Speaking Step 4

Speaking: The oral transmission of information or ideas.

Step 4: I speak effectively by thinking about what my listeners already know

Outcomes

To achieve Step 4, learners will show that they have considered what their listeners already know when they are speaking.

Previously individuals have thought about putting points in logical order. This step builds on that as learners consider what listeners already know, so pitch what they are saying at the right level.

Learners need to be able to:

Understand why what your listeners already know matters
Know how to build on what listeners already know when you are speaking

Introduction

Good speaking means thinking about how best to help your listeners to understand.
When we speak, we have a view on what our listeners already know – we might call this an assumption. For example: When we talk about other people, we would explain who the people are if they don’t know them – or just use their names if they do know them.

Skill Starter

Our Skill

The coach will introduce a skill action that learners have already practised in a previous session such as throwing and catching or different ways to pass the ball.

First they will explain it in an overly complicated manner. Then the coach will explain it more simply. Learners to identify which explanation was easier to understand and why before having a go at the activity.

10 mins

Group activity

Discussion

Teach & Apply

It is important to think about what listeners already understand so that what you are saying is not too simple and not too complicated.
If you are not sure about what listeners already know, you ask some simple questions to help work it out. For example: ‘Do you know…?’ or ‘What do you already know about…?’
Once you know how much they know, you can change how you talk, to make sure you don’t repeat information.
If you cannot tell whether you are managing to pitch what you are saying at the right level, then you can always ask little checking questions as you go. For example, “Am I making sense?” or “Would it be helpful if I explained a bit more about that?”

Optional Activity

Skill Set

The task is to demonstrate and explain a skill move for their sport to the group.

Learners split into small groups according to their favourite sport. They then have 5 minutes to discuss the task and possible skill moves that they may choose.

After this, each learner has 10 minutes to gather the necessary equipment and complete the task individually. They should be encouraged to write down any key language that will be important in their explanation on a whiteboard, and think about how they can communicate their thoughts in a clear and simple manner.

After the 10 minutes is up, each learner takes it in turns to explain and demonstrate their skill to the group. They must be sure to gather what the group knows about the skill before they begin. After the demonstration, the group can have a go at trying the skill.

20 mins

Individual activity

Active

Reflection & Assessment

Embed these strategies across your teaching and coaching to help learners apply what they’ve learnt.

When learners speak, they could be reminded by the coach to think about what the listeners already know and to think about how much details they may or may not need to add.

Use these ideas for ways of assessing this skill step to help you check learners’ understanding and confidence.

Observe the learners over a period of time to see whether their explanations or what they say to their peers is pitched at the right level.
Ask these reflective questions:
- Why is it helpful to think about what your listeners already know before you speak?
- How can you find out what they already know?
- What would happen if your listeners understand less than you expect?