How can I talk to others about climate change?

Welcome to The Regenerators.

Spreading a message is all about the language you use and the delivery.

There are lots of techniques you can use to become a better speaker… and a better listener!

This is crucial for talking about important things like climate change.

With a bit of practise, you can learn to communicate your points and express your feelings to other people.

Do you find it hard to talk about climate change? It is a big and emotional topic and it's sometimes hard to explain how you feel about it.

Climate vlogger Dr. Adam Levy knows all about this, and he's made a helpful video to get you started.

Everyone can learn how to be a better speaker and presenter.

These tips can help you to improve.

1. Think about what you want to say

Understand the topic you want to speak about. Everyone has their own experiences so it can help to talk about things that are important to you.

2. Speak clearly

Keep sentences simple and focused on your subject. This will help to get your point across.

3. Powerful words and sentence starters

The language you use is important and should be chosen carefully. For example, many people feel strong emotions when they hear words like 'danger' and 'crisis'.

You could also use these sentence starters to connect your presentation together:

• "The point being made is…"

• "In this image, you may notice…"

• "This is because…"

4. Speak to the audience and add emphasis

Try to keep eye contact with the person you're speaking to. This makes them feel more involved.

Practise changing your voice to emphasise important parts of your speech.

5. It's okay to make mistakes

Not everyone is comfortable with giving speeches. It's okay to make mistakes.

Use your passion for the subject to keep going and build your confidence.

Asking friends and family to give you feedback is a great way to improve.

It is important to learn how to be a good listener and participant in conversations.

These tips can help you to improve.

1. Pay attention

It is polite to pay attention when someone is talking to you, especially when it's something they feel emotional about.

Try to keep eye contact and not become distracted. (If you find this difficult, you could explain that to the other person.)

2. Ask questions

This is a chance for you to learn from the other person by asking questions.

Conversations go both ways. Your questions may help the speaker to better understand the points they are making.

When asking questions, try not to change the topic.

3. Arguments and opinions

It's okay to disagree with other people and to have your own opinions.

Try to explain clearly how your view on a topic is different from theirs, and why you feel that way.

4. Tone of voice

It's important not to raise your voice or to shout over the speaker.

Try to be fair and respond the way you'd like people to do to you.

It's important to make sure your information is correct, especially when talking about a topic like climate change.

Watch documentaries, read books and do your research.

Just because something is on the internet, it doesn’t make it true. If an article quotes a piece of research, try to find the original study to see when it was done (the more recent the better) and the sample size if relevant (the bigger the better).

Here is some helpful information about climate change. You can download or print this sheet to look at before or during your speech.

Using everything you've learnt in this lesson, make your own speech or presentation about climate change.

You can try this activity on your own. But if possible, work in pairs or in a small group. It means you can get feedback on your speech… and the others can practise their listening skills.

You might even want to record your speech!

We have designed a check list for you to print. Tick off each of the items as you practise how to talk to others about climate change.

Well done Regenerator, you've completed this lesson. Now let's see what you can remember.

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