Speaking and listening rewards clearly organised ideas, delivery that an audience can follow, and the ability to respond thoughtfully to questions and other speakers. Our teachers designed the tasks below around a prepared presentation and the discussion that follows it.
Prepare notes rather than a full script, rehearse aloud, then reveal our approach and checklist. Check how this component is assessed and reported in the syllabus.
1Prepare and deliver a short individual presentation on a topic you care about and know well. For example, choose a skill, a place, an issue, or a person who influenced you.
Plan it to inform and interest a listening audience, then be ready to answer their questions. Prepare cue notes, not a word-for-word script.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: Choose a narrow topic you can say something specific about. Structure it as a clear talk: an engaging opening, three signposted points and a definite ending. Rehearse aloud to fit the length the task sets.
Reduce your notes to brief cue cards so you look up and speak instead of reading. Anticipate three likely questions and prepare a sentence for each.
Model opening: I want to talk to you about a fifteen-minute walk that changed how I think about my town, because I have taken it a hundred times and only once actually looked.
Checklist:
- My topic is narrow enough to say something specific about
- The talk has a clear opening, signposted middle and firm ending
- I use cue notes and speak, rather than reading a script
- I rehearsed aloud and timed it to the length set
- I prepared answers to likely questions
2Prepare a presentation that answers this question: 'Should students have a say in how their school is run?' Present your reasoned answer, then take part in a discussion in which others challenge your view. Plan both what you will say and how you will respond to disagreement.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: Treat this as argument, not just information. State your answer early, support it with two or three reasons, and acknowledge the strongest objection before you finish. For the discussion, plan to listen first.
Then respond to the actual point made: agree where fair, and defend your view with a reason instead of repeating it louder. Ask a question back to keep the exchange going.
Model opening: My answer is yes, but a careful yes; students should have a genuine say in the decisions that shape their day, and no say at all in a few that should not become popularity contests.
Checklist:
A trial lesson can start from your child's attempt at Speaking & listening practice for OxfordAQA 9270, with feedback from an experienced teacher.
- I stated my position clearly and supported it with reasons
- I acknowledged the strongest opposing view
- In discussion I responded to what was actually said
- I defended my view with reasoning, not volume
- I listened actively and invited others in
3Prepare a two-part persuasive talk in which you try to change your audience's mind about something they probably take for granted, for example that exams are the fairest test, or that being busy means being productive. Focus on organising your ideas so the audience can follow your reasoning at every step.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: Persuasion aloud depends on structure the audience can hear. Open by naming the common belief, then signal your challenge.
Build your case in clear stages, using pauses and emphasis at the turning point. Repeat a key phrase so it sticks, and close by telling the audience exactly what you would like them to reconsider.
Model opening: We all agree that being busy is good, so agree with me for thirty more seconds, and then let me try to talk you out of it.
Checklist:
- I named the common belief before challenging it
- My ideas are staged so a listener can follow the reasoning
- I used spoken signposts, pauses and emphasis deliberately
- A repeated key phrase gives the talk shape
- My close tells the audience what to reconsider
4Prepare to take part in a group discussion on this question: 'Is it better to be a specialist in one thing or capable in many?' Come ready with a clear opening view and an example, but plan above all how you will listen, build on others' points, and move the discussion forward rather than dominate it.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: In a discussion, listening is assessed as much as speaking. Prepare a clear opening view and one or two examples.
Then plan discussion moves: building on a point, politely disagreeing with a reason, drawing in a quieter member, and summarising to move things on. Aim to advance the group's thinking, not just to score points.
Model opening: I will start by nailing my colours to the mast (I think range beats depth for most of us) but I am genuinely interested to hear where that falls apart, so please push back.
Checklist:
- I came with a clear view and at least one example
- I built on and referred to others' points
- I disagreed with reasons and stayed courteous
- I helped draw in others and summarised to move on
- I advanced the discussion rather than dominating it
See the method and an annotated model on the speaking & listening page for OxfordAQA 9270, or the technique in our speaking & listening skills guide.