Aspirations and Skills

Overview

This 20-minute Spoken English speaking-and-listening lesson helps Year 9 students practise giving a short, focused presentation about future jobs and aspirations, including what they need to achieve their goals. Students will plan a tight structure, then speak clearly while keeping to the point.

Learning intentions

• Students will express a clear future job aspiration and explain why it appeals to them.
• Students will identify the knowledge, skills, and steps needed to achieve that goal.
• Students will give a short presentation, speaking audibly with appropriate pace and emphasis.
• Students will improve their presentation using feedback linked to clear success criteria.

Success criteria

• I can say my chosen future job and my reason(s) in a clear opening.
• I can explain 2–3 specific requirements (skills/subjects/qualifications/experience) and one realistic next step.
• I can keep my talk brief and focused (no long digressions).
• I can speak clearly (volume, pace, and ending statements clearly).

Curriculum links

• Spoken English — giving short speeches and presentations, expressing their own ideas and keeping to the point.
• Spoken English — participating in learning through discussion and explanation of understanding and ideas.
• English — writing clearly and coherently for purpose and audience (students will draft a short spoken plan they can follow accurately).
• Spoken English — making formal presentations and demonstrating ideas to others.

Lesson structure (20 minutes)

1. 0–3 min · Hook. Teacher prompts with: “What job could you see yourself doing in the future, and what’s one reason why?” and models a 10–15 second example. Student answers in one or two sentences.

2. 3–8 min · Build a short plan (directed structure). Teacher writes a simple talk frame on the board: “I want to be… because… / To achieve this, I need… (2–3 points) / My next step is…” and highlights “keep to the point.” Student completes the frame in notes (quick bullet phrases). Teacher asks: “Which two requirements are most important, and how do you know?”

3. 8–12 min · Mini rehearsal for clarity. Teacher gives coaching for spoken delivery: start strong, pause after each “section,” and finish with a clear final sentence. Student reads their plan once silently, then rehearses aloud, practising volume and pace (one run-through).

4. 12–17 min · Student presentation (first attempt). Teacher listens for focus and clarity, using a quick tally of: clear opening, 2–3 requirements, realistic next step, keeping to the point. Student delivers a short presentation (aim for about 45–60 seconds).

5. 17–20 min · Feedback and improvement (micro rewrite). Teacher gives one “glow” and one “grow” linked to the criteria (e.g., “Your reason is clear—now add a specific next step and end with one final sentence”). Student gives a second, improved version using the “grow” suggestion, then states what changed.

Resources

• Pen and paper (or exercise book)
• Timer (phone or classroom timer)
• Board/whiteboard talk frame:
• I want to be…
• Because…
• I need…
• My next step is…
• Feedback card with 4 criteria: opening, requirements, next step, clarity/focus
• Optional: cue words list (because, therefore, next, for example, in the long term)

Assessment

• Teacher checks during the first rehearsal: student can name a job aspiration and at least one reason.
• Teacher checks during the presentation: student includes 2–3 requirements and a realistic next step without lengthy digressions.
• Teacher confirms improvement in the final version using the single targeted feedback point.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters for each section of the talk frame (e.g., “One skill I need is…”, “A qualification that helps is…”, “To start, I will…”).
• Support: Allow notes with prompts only (short phrases), not full paragraphs.
• Challenge: Ask the student to add “evidence” for a requirement (e.g., “I know I need this because…”), or to compare two possible pathways briefly.
• EAL/SEN considerations: Offer a “choose and adapt” set of requirements (skills/subjects/experience/qualifications) so the student can select what fits their idea; practise the ending sentence to support clarity and confidence.
• Single-student pacing: Keep the student’s draft short and rehearsal focused on delivery rather than length.