Outcomes and Skills
Year 9 Power of Speech • Fundamentals • Outcomes
The unit builds a connected set of speaking and listening skills. The outcomes describe the whole five weeks, not a single performance. A strong speaker is not the loudest person in the room; they are the person who knows what they want to say, who they are saying it to, and how to make it clear.
Unit outcomes
- Explain how speaker, message, audience, channel, feedback and context shape communication.
- Use breath, pace, pitch, volume and pause with control.
- Use stance, gesture, eye contact and movement purposefully.
- Speak clearly and adapt vocabulary to the audience.
- Structure a speech with a clear opening, signposted body and purposeful close.
- Analyse an audience and adjust register, evidence and examples.
- Listen actively and give specific, useful feedback.
- Plan, rehearse and deliver a short original speech with confidence.
How the skills connect
| Skill | What it looks like | How to practise it |
|---|
| Audience awareness | Choosing examples, vocabulary and tone for the people in the room. | Rewrite one paragraph for two different audiences. |
| Breath and voice | Speaking on supported breath without strain. | One-minute sustained reading with marked breaths. |
| Body language | Standing balance, purposeful gesture and real eye contact. | Freeze-frame and gesture-inventory exercises. |
| Clarity | Intelligible consonants, clear word stress and controlled pace. | Back-of-room listening and recorded playback. |
| Structure | A clear opening, signposted points and a close that lands. | Build a skeleton before drafting sentences. |
| Listening | Attending, paraphrasing and asking useful questions. | Triad listening with a summariser. |
| Feedback | Naming a specific choice and its effect. | “I noticed ... and it made me ...” rounds. |
| Regulation | Using preparation and breathing to manage performance nerves. | Build a personal plan and rehearse it. |
| Reflection | Identifying one change and explaining why it worked. | Compare a baseline and final recording. |
I can statements
- I can explain what a speaker, audience and context are.
- I can speak on a supported breath without shouting.
- I can vary pace and pause for emphasis.
- I can stand with balance and use gesture purposefully.
- I can make my words clear at the back of the room.
- I can open a speech with a hook and a purpose.
- I can signpost the parts of a speech.
- I can adapt my vocabulary for an audience.
- I can listen without planning my reply.
- I can give specific feedback.
- I can use a breathing routine before I speak.
- I can reflect on one change in my delivery.
Success criteria for a short speech
| Element | A strong speech | A weaker speech |
|---|
| Purpose | The audience knows why the speech exists within the first thirty seconds. | The point arrives late or never. |
| Structure | Opening, points and close are clear and signposted. | Ideas drift without a through-line. |
| Evidence | Examples are specific, relevant and explained. | Generalities and unsupported claims. |
| Audience | Vocabulary and examples fit the people in the room. | Jargon, in-jokes or inappropriate detail. |
| Voice | Audible, varied and supported by breath. | Monotone, rushed or strained. |
| Body | Balanced stance, purposeful gesture and eye contact. | Rocking, hiding or over-gesturing. |
| Clarity | Words are intelligible; key terms are explained. | Mumbling, trailing off or unexplained jargon. |
| Close | Returns to the purpose and gives the audience a clear ending. | Stops abruptly or trails away. |
Key terms
| Term | Working definition |
|---|
| Speaker | The person communicating a message. |
| Audience | The people receiving and interpreting the message. |
| Message | The idea or feeling the speaker wants to communicate. |
| Channel | The means of communication, such as live speech, recording or video. |
| Feedback | The audience's verbal and non-verbal response. |
| Context | The situation, place, time and relationships surrounding the speech. |
| Noise | Anything that interferes with the message, including physical sound and distraction. |
| Register | The level of formality and style chosen for an audience and occasion. |
| Projection | Using breath and resonance to fill a space without shouting. |
| Pace | The speed of speech. |
| Pitch | The highness or lowness of the voice. |
| Pause | A deliberate silence used for emphasis or breath. |
| Articulation | How clearly speech sounds are formed. |
| Signposting | Words that show the structure of a speech. |
| Hook | An opening that catches attention and prepares the point. |
| Active listening | Listening with full attention, checking understanding and responding. |
| Performance anxiety | Nervousness before or during speaking in front of others. |
| Rehearsal | Deliberate practice of a speech before delivery. |
Knowledge and skills
Knowledge
- The communication model.
- Functions of public speech.
- Vocal and physical techniques.
- Common speech structures.
- Audience analysis and register.
- Feedback and active listening.
Skills
- Speaking clearly and audibly.
- Structuring a short speech.
- Adapting to an audience.
- Listening and giving feedback.
- Managing nerves.
- Rehearsing and reflecting.
Next, read speech as communication for the conceptual foundation. The voice and breath page begins the practical work.