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51 Speaking and Listening Skills

Speaking and Listening Skills Chapter Opener

Start-Up Activity

Play a few famous speeches for your students. You can find many of these compiled on YouTube.

Afterward, ask students what they noticed about these important speeches. They may offer comments such as the following:

  • The topics were really important.

  • The speakers spoke slowly, clearly, and loudly.

  • The speakers connected emotionally with the audience.

  • Great words conveyed great ideas.

Help students understand that a speech should be much more than simply reading an essay aloud. A speech is its own art form, with the writer performing at the center of the communication situation.

Think About It

“Body language is a very powerful tool. We had body language before we had speech, and apparently, 80 percent of what you understand in a conversation is read through the body, not the words.”

—Deborah Bull

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.3

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.910.SL.1.2

LAFS.910.SL.2.4

LAFS.910.SL.2.5

LAFS.910.SL.2.6

LAFS.910.SL.1.1

LAFS.910.SL.1.3

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.36.c.1.C

110.37.c.1.C

110.36.c.5.H

110.37.c.5.H

110.36.c.1

110.37.c.1

110.36.c.5.C

110.37.c.5.C

110.36.c.1.D

110.37.c.1.D

110.36.c.5.I

110.36.c.5.J

110.37.c.5.I

110.37.c.5.J

110.36.c.8.A

110.36.c.8.G

110.37.c.8.A

110.37.c.8.G

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 436 from Write Ahead

Planning Your Speech

Students can present any of their written works as speeches. However, they need to do much more than simply stand and read an essay aloud. A speech needs to engage the audience, and the presenter needs to make contact—with eyes, facial expressions, body language, gestures, vocal inflections, and even comments directed to specific listeners.

In an essay, words on the page are the medium that communicates the ideas from the absent author. In a speech, the author is the medium that communicates the ideas directly to the audience.

For that reason, students might want to start from scratch to write their speeches.

Help them pick a suitable topic, using the suggestions at the bottom of the page. For more topic ideas, see "Starting Points for Writing" on page 44.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.SL.1.2
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.3.1.c

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Form:
Speech
English Language Arts:
SpeakingWriting

Page 437 from Write Ahead

Find Information and Write Your Beginning

Use the material on this page to help students gather information for their speeches and write their beginnings.

Lead students through the bullets at the top of the page. Point them also to more information in "Gathering Strategies" on pages 46–52.

At the bottom of the page, suggest ways to grab listeners' attention at the beginning of the speech. For more such strategies, see "Writing the Beginning Paragraph" on page 55.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.SL.1.2
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.3.1.c

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingPersuasive Writing
Form:
Speech
English Language Arts:
SpeakingWriting

Page 438 from Write Ahead

Organize Your Ideas and Think of an Effective Ending

Use this page to help students write their speeches, whether they are using note cards (as shown on the facing page) or writing a word-for-word manuscript (as shown on page 440). Point out that note cards help students look up, make eye contact, and put ideas in their own words instead of simply reading the speech aloud.

Lead students through the bullets at the top of the page. Then emphasize the importance of creating a strong ending—the last chance to leave a key thought with listeners.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.SL.1.2
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.3.1.c

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingPersuasive Writing
Form:
Speech
English Language Arts:
SpeakingWriting

Page 439 from Write Ahead

Creating Note Cards

Show students how to create effective note cards:

  • Number each card.
  • Write out the beginning and ending, word for word.
  • Write the first sentence for each paragraph.
  • List supporting details below.

When delivering the speech, the student should speak slowly and loudly, use a confident voice, put ideas in their own words, and connect in many ways with the audience. You'll find more support for speech preparation and presentation on page 441.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.SL.1.2
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.3.1.c

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingPersuasive Writing
Form:
Speech
English Language Arts:
SpeakingWriting

Page 440 from Write Ahead

Writing Your Speech

This page shows the complete speech that the student developed on the previous pages. Instead of simply having a volunteer read it aloud, use this model as an opportunity to demonstrate effective speech making.

Practice with the speech, and then present it to your class. Make eye contact, use a strong voice, pace yourself, paraphrase ideas, and connect with the audience.

Afterward, lead a discussion about how your presentation differed from just reading the text word-for-word from the page.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.SL.1.2
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.3.1.c

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingPersuasive Writing
Form:
Speech
English Language Arts:
SpeakingWriting

Page 441 from Write Ahead

Practicing and Giving Your Speech

Use this page to reinforce the best practices you demonstrated when delivering the speech on the facing page.

Then have students prepare to deliver their speeches to the class. Before they do, though, teach the next page so that the rest of the class knows what you expect from them as an audience.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.SL.1.2
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.3.1.c

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingPersuasive Writing
Form:
Speech
English Language Arts:
SpeakingWriting

Page 442 from Write Ahead

Becoming a Good Listener

Present the information on this page before students deliver their speeches. Help students understand that you expect them to be active listeners during the presentations.

After each speech, lead a discussion of what was said, getting students to demonstrate what they have gained by closely listening. Ask them which active-listening strategy helped them the most.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.SL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.1, 110.37.c.1
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.3.1, LA 10.3.3.e

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingPersuasive Writing
English Language Arts:
SpeakingListening