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Exploring themes with David Williamson

Watch this clip to learn about David Williamson's background and what themes fascinate him as a playwright. What ideas does he enjoy exploring in his plays?

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MathXplosion, Ep 48: The most important thing when solving word problems

It's very important to read problems carefully so you can determine the important facts and understand the questions you are being asked to solve. You may find an answer using pictures and numbers, but if you didn’t answer the right question, what seems right can actually be wrong.

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Heywire: Crocodiles, jellyfish and self-expression

Have you ever sat through a classmate's oral presentation and nearly fallen asleep in the middle of it? Often this is because the speaker isn't using their voice in a way that gets your attention and keeps you interested. In this Heywire audio story, explore how Alpha Capaque, a young woman from the Northern Territory, ...

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Powerful words: Gough Whitlam's dismissal

Gough Whitlam is the only Australian prime minister to have been sacked from office - along with his entire government. After learning of his dismissal, Mr Whitlam addressed the Australian public and uttered a line that has resonated throughout Australian politics since 1975. Words can be immensely powerful and, as you ...

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Heywire: Asian and Australian: it's easy to be me

Many Australians are members of two cultures: the culture of their homes and the culture of society at large. In this Heywire clip, learn about the experiences of Michael Lam, whose Vietnamese Australian family lives in Townsville, Queensland.<br /><br />Could you write or record a story about yourself and/or your community? ...

Audio

Heywire: When I'm riding, I don't think about my Asperger's

Jordan Gyss, who was born with Asperger's syndrome, says he found life before cycling 'one giant pain'. In this Heywire audio story, he describes how competitive cycling helps him manage his condition while providing a source of excitement and challenge. Could you write or record a similar story about yourself and/or your ...

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Hannie Rayson on writing complex roles for women

Watch as Hannie Rayson describes her early desire to write multidimensional, complex roles for women in her plays. What was this in response to?  Why is it important for audiences to see female characters as well as male characters driving drama in plays? 

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Heywire: Leaving home, leaving yourself

Leaving the only home you've ever known can be tough. For Janet Brown, it led to a serious case of depression. Although she was able to work through this, for a time Janet felt that she had lost everything, including herself. In her Heywire story Janet constructs a powerful image of her condition.<br /><br />To talk with ...

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Radio National: Gender convergence in teenager swearing

Explore how the use of swearing by teenagers is changing. Maria Zijlstra talks to Mike Thelwall, Professor of Information Science at the University of Wolverhampton, about the upsurge in swearing on social networking sites, especially among girls. He contends that, in the UK in particular, swearing is losing its shock value ...

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Voice of the People: The Aussie Accent: Whaddya reckon, mate?

Imagine a world where everybody sounded exactly the same when they spoke. What might that be like? Are there 'good' and 'bad' ways to speak? In this clip, listen to the opinions of many people about whether Australians have a bad accent.

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Radio National: What makes a great speech?

Did you know that making a speech in public is rated as one of most people's greatest fears? There is however an art to making a great speech. Listen as Don Watson speech-writer for the former Prime minister Paul Keating, Michael Gurr playwright and speech-writer, and Ted Widmer foreign policy speech writer for former US ...

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Sculpting ideas into stories with Andy Griffiths

Watch this clip to learn how Andy Griffiths turns his ideas into stories. In particular, listen to the way Andy describes how his collaboration with illustrator Terry Denton works. Now team up with a friend or family member and take on the roles of author and illustrator. What ideas can you come up with by working together? ...

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Heywire: Running towards mental health

Would you accept someone's argument if you didn't think the person presenting it was credible? Explore Nakita Sobczyk's Heywire audio story and reflect on what makes her an ideal person to educate others about mental illness. As you do, consider the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle's discussion of how 'ethos' can be ...

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The language of criticism

Language is a powerful tool and the way it is used can sometimes disempower or devalue people and their ideas. Listen to young art critic and aspiring painter Robert Hughes as he discusses the Beat Generation. Explore how questions can be used to influence listeners and how language can reveal the attitudes and values of ...

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Jennifer Byrne Presents: Anything's possible

What are writers of Young Adult (or YA) fiction seeking to achieve? What obligations do they have to their audience, if any? In this clip, listen as four successful authors share their ideas on these things.

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Four Corners: Core speech with extras, thanks

A national survey in the 1960s indicated that the use of spoken English was surprisingly similar throughout Australia. This challenged the notion of 'regionalism', which suggested that people from different places would use language in different ways. In this clip, two leading academics discuss regionalism and suggest that ...

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Can We Help?: The keys to clearer explanations

G'day cobber! Are you a true-blue, dinky-di Aussie? Australian slang can be quite bewildering for anyone who is new to this country and even for those who've lived here quite a while. In this clip Professor Kate Burridge explores how to use verbal and non-verbal language to explain difficult concepts.

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Heywire: Digging for diprotodons

Ever dreamed of finding buried treasure in your own backyard? For Natasha Camp, this is a reality. Her 'treasure' is not gold or silver, but the bones of ancient Australian megafauna. In this Heywire photo story, Natasha describes the latest dig at Floraville Station, Queensland, her family's property. It was on this dig ...

Audio

Heywire: Young people making a difference

Have you ever considered what it must be like to be homeless? Often it is not until we are confronted with a personal experience that we realise the significance of such social issues. Luke Owens from Bendigo Victoria, was a finalist of the 2012 Heywire storytelling competition for young people. Listen to how he found out ...

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Rebecca Lim's spooky themes

Do you enjoy reading spooky stories? Listen to Rebecca Lim as she describes how her half-memories, reading experiences and imagination come together to inspire her.