KS3 Writing Intervention

SpeakOut

WelcomeThis booklet is divided into sections you can work on in class or try at home. Some tasks will require a partner or small group. There are different types of task to try as you make your way through:

Thinking PointYou don’t need to write anything down for these questions. You can just think about them or talk them over with a partner or small group.

Quickfire QuestionThese questions need a short, written answer. This should be very brief and it doesn’t have to be in full sentences.

Give It a GoThis is a task for you to complete related to the topic you have been learning about. Follow the instructions to see what you need to do.

Speak OutThis task requires you to try out the techniques you have been learning about. You will need to use your voice for this one!

ContentsSection One: Finding Your Voice ............................................................ 3

Section Two: Listening .......................................................................... 10

Section Three: Language Choice .......................................................... 12

Section Four: Drama and Role Play .................................................... 17

Section Five: Discussing ........................................................................ 21

Section Six: Giving a Speech ................................................................ 28

Section Seven: Bringing It Together .................................................... 35

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FeedbackAs you work your way through the tasks in this booklet, you’ll receive feedback on what went well and what could be improved. Use the table below to record this, so you know what you need to work on.

Section Date Feedback

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

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Section One: Finding your VoiceLO: To understand the basic components of public speaking.

Thinking PointWhat do we mean by tone and volume? Why do we vary these when we speak? What effect can it have?

Quickfire QuestionCan you write a definition for these two terms?

Tone:

Volume:

Give It a GoHow many different tones of voice can you think of? Make a list.

Tone and Volume

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

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Speak OutTry saying the following statement using the different tones you have listed above. Vary your volume, too. How does its meaning change when you vary how you say it?

Thinking PointWhat do you know about how we breathe?

Quickfire QuestionLook at the diagram below. Can you work out which labels go where?

You need to come with me.

Breathing

lungs

ribs

diaphragm

vocal chords

mouth

trachea

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Give It a Go!When we inhale, we fill our lungs with air and our diaphragm (a large domed muscle sitting below our lungs) becomes flatter, helping them to expand. When we exhale, the air goes up our trachea and passes through our vocal folds. In order to speak, we vibrate these folds, which produces sound. When the sound reaches our mouth, we move our cheeks, tongue and lips to articulate words.

The key ingredient here is breath! If you run out of air, you can’t speak well.

Practise the process described above, paying special attention to how the air moves in and out of your body, enabling you to make sound.

Speak OutTry reciting this verse of poetry. Experiment with where you breathe – is it best to breathe at the end of lines, or in between particular words? Can you inhale enough to get through the whole verse without needing to take a breath?

The Charge of the Light Brigadeby Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Half a league, half a league,Half a league onward,All in the valley of DeathRode the six hundred.‘Forward, the Light Brigade!Charge for the guns!’ he said.Into the valley of DeathRode the six hundred.

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Body Language

Thinking PointApart from the sounds they make, what other clues do we get about what someone is saying?

Quickfire QuestionWrite your own definition of the following term.

Body language:

Give It a GoBody language is an important part of how we communicate. The way we position our body and the gestures we make tell others a lot about how we are feeling and what we are thinking.

Look at the poses below. Can you describe what they might be telling us?

Body Language What It Tells Me

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Speak Out!Go back to the verse from The Charge of the Light Brigade in the last section. Try reciting this verse with added gestures. How can you use body language to give more impact to the poem?

Body Language What It Tells Me

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Thinking PointWhy do we sometimes need to use notes when speaking?

Quickfire QuestionWhat do you think might be the disadvantages of using notes when speaking to an audience? List as many reasons as you can think of:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Give It a GoSometimes we need to use notes to ensure that we remember everything we need to say and the way we want to say it. However, it is important that we keep our notes as short and to-the-point as possible. If we spend our time looking down at a sheet of paper, then we lose eye contact with our audience, and our voice gets directed to the floor!

Look at the notes on the following page. Can you simplify them into short bullet points?

Using Notes

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Reasons why homework should be banned!

1. It takes so long to do and we should be allowed more free time to ourselves. Sometimes we can spend up to three hours a night doing it!

2. It doesn’t really help with learning and so it is completely pointless. We should be taught everything in school time.

3. If you get stuck on something at home there is no-one to ask for help so there is nothing you can do.

4. There is no way to know if people have done it themselves so some people might be cheating which is not fair.

Reasons why homework should be banned!

1.

2.

3.

4.

Speak OutNow, practise using the notes you have made above to deliver a short speech about banning homework. Remember to:

• Hold your notes no higher than chest height. Your audience needs to see your face.

• Only glance at your notes every now and then. Maintain eye contact with your audience.

• Make sure your head is up so that your voice can travel to your audience – not the floor.

Try practising in front of a mirror to check you are doing it correctly!

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Section Two: ListeningLO: To hone listening and active listening skills.

Thinking PointWhat do we need to do to ensure we are listening effectively?

Quickfire QuestionHow do you feel when you know someone isn’t listening properly to you? Write a list of words to describe your feelings.

Give It a GoFind a news report on TV or radio. Listen to the first item carefully. Can you summarise what it is about?

The Importance of Listening

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Thinking PointWhat ways do we show someone that we are listening to them?

Quickfire QuestionCan you find a definition for the following terms?

Active listening:

Acknowledging:

Give It a GoWe can often show we are actively listening by using gesture, such as nodding our head. Another way to show we are concentrating is to acknowledge what the other person is saying by making small interjections. These need to be very brief, so that we are not interrupting – just confirming that we are listening.

Ask a partner to tell you about their weekend. Practise active listening techniques to show that you are listening to them.

Speak Out!Now, you need to acknowledge what your partner has told you. What questions can you ask them to show you have been listening? How can you move your conversation forward?

Active Listening and Acknowledging

yes

oh

I see

right

uh-huh

Mmm...

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Section Three: Language ChoicesLO: To know how and why we might use language differently.

Thinking PointWhat influences the way a person speaks? Think about the people you come across every day and why they might speak differently.

When we speak to different people, we might use different language depending on:

• who we are speaking to;

• what we are talking about.

We change how we talk depending on how important they are or what position of responsibility they hold. For example, we might use ‘posher’ language if we were speaking to the head teacher than we would with our friends. We call this formality. This depends on:

• who your audience is;

• how old they are;

• what matters to them;

• what you want them to do or feel;

• why they are listening to you.

Quickfire QuestionLook at the list below. Write down if you think you would use a formal (posh language) or informal (chatty language) tone with them:

Formal and Informal Language

head teacher

friends

grandma

neighbour

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Quick Fire QuestionFormality is on a spectrum. Write on the scale below where you think each phrase should be in terms of how formal it is.

1. How are you all today?

2. Thank you for having me.

3. Thanks for listening.

4. I am passionate about helping people.

5. To not do anything would be unforgivable.

6. Hi everyone, I’m here to chat to you about…

7. Next up, let’s talk about what we get up to in our lessons.

formal informal

Jargon

Thinking PointIf you went into a hospital and listened to two doctors having a medical discussion, you might find it quite difficult to understand. Why might that be?

Just like we change how we talk depending on who we are talking to, we might also change what we say depending on the other person’s knowledge and understanding of the subject area. For example, the two doctors in the Thinking Point above will use medical vocabulary that someone who isn’t a doctor or medical professional might not know or understand. We call this language ‘jargon’ and this refers to any special language that is used in a particular profession, trade or situation.

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Thinking PointWho else might use jargon?

What do you think the advantages and disadvantages might be when using jargon?

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Quickfire QuestionLook at the words below. Circle any words that you think are jargon.

stethoscope

verb

PPE

defender

car

winch

industry

player

piston

book

RAM

firewall

Give It a GoRead the example paragraph below. Using a highlighter, can you identify any jargon being used?

When you are scuba diving, it is important that you follow some simple steps before each dive:

1. Make sure that you check your tanks and gear, such as your snorkel and mask, carefully and complete the buddy check before each dive.

2. Once in the water, descend slowly and equalise every few feet.

3. When you get down, make sure your buoyancy is dialled in.

4. You may also need to adjust air pressure in your ears. You can also assess your health suitability for a dive by consulting a doctor with awareness of the Divers Alert Network (DAN).

5. Don’t forget to regularly check the gauge on your tanks to make sure you have enough air to continue your dive.

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Give It a GoYou are going to have a go at writing your own paragraph using jargon! You might like to write about:

Speak OutSwap your work with someone sitting near to you or next to you. Read out their paragraph to practice using jargon in your speech.

Topic Jargon Examples

playing football defender, striker, shin pad, tackle, goal

English lessons verb, AFOREST, paragraph, semi-colon

gymnastics balance beam, dismount, roundoff

dance cannon, accent, axel, plie

science Bunsen burner, beaker, test tube

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Section Four: Drama and Role PlayLO: To practise drama and role-play techniques.

Thinking PointIf you could play any character from a film, play or TV series, who would it be and why?

Quickfire QuestionWhen we read a character in a play, what clues do we have to know what they are like? Make a list.

Give It a GoRead this short extract from a play. What clues do we get about Marlowe from the text? Highlight anything which might give you a hint about how an actor should play his character - annotate to show what it tells you.

Working from a Script

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Speak OutNow, with the help of a partner, take it in turns to play Marlowe in the above scene. Think about:

• how he moves;

• the gestures he uses;

• whether he looks at the other character;

• the volume of his voice;

• the tone of his voice.

Experiment with different ways of playing the scene. Can you convey different things about Marlowe’s character by changing the decisions you make?

The Jacksons’ kitchen. Selma is at the sink, peeling potatoes. Marlowe enters in his school uniform and dumps his bag on the floor.

Selma: Hello, love. Did you have a good day?

Marlowe: Nope. (Sits.)

Selma: What happened? Did you get into trouble again?

Marlowe: Why d’you say that? Why are you always having a go at me?

Selma: I’m not. I just-

Marlowe: (Pushes back his chair and stands up.) Can you just get off my back for five seconds? Everyone’s always getting at me.

Selma: Maybe there’s a reason for that.

Marlowe: (Shouts.) What’s that supposed to mean?

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Sometimes, we have to play a character without having a script to rely on. This is called improvisation.

Thinking PointWhy do you think we might use improvisation when we study a text in English?

Quickfire QuestionDoes anything worry you about improvising a character? Write any concerns you have here:

Give It a GoImprovising a character can be scary because we don’t know what we will be asked or how we will have to behave. The best thing to reduce your nerves is to prepare as thoroughly as possible.

Choose a character from a book you have read recently, or a film or TV programme you have seen. Fill in the boxes with as much information as you can – if you don’t know the answers, you can make them up!

Role-Play

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What five words would describe this person?

What makes them happy?

What makes them angry?

What makes them sad?

What do they want most in the world?

What do they fear most in the world?

How do they feel about other characters in the book/film/series?

What do they want other people to think of them?

How does your character move/sit?

Speak OutNow, ask a partner to hot-seat you in the character you have chosen. Try to be as faithful to your notes as possible.

Did you find out anything new about your character?

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Section Section Five: DiscussingLO: To develop skills for effective discussions.

Thinking PointThink back to when you have worked in a group in different lessons. Can you think of a time your group worked really well? Can you think of a time when your group was less productive?

When you are asked to discuss something as a group, there are ways to make your discussion more productive and effective. When we discuss ideas, it gives us chance to gain feedback from others and develop our ideas to make them even better. But this can only be done if we follow some rules to make sure we get the most out of our discussions.

Quickfire QuestionWhat makes a good discussion? List five things.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

What kinds of things happen when a discussion doesn’t work or isn’t productive? List five things.

1.

2.

3.

Roles in Group Discussions

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4.

5.

The best discussions will usually have people listening to each other, giving everyone a chance to share their ideas and views. Also, there will be specific roles for individuals within the discussion so that everyone has a part and a purpose.

Give It a GoLook at the roles below that would help to make discussions more productive. Can you match the definition with the role?

Listening/Note Taking

A thinker who can query ideas that are put forward in order to develop them further. This may also involve asking for more details or posing questions about how it might work in order to grow the idea.

This is an important job because it involves listening and then repeating back ideas in a concise way. It may also involve sharing verdicts or outcomes from the discussion in terms of next steps.

Writing down what is said so that nothing is forgotten. This could be noted down in the form of a mind map or list.

This person needs to be confident and able to keep the rest of the team focused on the task at hand. It is important they know the focus of the discussion to make sure the discussion that is taking place is relevant.

Questioning/Clarifying

Direction/Staying on Topic

Summarising/Consolidating Discussion

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Give It a GoLook at the roles from the previous task. Which one do you think you would be best at in a discussion and why?

Speak OutWith someone sitting near to you or next to you, discuss the roles that you think you might be best suited to. Make sure you are using your listening skills and summarise what the other person has said about why they would choose that role for themselves!

Thinking PointWhat tools do you need to have an effective discussion?

In group discussions, it is really important that everybody has chance to share their views. This means that everyone in the group has to listen as well as share their viewpoint. Being a good listener is just as important as being able to share your ideas effectively.

Quickfire QuestionLook at the images on the next page.

Which group of people are having a more effective discussion? How do you know?

Listening and Responding

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Some of the things you might have spotted are below.

1. Eye ContactLooking someone in the eye while they are speaking or you are speaking to them shows you are interested and engaged in what they are saying. In a group situation, this might mean looking around as you talk and as a listener, it means that you are showing you are focused on what they are saying.

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2. Body LanguageMake sure your body is facing the person who is talking to show that you are listening and focused on them. Sitting away from them or having ‘closed’ body language like hunching over or folding your arms makes you look like you are defensive about what they are saying or not interested.

3. Direct QuestioningAsking questions about what someone has been saying shows that you are listening and processing the information. You must make sure that you wait for them to finish before you ask, but it can show that you are considering what they are saying and trying to further understand.

4. Taking It in Turns to TalkTalking over someone shows that you are not listening to them or interested in what they have to say. This is not an effective way to communicate or discuss something because not everyone will have a fair chance of sharing their views or being heard.

5. Treating Everyone’s Views EquallyYou might not always agree with what someone else is saying – that’s OK! However, everyone is entitled to have an opinion so you must not laugh at someone else’s views or belittle them. Instead, you might respond to them by saying something like: “That’s a valid point, but I always thought that…” or “I have a different view to you – I believe that…” This still allows you both to share different opinions, but in a polite and appropriate way.

Did you spot any others?

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Give It a GoLook at the grid of different suggestions about what might make you a superstar at listening and responding. Highlight the ones that you think you could do in your speaking and listening to be successful:

You look at the person who is speaking.

When someone is speaking, you turn to face them.

You take it in turns to share your ideas.

When it is your turn to speak, you mumble and say your view quickly to get it over and done with.

As someone is talking, you nod as you listen.

When you have listened to someone’s view, you ask them questions to find out more.

Someone says something that you don’t agree with. You nod in agreement.

You make sure that you speak clearly and without using any slang.

Someone says something that you think is stupid so you laugh and nudge the person next to you.

Someone says something that you don’t agree with. You interrupt them to share your viewpoint before they have finished speaking.

You include members of the discussion who may be a bit quieter or who haven’t had chance to share their view yet.

You have a different view to someone else. You say “I can understand your thoughts on that, but have you considered…” before sharing your view.

Speak OutIn groups of three, roll the dice to get a column and a row number from the topic grid on the next page, then practise discussing it. Make sure you are following the rules of effective listening and responding!

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1 2 3 4 5 6

1Cats are

better than dogs.

Boys are stronger

than girls.

English is better than

maths.

Action films are the

best kind of films.

The seaside is better than a

city break.

The best colour for

a room is white.

2

Being happy

is more important than being

rich.

Everyone should take a

year out to travel.

Live music is better

than recorded

music.

It would be good

to live until you are 120

years old.

You should not have to attend school if you don’t

want.

There shouldn’t be such

things as exams.

3

Cheese and onion crisps are the best flavour

of crisps.

Summer holidays

should be shorter

with more holidays during

the year.

Everyone should be

taught how to swim

before they are seven.

Roller discos should

be part of the school curriculum.

Nurses should be paid

more than footballers.

The legal driving age should be lowered

to 16 years old.

4

Phones should be banned in schools.

Pink is the best colour.

Slow and steady

wins the race.

Driving is better than

walking.

School uniforms should be banned.

Footballers should be paid less.

5Everyone

should own a pet.

Christmas is the

best time of year.

Weekends should be three days

long.

Night is better

than day.

Homework is good for students.

Eating animals

is wrong.

6Summer is better than

Winter.

The legal drinking

age should be increased

to 21 years old.

Games Design

should be a GCSE subject.

People who murder should

face capital punishment.

All lessons should

be group work all the time.

Everyone should be made to join the school choir.

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Section Section Six: Giving a SpeechLO: To develop skills for effective discussions.

Thinking PointWhat kind of technique could you use to make your speech persuasive?

In order to write an effective speech, you must prepare! This means making a plan about your speech and what is going to be in each section.

You should aim to write at least five paragraphs including your introduction and conclusion.

Each paragraph should have a topic sentence at the start. This is a sentence that opens the paragraph and tells you what the rest of the paragraph is about.

Structure of a Speech

Structuring an Argument

Make it clear that it is intended to be spoken e.g. I am here today to tell you about / talk to you…

Your introduction needs to:

• Grab the reader’s attention.

• Clearly show the direction of your writing.

• Needs a lively and entertaining tone.

• Short and snappy – 2-3 sentences

• You could start with a rhetorical question to hook your reader.

Opening

Introduction

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Thinking PointThink about the best assembly that you have seen at school. What made it interesting and engaging?

Being able to deliver a speech and keep people interested is really important and there are lots of ways that you can achieve this.

Direct AddressTalking directly to your audience will make sure they are involved and engaged. You can do this by using personal pronouns (I, you, your, we, our). These make it seem like you are speaking to each individual even when you are speaking to a lot of people all at once.

Structure each paragraph using the following: Topic sentence + 3× techniques.

For higher level candidates: Vary paragraph length and structure.

Your conclusion needs to:

• Link back to your introduction.

• End on a strong point.

• Use a rhetorical question to keep the reader thinking.

• Consider using a group of three ambitious adjectives to sum up.

• Thank the audience for listening.

2× topic led paragraphs(minimum)

Conclusion

Being Persuasive

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Quickfire QuestionLook at the examples below. Which one talks directly to the listener and engages the listener through direct address?

Example 1

Someone needs to do something about the rubbish that is all over school. It looks messy. It is strongly believed that it is down to the students to sort it out.

Example 2

We need to do something about the rubbish that is all over school. Don’t you think it looks messy? I strongly believe it is down to us to sort it out.

Extension: Highlight any personal pronouns you can see being used in either example.

The example I think is the most effective is

because

RepetitionRepeating a keyword or phrase throughout your speech makes it memorable and gives it a rhythm.

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Quickfire QuestionLook at Winston Churchill’s famous speech declaring war. Highlight any words or phrases that you think are repeated for effect.

Why do you think it is effective to repeat these phrases? How might it make you react as a listener?

Use of VoiceRemember that speeches are listened to, so using your voice is one way to make it really effective!

VolumeFirstly, you need to be heard by everyone that you are addressing. That means you can’t whisper! At the same time, you can’t shout either because that would be unpleasant to listen to.

What you need to do is speak at a volume that is appropriate for everyone to hear and then sometimes say some important words a little louder so that the audience know that it is important. We call this emphasising a word.

Speak OutRead the sentence's below. Where there is a word that is bold, say this word a little louder.

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• We must do something.

• Donate today.

• It is a disgrace that some children are without food.

• What difference did it make to the sentences?

What difference did it make to the sentences?

Now, look at the sentence's below. Which words do you think need to be said a little louder to emphasise them in an effective way? Try saying them and then underline the word you want to emphasise.

6. Something I am passionate about is football.

7. I strongly believe that nurses should be paid more.

8. Why is this happening?

Body LanguageRemember the work we did on body language at the beginning of this booklet? Just as we need to use our body language to show we are listening to others, our body language can be used to engage our listeners too.

Your audience is much more likely to be engaged if you have open body language, such as arms naturally at the sides of your body or gesturing as you speak. This is where you move your hands as you talk. Watch people talking on TV without the sound on and you will see that they are moving their bodies all the time as they speak.

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Facing your audience with your head up and looking around at different listeners is also important to make people feel involved and engage them.

Finally, making sure that you smile and look relaxed is also important. This relaxes your audience and shows that you are confident about what you are saying – this builds trust.

Quickfire QuestionLook at the image. What suggestions could you make to the speaker to help them improve their body language?

Other Techniques You Could Use to Engage Your Audience

Technique Why It Is Effective

imperative This is a type of instruction that you can give to your audience. This makes them feel like they need to act on the points you have made in your speech, especially if you use personal pronouns to talk directly to them. E.g.

Donate now.

You need to do something now!

Go out there and shout about it!

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pauses Using a pause can be really effective to emphasise a point and give your audience time to think. E.g.

Something needs to change.

[pause]

Even a small step could be a big change.

rhetorical question

This is a question that implies the answer and is a brilliant way to engage your audience because it makes them think about what you are saying. E.g.

Have you ever been in a situation like that?

How can you make a difference?

hyperbole This is a posh name for exaggeration or going over the top. This can add some humour to your speech or over-emphasise a point to make it more important. E.g.

This is the best charity in the world.

This food is the best in the universe.

Speak OutRead each of the examples out loud, practising using different volume and body language.

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Section Seven: Bringing It TogetherLO: To practise effective speaking and listening skills.

Thinking PointWhat has been your favourite task in this booklet?

Quickfire QuestionWhy are good speaking and listening skills important?

Give It a GoYou’re about to try an independent speaking and listening task. What do you need to remember to do? Make a checklist of all the things you have learned.

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Speak OutYou’re now going to put into practice all the skills you have learned in this booklet. Pick a task from the choice below.

Write and deliver a speech to your class persuading them to

abolish school uniform.

Find a short scene or monologue from a play and

perform it for the class.

Write and deliver a presentation to the class about

a hobby or interest of yours.

In a group, choose roles and prepare, then have a discussion

about a recent news issue.

Prepare notes on a character from a text you have studied

in class and get the rest of the class to hot-seat you in the role.

Good Luck!

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