Exhibition For President Putin English Speech

by Blogmaster Posted on June 17, 2013

President Putin Bids For Expo With English Speech

A speech by President Putin last week aimed to boost support for Russia’s bid to host the Expo 2020 exhibition. He gave his speech in English, directed at members, delegates and guests of the International Exhibitions Bureau, from one of the Kremlin’s ornate reception rooms.

Speaking direct to camera, his speech made the case for Russia to host the 2020 World Expo event in Russia’s fourth largest city, Yekaterinburg.

His command of the English language is probably not enough for him to give the speech without a teleprompter. But let’s remember that he does also speak German. Not a bad score for languages.

His speech made the point that Russia attended the first World Expo in London in 1851 and won a gold exhibitor’s medal at the 1900 event in Paris…but, to date, has not had the privilege of hosting the event. Now is the time?

The speech made clear his resolve that Russia should be successful. Perhaps that was why he gave his speech in English–choosing not to rely on a translator or subtitles? That gamble might pay off as he appeared sincere with his ambition to host the Expo. Certainly the detail of the speech also supported favourable inducements for others to support the Russian bid. That’s probably as important as an assured speech when it comes to these events.

Now, once again, I would like to make this very clear: Russia guarantees to fulfill the complete range of requirements set by the International Expositions Bureau.

This wasn’t his most self-assured speaking performance. Not dissimilar to the Duchess of Cornwall’s French speech in Paris earlier this month, giving a speech in a foreign language requires nerve and attention to detail–particularly when you are not that fluent. But, it’s an impressive skill nonetheless.


 

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Cyndi Lauper Shows True Colors With Tony Acceptance Speech

by Blogmaster Posted on June 11, 2013
Cyndi Lauper speech at the Tonys
Cyndi Lauper’s acceptance speech at the Tonys

New Yorker Cyndi Lauper is no stranger to Broadway with a theatre credit that includes a stage performance in the 2006 production of The Threepenny Opera.

But composing the score for the Broadway success Kinky Boots catapulted Cyndi to her first Tony Award last night. Her score for Kinky Boots won the award in the category of best original score written for the theatre.

Her acceptance speech was breathless. That betrayed her surprise at the award. She kept things brief, immediately noting:

I know, no laundry list

She’d been well-briefed by the organisers who were desperate to avoid lengthy and incoherent speeches.

But she had clearly practised her speech that she delivered without notes or a script.

I can’t say I wasn’t practising in front of the shower curtain for a couple of days for this speech.

Her speech took a familiar line with a heartfelt thank you to her mother for inspiring her to sing.

She thanked other family members in her creditably short speech. But brevity aside she managed to roll off a whole list of cast members, producers and directors. In fact her speech paid tribute to just about everyone connected to Kinky Boots.

Her speech appeared to take a theme of inspiration with:

Your hard work inspires me

and

You guys inspire me…

She’s written a cracking score for Kinky Boots and her speech, breathless and brief, also showed both originality and style…and not a little inspiration.


 

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