LET’S talk PRO

At the end of this project you are going to be able to:

Give a short talk on a topic of your interest.

1. Think about it

Have a look at this video. Isn’t it amazing? Would you like to talk like this?

Now you may wonder…

How can I give an engaging talk like

this?

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This is not Speaker’s Corner, but you’ll learn how to do your best in a public talk.

You’re going to make a “TEDtalk” video and there will also be a public video contest.

Do your best and win a ticket for an Escape Room adventure!

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2. Let’s learn about it 2.1. What is this project about?

ACTIVITY 1:

Let’s have a look at every section! Surf the activities and also the project assessment.

Is there anything you don’t understand? Have you got any questions?

2.2. Let’s start practising!

ACTIVITY 2: Learn my expressions for public speaking

IntroductionsGood morning. / Good afternoon.

My name’s...

Thanks for coming.

Nice to see you here.

OpeningsI’m here today to talk to you about...

Today I’m going to present...

Today I would like to explain... (something to somebody)

OrderingFirst...

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Second...

Third...

Finally...

Giving opinionsI think...

I believe...

I’m sure...

I’m convinced...

I really think...

I definitely believe...

I’m absolutely convinced...

AddingIn addition...

Also…

Furthermore…

Moreover...

ContrastingOn the one hand... but on the other...

However...

Although…

… but ...

ConcludingTo sum up,...

To conclude,...

In short,...

All in all,...

ClosingsThanks for your attention.

Thanks for listening.

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ACTIVITY 3: Choose the topic of my presentationThink about something you are familiar with:

It can be about a hobby, about a place you have visited, about an object you like, about a pet, a «how to»… You don’t have to talk for a long time.

Open your Google Drive. Look for TEDtalk topics in your shared with you folder. Write your topic next to your name.

The goal is not a research but a good talk.

ACTIVITY 4: Prepare your presentationUse the expressions learnt in Activity 1 to give structure to your presentation.

Select one phrase from each section to use in your presentation and add some short notes about your topic.

Start practising pronunciation and intonation (google translator, though it’s not absolutely good at translating, can be useful for pronunciation).

Apart from body language, you can also think about introducing humour in your talk or prepare some visual or material support to get the audience’s attention.

ACTIVITY 5: Gaining confidenceExchange presentations with a couple of partners & give feedback on each other’s.

Here you have some tips:

Style

Feel confident!

Before your presentation:

Take a deep breath, relax your stomach, take another deep breath, relax.

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Smile!

Eye contact – make eye contact with your audience, they are probably nice people and they are probably interested in listening to you!

Maintain an open and relaxed body position during your presentation. You will look confident and you will feel confident too! Remember «fake it until you make it!»

Voice: English is, in general, «more musical» than Spanish.

Go slowlyUse good intonation / put energy in your voice

If you speak more slowly and with good intonation («singing»)

- it is easier for people to understand you

- you sound more confident

- you have more time to include intonation and to sound more fluent

- you have more time to think and avoid mistakes

Spanish and Catalan speakers generally talk quickly and often sound stressed to other nationalities. Control your voice. Take it easy!

ACTIVITY 6: Listening and performing

Listening

Good morning. My name is Chris. Nice to see you all here. Today I would like to explain how to give a talk in public. I’m sure that many of you think that you don’t like speaking in public. So I have a challenge! First, I’m going to give you some typical expressions to make it easy for you. I really think that you will become more fluent when you use them regularly. In addition, I’m going to give you some tips on how to use your body and your voice when speaking in public. On the one hand, you may feel strange when following my advice, but on

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the other you will become a better speaker. In short, after today, when you speak in public, you will look, sound and feel more confident. Thanks for your attention.

Listen again.

Which do you prefer? Which is easier to understand?

Which is more «Spanish/Catalan»?

Can you improve?

Now read the text above to your partner. Focus on reading slowly and with good intonation. Try to «perform». Your partner will give you feedback.

Now your partner will read slowly and with good intonation and will try to «perform». You will give feedback.

Performing and repeating to improve

Repeat the exercise with a new partner. Can you improve each time you «perform» the text?

ACTIVITY 7: Let’s see an example!Before starting to design your own performance, we’ll watch a short TedTalk by David Gallo, Underwater Astonishments and we will assess it by following our rubrics for the project.

Have a look at How to Give a Great Talk link.

At home: watch Thomas Suarez TEDtalk and Tavi Gevinson TEDtalk. You can start doing this in class if there’s any time left.

2.3. Preparing our performances

ACTIVITY 8: My rehearsal

Practice and rehearse your script by individually recording a podcast on your short presentation. You can use Audacity or any other software available.

At home: watch What to do with your hands while you are presenting!

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ACTIVITY 9: Body language

Now that you have already practiced with your voice, record your individual performance in groups of two with your Chromebooks, mobile phones or any recording devices instead.

In turns, one records while the other performs his or her talk.

You have some tips below.

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This is like telling a story and now we are at step 5:

Also remember to...

● vary the volume, pitch and tempo of your voice (enunciate clearly and exaggerate expression)

● use your face, body and gestures (let your body speak)

● make your body and face respond to the tale

● have a clear focus and maintain concentration

● maintain engaging eye contact with the audience/ individual listeners

● create a charismatic presence (make the audience believe in you)

● use different, exaggerated character voices

● use your space/ be dynamic

● remember to pace yourself

● always remember to regain your style as a narrator

● use silence and pauses to add dramatic effect

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2.3. Let’s show it!

Activity 10: Presenting our TEDtalks to our classmates & assessing

We’ll work in small groups (4-5 students). We’ll assess our classmates and will also assess

our own works. Have a look at the rubrics in the page below.

You have to give arguments about your decisions.

The 5 best videos from each class will participate in the final contest.

Activity 11: Presenting our TEDtalks in public

This would be a public session to show the results to our school community. This could be a

good opportunity to gain audience.

Friends and parents will be given a form and they’ll have to choose the 5 best videos.

The videos will be published on the School site for a week so every teacher and student will

be able to vote (Google Forms) during this time.

The finalists will be shown and the 5 winners will be awarded a diploma and 1 ticket for an

Escape Room.

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3. Assessment

Rubric for Assessing a Journal Entry

Grading Criteria

Excellent Acceptable Minimal Unacceptable

Content Response to assigned topic thorough and well written, with varied sentence structure and vocabulary; opinions always supported with facts.

Response thoughtful and fairly well written; most opinions supported with facts

Response adequately addresses some aspects of the assigned topic; opinions sometimes based on incorrect information.

Response consists of unsupported opinions only marginally related to the topic.

IdeaDevelopment

Excellent use of examples and details to explore and develop ideas and opinions.

Good reliance upon examples and details to illustrate and develop ideas and opinions.

Incomplete development of ideas; details and examples not always evident.

Ideas not clearly stated or developed.

Organization Very logically organized; contains introduction; development of main idea (or ideas), and conclusion.

Contains introduction, some development of ideas, and conclusion.

Topics and ideas discussed somewhat randomly; entry may lack clearly defined introduction or conclusion.

Entry is unstructured.

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Mechanics Flawless spelling and punctuation.

Few or no spelling errors; some minor punctuation mistakes.

Several spelling and punctuation errors.

Many instances of incorrect spelling and punctuation.

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Rubric 2: the oral presentation

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1

Structure Information is organised in a clear, logical way.

Most information is organised in a clear, logical way.

Some information is organised in a clear, logical way.

There is no clear plan for the organisation of information.

Content Shows a full understanding of the topic.

Shows a good understanding of the topic.

Shows a good understanding of parts of the topic.

Does not seem to understand the topic very well.

Speaks Clearly

Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, and mispronounces no words.

Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, but mispronounces one word.

Speaks clearly and distinctly most (94-85%) of the time. Mispronounces no more than one word.

Often mumbles or cannot be understood OR mispronounces more than one word.

Time-Limit Presentation is 5-6 minutes long.

Presentation is 4 minutes long.

Presentation is 3 minutes long.

Presentation is less than 3 minutes OR more than 6 minutes.

Posture Stands straight, looks relaxed and confident. Movement and gestures are fluid.

Stands straight. Movement and gestures are used throughout the presentation.

Sometimes stands straight. Minimal movement.

Slouches and/or no movement.

Volume Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members throughout the presentation.

Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 90% of the time.

Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 80% of the time.

Volume often too soft to be heard by all audience members.

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Language Precise word choice. No grammar errors.

Fairly effective word choice. Few (under 4) grammar errors.

Correct word choice. Some (more than 5) grammar errors.

Many (more than 10) grammar errors.

The project is going to be evaluated during different moments of the process. The assessment will be done considering the following distribution:

● Classwork (including the “Journal”): 50%

● Final product: 30% (this percentage will include peer and self assessment, done with the rubric we have created for this project)

● Attitude: 20%

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