Signposts

My students are most funny with their written communication. Exams, papers, and quizzes often happen in clusters, which is why my blogs also occur in similar clusters. Hence, I offer you two in two days. I gave a very basic quiz today to my Public Speaking students, in which one of the questions was, "What is a signpost?" Now, a signpost is simply a verbal marker of a shift in topic (next, second, third, in conclusion). I encourage my basic students to use these until they master the art of spoken transitions (which they rarely do). I received several accurate answers to the question, but I here copy several of my favorites.

What is a signpost?

-"something you start and finish with"
-"a piece of something"

-"a gesture signifying an important point"

-"What is a signpost? Something that tells you what to do? Preferably on a sign?"

-"A signpost is a person/item you focus on during a speech to ease anxiety" (that's an anchor, and I got 2 of those responses)

And finally, the absolute best from my football player: "It's a position you hold to do autographs."