B3249 - WRITING, SPEAKING, AND ADVOCATING IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Learning outcomes

The workshop is designed to provide students with the skills needed to draft reports and short essays for official and/or internal use in international organizations by strengthening their capacity to write in a clear, concise and effective manner and to make effective public presentations by learning theoretical and practical notions of clear and effective communication strategies.

Course contents

The course will focus on the use of theory and practice to learn fundamental notions about clear and effective communication strategies, audience analysis, and how to structure arguments and findings in speech and writing.

The class will assess and learn from the main written formats used in daily operations in international affairs (international organisations, governments, non-governmental organisations, think-tanks, transnational and international business).

Through the course ten modules, students will improve their writing and oral presentation skills, by strengthening their capacity to write in a clear, concise and effective manner; choose appropriate writing formats; adapt the writing style to technical formats; deliver compelling texts and eloquent speeches; craft persuasive recommendations; address cultural diversity and use a more inclusive language.

 

- Module 1: Introduction, Knowledge Level

- Module 2: Goals, Audience, Key Arguments

- Module 3: Text Structure; Writing Techniques

- Module 4: Key types: Context Analyses, Policy Notes, Records

- Module 5: Key types: Project Plans, Progress Reports, Evaluations

- Module 6: Speechwriting (plus external guest)

- Module 7: Delivering Effective and Persuasive Presentations

- Module 8: Participatory workshop: Presentations

- Module 9: Participatory workshop: Debates

- Module 10: Review, Feedback and Conclusion

- Final written exam.

 

Please note: more information on the course will be available before the second semester.

Readings/Bibliography

Teaching material:

Handouts for each module will be shared after classes.

 

Recommended reading:

- W. Strunk Jr and E.B. White, The Elements of Style, Pearson, 4th edition, 1999.

Optional readings:

- M. Cutts, Oxford Guide to Plain English, Oxford University Press, 5th edition, 2020.

- Steven Pinker, The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century, Penguin, 2015.

- The Economist Style Guide, 12th edition, 2018.

 

Please note: Reading material will be updated during the first semester.

Teaching methods

This course is part of the University's teaching experimentation project.

The course will be taught blending interactive lectures with a practical workshop component. Students will engage in report writing, speech crafting and analysis.

Due to the focus on formats, delivery methods and key examples, students' attendance is strongly recommended for all modules.

Students shall participate to at least 70% of the course modules to be eligible for the final exam.

 

Assessment methods

Students will be evaluated through their active participation and a final written essay.

Office hours

See the website of Giuseppe Famà