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      How Martin Luther King engages an audience

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can understand how repetition can be used to engage an audience when delivering a speech.

      Key learning points

      1. A speaker can engage an audience through a variety of techniques, including repetition.
      2. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech entitled 'I Have A Dream' uses repetition to engage the audience.
      3. ‘I Have a Dream’ by Martin Luther King Jr. was written to help bring about racial equality.

      Keywords

      • Audience - a group of people listening or watching a performance or speaker

      • Engage - to get or hold the interest of

      • Repetition - when a key word or phrase is said more than once in order to reinforce a point

      Common misconception

      Pupils may think that repetition involves repeating just one word.

      Teach pupils that repetition is often most impactful when repeating a phrase at the start of a sentence.

      Teacher tip

      Use a clip of Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech in LC2. You will likely only want to use the first two thirds of it, or a clip that's enough for you to show several examples of repetition. There may be some vocabulary you want to discuss from the speech with your pupils too.

      Equipment

      You will need access to a clip of Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech.

      Content guidance

      Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

      Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

      Supervision

      Adult supervision recommended

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      True or false? A speech is the communication of someone’s thoughts, through words, to an audience.

      Correct Answer: true, True

      Q2.
      Which of these jobs might involve making speeches?

      firefighter
      Correct answer: politician
      fisherman

      Q3.
      Which of these occasions may involve someone making a speech?

      Correct answer: a celebration/party
      waiting for a bus
      handing in your homework

      Q4.
      What are common features of persuasion in speeches?

      Correct answer: information
      jokes
      rhyming
      Correct answer: emotive language

      Q5.
      What is an opinion?

      Correct answer: a personal view about something
      a question to the audience
      a fact that can't be disputed

      Q6.
      True or false? A speaker does not need to justify their opinion with reasons.

      Correct Answer: false, False

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      True or false? An effective speech will engage the audience.

      Correct Answer: True, true

      Q2.
      Which of these techniques involves changing the speed at which a speaker delivers parts of their speech?

      using facial expressions and gestures
      Correct answer: varying the pace
      asking rhetorical questions

      Q3.
      How does repetition impact the audience in a positive way for the person making a speech?

      Correct answer: It makes the speech more memorable.
      Correct answer: It emphasises key points.
      It makes the audience laugh.
      It creates confusion.
      Correct answer: It adds a sense of rhythm.

      Q4.
      What is Dr Martin Luther King Jr. most famous for?

      being born in 1929
      Correct answer: fighting for equal rights for black Americans
      being from a city called Atlanta in Georgia

      Q5.
      In which city did Martin Luther King Jr. make a speech in front of two hundred thousand people?

      London
      New York
      Correct answer: Washington D.C.

      Q6.
      Which famous line did Martin Luther King repeat in his speech?

      'Welcome everyone'
      Correct answer: 'I have a dream'
      'We must make a change'

      To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: How Martin Luther King engages an audience, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...