BLUE HILLS COLLEGE
ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
ORAL: PREPARED SPEECH
DATE:
DURATION: 5 MIN
01 FEBRUARY 2022
GRADE 12
Page 1 of 5
100 MARKS
PREPARED SPEAKING

NB. Speeches are part of the exam and should be presented under supervised
environment.

Choose your own topic and write a Persuasive Speech of 4 – 5 minutes long.

Ideas should be presented in a clearly structured way, with an effective introduction and
a firm conclusion.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The speech topic should be a statement not a question.
2. Submit your topic to the teacher for approval before you start writing.
3. Your speech should be in 5 paragraphs no matter how long the paragraphs are.
4. Do not include subheadings in your written speech.
5. Design 5 cue cards only.
6. The cue cards should measure 10 x 15 cm in size.
7. Each cue card should have a few words or just one phrase.
8. Cue cards are meant to remind you of what you should speak about in that paragraph.
9. Do not write your whole speech on the cue cards.
10. An example of a cue card will be sent to you via WhatsApp.
SUGGESTED STRUCTURE OF THE SPEECH
CHOOSING THE TOPIC:

Choose your own topic. It can be a theme.

You should choose a topic that is important to you.

Sincere enthusiasm and personal conviction about the subject automatically aids the
quality of your presentation.

The topic should be a statement which can be a phrase or a sentence.

Preferably it should not be one word.

It should not be a question.

Avoid topics on politics, sexual relations and gender based issues.

Stock or common topics should be avoided: to be successful, these need an individualised
approach.
Page 2 of 5
PARAGRAPH ONE: INTRODUCTION

Can be an anecdote, wise words, catch phrase or a poem.

It can be up to 10 lines and under one minute.

The introduction has one cue card with a few words or just one phrase, picture or an emoji.
PARAGRAPH TWO: PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Experience means what you have seen, or what you have heard, or what has happened to
you. It basically encompasses your five senses.

Relate your experience of the topic, it could be what happened to you, what you saw
happen to someone close to you or what you heard happened to someone close to you.

This should be one paragraph to one page long and one minute long. (It should be one
compact paragraph no matter how long it is)

For this paragraph there should be one cue card.(check instructions)
PARAGRAPH THREE: RESEARCH
This paragraph is a research paragraph. Can be one to two minutes long.

Content should be enriched with sufficient information and ideas.

Facts should be clearly integrated within the fabric of the speech.

Research from books and the internet on what scholars say about your topic, write the
definition and what the writers say about your topic.

Give examples about your topic from your set works (The Theory of Flight and The
Tempest), extra novel and some of your poems poetry. All this can be done in one
paragraph to avoid confusion.

The speech should not be a mere collection of facts gleaned from one source or other: it
must present a point of view and be persuasive.

After each example give your own opinion so that your voice can be heard.
PARAGRAPH FOUR: MEDIA EXAMPLES

Write a paragraph of media examples of your topic using the internet, newspapers, movies,
your favourite celebrities, memes and cartoons. (Should be related to your topic.) One
minute long.
Page 3 of 5
PARAGRAPH FIVE: CONCLUSION

It should be as long as two sentences. A few seconds long.

The conclusion can be a challenge in the form of a rhetorical question or an idiomatic
expression.
PRESENTATION INSTRUCTIONS

The guiding rule here is that you should talk to your audience, not at them.

Your Language should be sophisticated without being overly formal and\should display a
good vocabulary.

Use rhetoric devices.

The prepared speech should not be presented in a 'public speaking manner'. While the
speech should be well rehearsed to ensure confidence.

It should never be learned off by heart or read from full notes.

A spontaneous manner and the confidence from knowing the topic well are what the
audience appreciates most.

You should use cue cards only (5 of them measuring 10 x 15 cm) with a few words/ a
phrase on them.

A full text is distracting and causes you to read.

Reading from a written text should be heavily penalised.

You should stand in a relaxed manner, and use natural gestures, body language and
facial expression to convey their meaning.

Voice needs to be varied in terms of pitch, speed, and volume.

Pauses should be used between sections. Never rush – the audience needs time to absorb
what you are saying.

Eye contact with the whole audience is essential.
VIDEO PRESENTATION

A video of your speech will be sent to ieb for verification.

Everyone is expected to be recorded a video of themselves presenting the speech.

Concerning POPIA, when you register for exams as a candidate you give power to ieb to
use any personal material that is fit to complete your year of study.
Page 4 of 5

A video of yourself presenting the speech should be shot in the presence of the teacher as
you present the speech.

The video should neither be cut nor edited as it may effectively alter the original marks
awarded at the time of presentation.

Hold up your cue cards as you present our speech, but do not read from them, but refer
to them.

The video should show your full body and evidence that you are not reading the
speech but presenting it..

You should be in school uniform.

Remember to maintain eye contact with the audience.

Be audible and clear.

Submit the evidence of a written speech and your research material along with your
video to the teacher.
All the best.
Page 5 of 5