![Erik Palmer Makes The Argument At Ila For Building Strong Speaking And Writing Skills Thumb](https://s3.amazonaws.com/prod-hmhco-vmg-craftcms-public/_transforms/blog/_large/erik-palmer-makes-the-argument-at-ila-for-building-strong-speaking-and-writing-skills-thumb.png)
Literacy thought leader Erik Palmer stopped by the HMH booth at the recent ILA 2017 conference and we had the chance to ask him a few questions. The first on our list? “How can teachers help students be more confident and skilled speakers?” Among his advice: Give your students specific lessons about mechanics like we do about writing.
And what does he feel is a key ingredient to help students succeed in their speaking and writing? Argument.
Discover the importance of argument (and how social media can give a boost, too) in this short Facebook Live video clip: