What Makes Speeches Work?

Overview

Lesson 1 of 6 in Voices That Matter. Students listen to and discuss speeches from Aotearoa New Zealand, identifying how speakers shape ideas for particular audiences and purposes through structure, language, evidence, tone and delivery.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify how speakers shape ideas for different audiences and purposes.
• WALT notice how structure, language, evidence, tone and delivery influence meaning.
• WALT discuss observations using specific evidence from a speech.
• WALT annotate a model speech to show how it works.

Success criteria

• I can identify a speech’s audience and purpose.
• I can find examples of structure, language, evidence, tone and delivery.
• I can explain how one choice helps a speaker connect with an audience.
• I can support my ideas with words or moments from the speech.

Curriculum links

• Listening, reading, viewing: interpreting and responding to spoken, written and visual texts.
• Speaking, writing, presenting: discussing ideas and using evidence to communicate clearly.
• Text purposes and audiences: recognising how language choices shape meaning and response.
• Key competencies: thinking; using language, symbols and texts; participating and contributing; relating to others.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Hook and prediction: Display the question, “What makes people want to listen to a speaker?” Open with the hook question and speech image. Students think silently, then share one idea with a partner. Invite three responses and explain that effective speakers make deliberate choices for an audience and purpose.

2. 5–10 minutes – Set the learning focus: Introduce the WALT and success criteria using the learning intention and success criteria. Briefly explain:

• Audience: who the speaker wants to reach.
• Purpose: what the speaker wants the audience to think, feel or do.
• Structure: how ideas are ordered.
• Language and evidence: the words and support used.
• Tone and delivery: the attitude, pace, volume, emphasis and body language.

3. 10–17 minutes – First listening: Play a short, age-appropriate speech from Aotearoa New Zealand, or read a transcript aloud. Choose a speech with a clear purpose, such as a youth climate, community, education or sporting speech. Students listen without writing and answer the prompt on the first-listen prompt: “Who is speaking, who are they speaking to, and what do they want the audience to think, feel or do?” Take quick whole-class responses.

4. 17–27 minutes – Modelled annotation: Distribute the speech annotation worksheet. Display or provide the transcript. Model annotating the opening: label the audience and purpose, underline a key word, and circle a piece of evidence. Think aloud: “This inclusive word may help the speaker sound connected to the audience.” Students then annotate the remainder independently, identifying at least one example of structure, language, evidence, tone and delivery. Replay a short section if available, using the annotation example and focus prompts.

5. 27–35 minutes – Pair evidence talk: In pairs, students compare annotations. Each student shares one observation using the frame: “The speaker uses ___, which may make the audience ___ because ___.” Partners must point to a word, phrase, structural moment or delivery feature. Use the pair discussion prompts to keep the discussion focused. Invite pairs to share contrasting interpretations.

6. 35–41 minutes – Evaluate effectiveness: Ask students to rank the five features from most to least important in this speech. They justify their top choice in two or three sentences on the worksheet. If a second short speech is available, advanced learners compare it with the first and evaluate which is more effective for its intended audience, referring to at least two features.

7. 41–45 minutes – Plenary and check-out: Return to the opening question through the plenary prompt. Students complete: “One choice that makes a speech effective is ___ because ___.” Collect worksheets or invite selected students to read responses. Preview that the next lesson will examine how speakers organise an argument.

Resources

• the complete Voices That Matter lesson deck
• the speech annotation worksheet
• Teacher-selected speech recording or teacher-read transcript from Aotearoa New Zealand
• Printed or projected transcript
• Audio playback and speakers, if using a recording
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Board or visualiser
• Timer

Assessment

• Listen during pair talk for accurate identification of audience, purpose and speech features.
• Check annotations for relevant evidence and explanations of how choices affect the audience.
• Use the final sentence to identify students ready for further support with evidence, or ready to compare speeches.

Differentiation

• Provide a transcript with paragraph numbers, key vocabulary explained and colour-coded annotation prompts for students needing support.
• Replay short sections, pause regularly and allow students to record ideas through words, symbols or brief notes.
• Pair students strategically and provide sentence frames: “The speaker wants…”, “The word ___ suggests…”, and “This is effective because…”.
• Extension: compare two speeches from Aotearoa New Zealand and evaluate which is more effective for its intended audience, considering at least two features and the quality of evidence.
• For EAL and SEN learners, pre-teach audience, purpose, evidence, tone and delivery with simple examples; accept oral responses or dictated explanations.