Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Spoken language: choosing a topic and developing ideas for a speech

I can pick an appropriate speech topic and develop effective topic sentences.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Spoken language: choosing a topic and developing ideas for a speech

I can pick an appropriate speech topic and develop effective topic sentences.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
View new resources
arrow-right

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Speeches should be impressive, which means presenting complex ideas clearly and using sophisticated vocabulary.
  2. You need to consider the purpose, audience and form of your speech.
  3. Speech topics should be appropriate and enable you to present a speech with layers of complexity and interest.
  4. Topic sentences should include a range of sentence structures and rhetorical devices.
  5. It is useful to consider the order of your topic sentences to make sure they are impactful.

Keywords

  • Impressive - causing admiration or awe- it means something is really good and makes you go 'wow!'

  • Elaborate - to add more detail or information to something

  • Appropriate - suitable for a particular purpose or situation

  • Sophisticated - to be complex, advanced or refined

Common misconception

Talking about why you like something is a good topic for a speech.

Although it is important to choose something that interests you, you need to ensure the topic that you choose will enable you to present some complex ideas and use sophisticated vocabulary.

Share any examples of successful speech topics you may have. This is also an effective way to inspire students.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
What information should you pick out from a task before beginning it?
Figurative language
Correct answer: Purpose
Correct answer: Audience
Correct answer: Form
Q2.
Match the rhetorical device to the example.
Correct Answer:Direct address, "If you are religious, then remember that this..."

"If you are religious, then remember that this..."

Correct Answer:First person collective pronoun, "we must work . . . not wait."

"we must work . . . not wait."

Correct Answer:Rhetorical question,"Who on earth conducted those opinion polls?"

"Who on earth conducted those opinion polls?"

Correct Answer:Rule of three, "the most anti-democratic, anti-national, anti-human,"

"the most anti-democratic, anti-national, anti-human,"

Correct Answer:Anecdote,"I was named after the inspirational Malalai of Maiwand"

"I was named after the inspirational Malalai of Maiwand"

Correct Answer:Call to action, "Let’s begin this ending now."

"Let’s begin this ending now."

Q3.
What is the purpose of considering the "audience" of a piece of writing?
to impress readers with elaborate language
Correct answer: to ensure language is appropriate and adapted to the reader
to create a unique, unconventional writing style
to express the writer's personality and emotions
Q4.
Which of these uses a declarative followed by a simile?
Society is about to erupt. We need to act now.
Correct answer: Society is about to erupt - like a volcano precariously spewing lava.
Like a volcano, society is about to erupt.
Society is about to erupt and we need to consider how to make it better.
Q5.
What is the purpose, form and audience of this task: “Society needs to change.” Write a speech for your class in which you persuade your listeners to be a force for change.
Correct answer: persuade, speech and students
entertain, email and friends
inform, speech and general public
advise, article and newspaper
Q6.
Which devices has this engaging sentence used: "Society's challenges continue to rumble. You may think you are safe from the debate, but you are wrong. When will you act?"
simile
Correct answer: declarative sentence
Correct answer: direct address
Correct answer: rhetorical question
statistic

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Which word beginning with 'I' can describe something as creating admiration or awe. It also means something is really good and makes you go wow!
Correct Answer: impressive
Q2.
If you elaborate you are:
being complex or refined
ensuring your language is suitable for audience and purpose
Correct answer: adding more detail or information to something
Q3.
What is the purpose, audience, form and subject of this task: 'Write a speech for a group of world leaders in which you argue for urgent action on climate emissions.'?
persuade, letter, world leaders, urgent action
Correct answer: argue, world leaders, speech and climate emissions
explain, world leaders, speech, climate change
entertain, world leaders, speech, climate emissions
Q4.
Which of these are the most effective persuasive speech titles:
Correct answer: Should more green spaces be protected from development?
Music helps me concentrate.
Why basketball is the greatest sport.
Correct answer: Video games: cause of violence or creative output?
Q5.
Which one of these topic sentences uses first person pronouns and a rule of three?
We must act now if we want to see a better future.
Correct answer: We are a global community; we are one community; we are not a divided society.
The current situation is violent, aggressive and unjust.
When will you decide to put a stop to these terrible actions?
Q6.
Which one of these topic sentences is an imperative sentence?
Like a dumper truck, the millions of pounds just keep pouring off.
Correct answer: You must change where the millions of pounds, dollars and yen are invested.
Where do the millions of pounds, dollars and yen go?
Millions of pounds, dollars and yen are put into weapons of destruction.