The Unprepared Speech
Ensuring Reliable and Credible Assessment
The Unprepared Speech
• This is an important life-skill that is useful and can be coached successfully - it is highly weighted.
• There are a variety of assessment practices which are creative and useful for informal practise but the
formal assessment should consist of a topic drawn by a learner from a bank of topics.
• The learner should be given five to eight minutes to prepare as an individual.
• They will then be required to present their speech and that speech should be timed.
• Two minutes duration is required for grade 10 and 11 while 2-3 minutes is required for grade 12.
• It is clear from the rubric that if learners fail to speak for two minutes; they have not spoken on the topic
without lapses and must be penalised accordingly.
• Good audience engagement should be rewarded since this speaks to the total effectiveness of the
speech.
The Unprepared Speech Content Mark
• Creativity is assessed - learners need many opportunities to present unprepared speeches; practise
brainstorming techniques, and the organizing of content.
• Teach learners to think of three different ways of interpreting a topic. At the very least, they should
differentiate between literal and figurative interpretations and give example of these.
• A greeting and introduction to the topic is required as well as a conclusion. Learners should jot these
down with the brainstorm to ensure that they are not forgotten.
• Speeches must be timed - learners must be coached regularly and the length of the speeches must be
increased incrementally through the FET phase.
• Mediate the rubric with learners - a shared understanding of each descriptor should be achieved.
• Learners must all have a copy of the rubric in their books and should regularly use them to assess their
peers and provide feedback so that they clarify their own understanding of what is required.
The Unprepared Speech Presentation Mark
• TONE – this is an opportunity to teach vocabulary for tone. It should be appropriate to the topic and
audience. Topics should be appropriate to the grade and learners could be expected to vary the tone
depending on the purpose of the speech – persuasive of compassionate …
• BODY LANGUAGE – this should re-enforce the expectations for the prepared speech. Gestures should
enhance the attention of the audience and not distract.
• AUDIENCE CONTACT – eye contact, volume, pitch, variety is important – again this will be built on the
understanding of the prepared speech rubric.
• Avoid giving learners too long to prepare with the given topic because if they write the speech out in
full, they tend to read the speech which annihilates their body language and audience contact. Regular
practice opportunities will develop this.
The Unprepared Speech Critical Awareness of Language Mark
• Set standardized topics for each grade so that aspects of language are demanded in a well differentiated manner
per grade. It is not fair if one teacher demands evidence of persuasive language while another expects only
description.
• Provide a great variety of language expectations so that expression may be practised before writing tasks are
attempted showing these language skills.
• Correct Use of English is obviously wanted, but further than that, the correct selection of diction and construction
for purpose is impressive. The unprepared speech may be used as a mini test to see whether learners have grasped
the language of humour for example.
Thank you
