There is no denying that words shape nearly every aspect of our realities, yet most of us have few, if any, opportunities to learn about their profound power on humans. Conventionally, schools lack the capacity to equip students with the essential skills needed to listen and speak with awareness. Language and grammar are taught—but often in ways that keep the subject of communication entirely detached from real-life experiences. In many cases, our families and societies are also unable to cultivate the listening and speaking habits that would help us empower ourselves, those around us, and our communities. All this leaves us defenseless as listeners and ill-equipped as speakers.

Dr. Anna Szilágyi’s sessions are specifically designed to address both of these disempowering tendencies. Anna’s global education program, “Words Break Bones” provides journalists, content creators, nonprofit professionals, researchers, high school and university students with crucial linguistic skills to instantly recognize the covert elements of damaging and dangerous public speech and make informed choices when they encounter them. Meanwhile, her “Breaking the Script” sessions empower individuals to transform their personal communication habits, enabling them to speak with confidence and ease in public, build fulfilling connections in everyday life, and overcome human interaction challenges.

Anna places great importance on tailoring both “Words Break Bones” and “Breaking the Script” to meet the needs of specific groups and individuals in a way that is comfortable, engaging, and down-to-earth. Shifting away from traditional, hierarchical forms of teaching, she designs her sessions to be interactive, fostering outcomes that emerge from collaborative effort. She is happiest when people experience genuine, tangible empowerment as a result of their work together.

Photo: Marija Jovanović