Build a Great Speech

Name:

Date:

Part 1: Know Your Audience and Purpose

A great speech is made for a particular audience and has a clear purpose. Your audience is the people listening. Your purpose is what you want them to think, feel or do.

1. You are giving a speech about reducing rubbish at school. Who is your most likely audience?

Your classmates and school staff

A group of toddlers

A team of astronauts

2. What is the purpose of this speech? “Please bring a reusable drink bottle instead of buying a single-use bottle.”

To entertain

To persuade

To describe

3. Choose two things that can help you understand your audience.

Their age and interests

What they already know

The colour of your shoes

4. Complete the planning sentence.

My speech is about ________________________________________________.

My purpose is to make my audience _________________________________.

Part 2: Plan and Build Your Speech

Use a hook to grab attention. Then introduce your topic and viewpoint. In the body, organise three main points with reasons or examples. Finish with a conclusion that your audience will remember.

5. Write an attention-grabbing hook for your topic. Try a question, surprising fact, short story or strong statement.

Sentence starter: Have you ever wondered why...

6. Plan your introduction.

Hook: ______________________________________________________________

My topic is ________________________________________________________

My main viewpoint is ________________________________________________

7. Organise three body points. Add a reason or example for each point.

Point 1: ____________________ Reason/example: ____________________

Point 2: ____________________ Reason/example: ____________________

Point 3: ____________________ Reason/example: ____________________

8. Write a memorable conclusion. Restate your viewpoint and give your audience a final thought or call to action.

Sentence starter: So, let’s remember that...

9. Before presenting, choose two actions that will help you communicate clearly.

Practise speaking at a steady pace

Look towards the audience

Read every word as quickly as possible

Use a clear voice and suitable expression

Teacher Answer and Teaching Guide

Suggested answers: 1. Your classmates and school staff. 2. To persuade. 3. Their age and interests; what they already know. Question 9: Practise speaking at a steady pace; look towards the audience; use a clear voice and suitable expression.

Accept different responses for Questions 4–8 if they match the learner’s audience, purpose and topic. Check that the hook gains attention, the introduction states a clear viewpoint, the three body points are relevant and supported, and the conclusion leaves the audience with a clear message or action.

Teaching focus: Connect this activity to NZ Te Mātaiaho oral language and communicating and presenting. Encourage learners to adjust vocabulary, examples, volume, pace, gesture and eye contact for their audience. Invite learners to rehearse with a partner, give kind and specific feedback, and revise their speech before presenting.

Peer feedback sentence starters: “Your hook was effective because...” “One clear point was...” “You could make your conclusion stronger by...”