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Lesson 2 of 4
  • Year 3

What is a speech?

I can explain what a speech is and its purpose.

Lesson 2 of 4
New
New
  • Year 3

What is a speech?

I can explain what a speech is and its purpose.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A speech is the communication of someone’s thoughts, through words, to an audience.
  2. The purpose of a speech is always to impact the audience in some way.
  3. A common purpose of a speech is to persuade the audience to agree with the speaker about something.
  4. Points are used to justify the speaker’s opinion in a speech.

Keywords

  • Speech - the communication of someone’s thoughts, through words, to an audience

  • Purpose - function or job

  • Opinion - a personal view about something

  • Point - an idea or reason to support your opinion

  • Justify - to share reasons for something

Common misconception

Pupils may struggle to identify the points being used to justify an opinion in a speech.

At the start of LC1, watch the speech together and pause to identify the following: 1. the main opinion or argument 2. the points being used to justify. Focus on how information is used to persuade.


To help you plan your year 3 English lesson on: What is a speech?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Model delivering a short speech ahead of Task B or replay the video from LC1. Encourage pupils to watch each other carefully during their speeches and provide peer feedback.
Teacher tip

Equipment

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

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following are examples of public speaking?

Correct answer: delivering an assembly
Correct answer: an educational talk
talking to a friend
Correct answer: a speech
talking to yourself in the mirror

Q2.
What are the main purposes of public speaking?

Correct answer: to inform the audience about something
Correct answer: to have an impact on the audience’s thoughts and actions
to have a conversation with the audience
to ask the audience lots of questions
to make the audience laugh

Q3.
What is a skilled public speaker known as?

Correct answer: an orator
an audience
an actor
a dancer
a singer

Q4.
Which of the following professions involve lots of public speaking?

Correct answer: politicians
Correct answer: presenters
Correct answer: activists
doctors
dancers

Q5.
Which of the following will help a public speaker to better engage their audience?

Correct answer: using charisma
Correct answer: having a persuasive delivery
speaking quietly
staring at their notes while talking
Correct answer: possessing a strong knowledge of the topic

Q6.
What is an opinion?

a person who is good at public speaking
a fact about the world
Correct answer: a personal view about something

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
What is a speech?

a written communication of thoughts
Correct answer: the communication of someone’s thoughts, through words, to an audience
an idea or thought you keep to yourself

Q2.
Which of the following occasions are you likely to hear a speech at?

Correct answer: a wedding
Correct answer: a birthday party
a doctor’s appointment
Correct answer: a christening

Q3.
What do you call a person's thoughts and feelings?

Correct answer: opinions
facts
Correct answer: views
Correct answer: beliefs
jokes

Q4.
What does it mean to justify something?

to share an opinion
Correct answer: to share the reasons for something
to think about something

Q5.
How can opinions be justified in a speech?

Correct answer: The speaker gives points to justify their opinions.
The speaker shouts their opinions.
The speaker says their opinion is a fact.

Q6.
Many famous speeches have been written around the theme of ...

making sure the world stays the same way.
Correct answer: making a positive change in the world.
family.