Year 10 - English
Understanding what makes a powerful speech
Spoken language: the language of change
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils look at powerful speeches and emulate them by writing their own speeches. They first read, analyse and compare powerful speeches. They then hone their craft by understanding the features that contribute towards creating a powerful speech. They finally plan and write a speech.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to identify and explain what makes a powerful speech.
Key Notes
- Malala's Nobel speech demonstrates that texts can have multiple purposes in order to engage an audience.
- Malala demonstrates an effective use of humour alongside her important messages of education and peace.
- Like Malala, successful speeches engage their audiences, through a range of rhetorical devices.
- Logos, ethos and pathos give writers different ways of speaking to their readers.
Vocabulary To Learn
- activist: someone who is actively engaged in bringing about social, political or environmental changes
- advocacy: speaking or acting on behalf of oneself or others to promote a cause or idea
- rapport: to create and establish a positive connection between a writer or speaker and their audience
- credibilty: to be trustworthy and believable
- obligation: a duty or responsibility that someone is required to fulfil
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Persuasive, issue based speeches have to maintain a serious tone.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Malala's Nobel speech demonstrates that texts can have multiple purposes in order to engage an audience. Malala demonstrates an effective use of humour alongside her important messages of education and peace.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'activist'
someone who is actively engaged in bringing about social, political or environmental changes.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Persuasive, issue based speeches have to maintain a serious tone. Correction: Look at Malala's use of humour and anecdote. By engaging the audience in this way she holds their attention enough to make them listen to the serious messages.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Analysing a persuasive speech Study Guide
- Comparing non-fiction texts Study Guide
- Comparing tone and methods in non-fiction texts Study Guide
- Engaging your audience: creating effective opening and closing paragraphs Study Guide
- Evaluating and improving model responses on non-fiction texts Study Guide
- Having productive discussions in response to a non-fiction text Study Guide
- Planning and writing a persuasive speech Study Guide
- Preparing to deliver a powerful speech Study Guide
- Proofreading and redrafting a speech Study Guide
- Spoken language: choosing a topic and developing ideas for a speech Study Guide
- Understanding and summarising perspectives Study Guide
- Using non-verbal features to present a speech effectively Study Guide
- Using rhetorical devices effectively Study Guide
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