About the Talk
Philip spoke to a packed and enthusiastic audience about how to improve writing by taking cues from advertising. He reminded the audience that at the university level, it is not enough to know grammar. Instead, we need to recover from "clutter disease": writing long, windy sentences without focus or impact.
To improve our writing he taught from successful, clever, and memorable ads and slogans. He highlighted their virtues of brevity and creativity, helping us to enter the minds native English speakers. He also suggested learning from English language sports writers and broadcasters to write and speak with enthusiasm, wit, and precision.
The audience enjoyed his amusing and interesting examples and explanations, and will surely benefit from his proposed medicine to cure the "clutter disease".
Video of the talk: Make every word count: stealing the secrets of better writing from advertising
(PN181 .Y49 2013)
About the Author
Mr Philip Yeung is speechwriter to the President of HKUST and Senior Communication Manager at Public Affairs Office. He was formerly a freelance speechwriter to many Hong Kong leaders, including the current Financial Secretary and the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury. He was a frequent contributor to the South China Morning Post on English language, education and social issues. He has delivered effective writing workshops to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Mr Yeung completed his undergraduate and graduate education at the University of Toronto and studied briefly at Exeter College, Oxford University on a scholarship.
For enquiry, please contact Victoria Caplan at 2358-6756.
