Find here some of the aspects of Framework substrand 2.2 and some suggested classroom activities to support your teaching. You can build your pupils' knowledge of spoken conventions and forms, through role-play and by analysing the use of language in a variety of contexts, from school assemblies to TV chat shows.
- What you could teach
-
You can help pupils learn how to recognise the conventions of the main text types and to make use of them to construct their own spoken texts.
Speech that directs or instructs
This type of speech may have:
- an overall statement of purpose or location
- a suitable pace with repetition for clarity
- sequencing marked by adverbials
- use of either imperatives and/or second person
- future tense and modal verbs used to help the listener
- a review to check understanding.
Speech that explains
This type of speech may feature:
- clear exposition, achieved by straightforward vocabulary and syntax
- staged and logical order, indicated by adverbials
- clarification of technicalities
- present tense, often second person and use of imperatives
- monitoring of understanding
- visual aids when appropriate.
Speech that persuades
This type of speech may feature:
- emotive language
- rhetorical questions
- strong images
- use of quotations
- supporting evidence and statistical, tangible proof
- illustrative examples, accounts of a specific case, testimony
- use of rhetorical devices such as exaggeration, alliteration and repetition.
Speech that argues a case
This type of speech may feature:
- a clear structure: opening premise, arguments to substantiate and conclusion
- use of discourse markers such as 'furthermore', 'in conclusion'
- reference to opponents’ arguments to contrast own views
- use of rhetorical questions
- use of supporting evidence, statistics, facts, technical terms
- use of examples, illustration, testimony
- use of humour, sarcasm or irony.
Speech that analyses
This type of speech may include:
- an opening exposition that puts forward a view to be considered
- evidence to back up all points, which is then explored in detail
- third person, with first person used occasionally to express strong opinions
- use of connectives to order, link or compare to guide the listener – typically balancing and exploring alternatives
- a conclusion that sums up the view taken.
Forms and conventions
You can help pupils to understand:
- that there are forms and conventions for many speech contexts, even conversation and stand-up comedy, which affect language and behaviour
- how to recognise standard English (SE) and know that there are choices to be made about its use in both written and oral work
- the importance of spoken SE: that some people have very strong views and expectations about its use, and some situations – such as debates and job interviews – will demand it
- that how we speak (dialect and register) is influenced by who we are and where we live.
- Some teaching approaches
-
Try some of the following activities to build on your pupils’ learning and develop their confidence in the obvious conventions of debate and presentation.
- Set up a research project with your pupils to identify the conventions of different types of spoken texts, as represented in school or on TV. For example, what are the conventions of school assemblies or of TV cookery programmes or chat shows?
- Introduce a two-column grid to itemise and compare key differences between spoken SE and non-SE. Include points of grammar.
- Organise a role-play to explore the impact of inappropriate language in formal contexts.
- Model one type of talk to the class, for example explaining a hobby in a more formal presentation. Demonstrate the beginning of the talk, asking pupils to note key phrases and other features as you go. Discuss and record key points then continue with the next stage of the talk, asking pupils to take over. Then ask pupils to work in pairs to complete the task.
