follow-up tasks

WEBINAR FOLLOW UP TASK

(Belfast, 22-26 May 2017)

TOPIC :

SOS Speakers’ Corner

TASK: write a public speech and get ready to give the speech in front of a group/an audience.

Target audience: other students, about the same age as you.

Aim: telling a story that can teach and inspire other people.

Structure: (divide the speech into parts (2,3…) with an introduction, try to use of figures of speech (real life examples, metaphors and similes), use punctuation (to mark pauses and tone of voice)… do not forget to end with a conclusion, better if with a motto.

How to choose the theme for your speech:

You can start from a personal experience (i.e. a negative circumstance which later turned up to be very important for your personal growth, a dramatic change which occurred in your life, the loss of someone or something which made me learn something, an event/a challenge which made me grow up).

As a second possibility, you may choose private stories concerning people who are very close to you (i.e. one of your parents, or grandparents, a relative who changed job, invented something, emigrated, had some kind of interesting experience which can be told and can teach other people something)

As a last resource, you may want to pick up a story from a famous person’s life (i.e. Malala Yousafzai, who risks her life to fight for human rights)…

The students going to Belfast in May will share their speech with the project partners in small groups; for each country, there will be 1 speaker who will deliver his/her speech in front of all the partners. It is up to each team to decide who will do that, do not be too worried, it is a friendly task, to allow you share your ideas!

Those who like the idea of producing a video version of their speech are welcome! That is also valid for all the students who are not going to Belfast!

TASK PREPARATION TIPS:

Ø Use the speech analysis questionnaire you filled in as a self-assessment guide;

Ø Watch this video, to get some encouragment and some good advice on how to be more confident (especially with English!):

https://www.engvid.com/how-to-be-confident/

Ø Have a look at this simple list of tips (taken from the above video) to keep the main points easily in mind. Remember that in the case of a speech like the one described in the task, you do not need to use any slides!

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD SPEECH: USEFUL TIPS

· Choose a good, interesting topic

· Know your topic and content

· Know your audience

· Use props, slides, pictures

· Start with a question

· Grab your audience’s attention

· Practice a lot, so as to be less nervous and anxious

· Speak with loud voice and clear pronunciation

· Make eye contact with everyone

· Use, if necessary, cue cards containing the main points only

· Keep a balanced upright posture

· Pay attention to your facial expressions and gestures (no hands in your pockets!)