School Administrative District #4

Unity of purpose

CORE CURRICULUM: SUPPLEMENTAL PAGES

Department: English Language Arts

FOUR KINDS OF SPEAKING SITUATIONS

All students, K-12, are encouraged to develop the ability to speak before a group. How speaking opportunities are worked into lesson plans is a matter for the individual classroom teacher to decide, but it is recommended that speech assignments be scattered throughout the year.

Impromptu		An impromptu speech is delivered without preparation or thought ahead of time. No note cards are used, and topics are generally drawn from a box. The teacher may want to allow students one or two minutes of think time before expecting them to speak. Impromptu speeches generally last between one and three minutes.
extemporaneous		An extemporaneous speech is prepared and rehearsed ahead of time. Note cards are permitted. At times topics are assigned to complement some other learning objective, e.g., a speech about Puritan beliefs to complement the study of colonial American literature. At other times topics are based on a particular motif, e.g., a "how to" speech or a speech about a "pet peeve." Extemporaneous speeches generally range from three to ten minutes.
memorized		A memorized speech is, of course, delivered from memory. The difficulty of the material increases as students move through the grades, e.g., an elementary student may be asked to recite a nursery rhyme or short poem; a middle-school student, a page of text; and a high-school student, texts several pages long. A senior is expected to write and memorize his/her own humorous, dramatic, or oratorical monologue. Prompting is allowed, but the teacher is expected to use discretion in subtracting points for excessive prompting. Length varies from grade to grade and is often dictated by the type of text being memorized.
oral interpretation		Oral interpretation consists of using facial and verbal expression, as well as body language, to read a teacher- approved text to an audience. Readings are especially meaningful if they complement the literature being studied at the time. Length varies from grade to grade and is often dictated by the type of text being read.

NOTE: The P.C.H.S. English Department requires all students to deliver at least one of each of the four basic kinds of speeches annually: impromptu, extemporaneous, memorized, or read from a manuscript (oral interpretation). Failure to do so results in loss of course credit.

School Administrative District #4

Unity of purpose

CORE CURRICULUM: SUPPLEMENTAL PAGES

Department: English Language Arts

FOUR KINDS OF LISTENING

The S.A.D. #4 English language-arts program recognizes that there is a marked difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is a physical capacity for detecting sound waves. Listening is a thinking process that converts sound waves to meaningful language. Hearing impairments are not typically dealt with by the English teacher; listening impediments, however, need to be specifically and routinely addressed. In general, there are four kinds of listening and seven factors that contribute to defective listening:

Marginal		Marginal listening is rather passive. It involves listening with no apparent response and includes the ability to tune out certain background noises in order to concentrate on some task.
Appreciative		Appreciative listening is used when one wants to form an opinion of value. It involves making judgments and is a highly subjective activity. It is the type of listening that allows one to say, I like that music or I dislike that story.
Attentive		Attentive listening involves consciously focusing on what is being said in order to pick out main ideas, details, directions, announcements, etc. It demands significant concentration and is the type of listening that enables one to infer, to predict, to identify vocabulary from context, to recognize tone, to form sensory images, to recognize relationships, etc.
Critical		Critical listening involves making an evaluation on the basis of criteria or standards. It involves understanding, interpreting, and analyzing what is heard and enables one to draw relationships between details and main ideas, to make accurate hypotheses, to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant details, to separate fact from opinion, to judge the reliability of information presented, to identify attempted verbal coercion, etc.

FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO DEFECTIVE LISTENING

Speed of Reception

Americans speak about 150-175 words per minute. The brain processes information much faster; consequently, the mind of the listener wanders. The trained listener is able to make a conscious effort to concentrate on the speaker, to pick up "trigger words" that draw the attention back to the speaker, and to watch for non-verbal clues to meaning, e.g., facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, etc.

Hasty Judgments

People have a tendency to approve/disapprove or to agree/disagree too soon. When they do, they "tune out" much of what the speaker says.

Physical Conditions

Physical conditions include factors within a listener, as well as factors from without. Factors within the listener could include malnutrition, fatigue, sickness, or actual hearing disabilities. Factors from without may include distracting noises, the movement of people or objects, uncomfortable temperatures, etc. Even the speaker's dress, manner, or voice could distract the listener.

Psychological Factors

Listening is a more demanding activity than reading because the listener cannot go back to retrace or to re-examine a passage. There is relatively little time for reflection, and a speaker's tone or manner can influence the listener's reaction, reception, and retention. Listeners frequently become frustrated because the speaker's words are not carefully or clearly organized. Furthermore, boredom, lack of interest, narrow-mindedness, and similar attitudes and/or personality traits potentially hinder effective listening.

Experiential Background

Things are often misunderstood because the listener may not be familiar with the speaker's words and/or concepts.

Emotional Filters

Human nature causes many listeners to reject ideas that oppose their prejudices, notions, or convictions and to accept too readily what is said because it coincides with their feelings or ideas. In the former instance, listeners Îtune out" the speaker and immediately plan rebuttals. In the latter instance, listeners often make assumptions about what is said and often misquote the speaker because they automatically place their own thoughts in the speaker's mouth.

Listening Anxiety

If the purpose for listening is to recall specific facts÷for a test, for example÷listeners can be preoccupied with isolated facts and miss the real message. Isolated facts often lead to misinformation and misunderstanding.

School Administrative District #4

Unity of purpose

CORE CURRICULUM: SUPPLEMENTAL PAGES

Department: English Language Arts

IMPROMPTU TOPICS: GRADE 9

What's your favorite color, has it always been your favorite color, and what do you think it says about your personality?

When is a person "over the hill," and why do you think so?

If you could have plastic surgery on any part of your body, which part would you have altered and why?

Is competition a good or a bad thing? Give examples to support your position.

If you could be an animal, which animal would you be and why?

Describe the ideal learning environment, and tell us why each thing you include in that environment is important.

Are boys superior to girls? Why or why not?

If you knew you were going to have your last meal and money was not a problem, what would you eat and why?

Which is your favorite fast-food restaurant and why?

If you could add a national holiday to the calendar, what would it be? How would you celebrate it?

If you could choose between being beautiful and having a rotten personality or being homely and having a great personality, which would you choose and why?

Do you believe what you hear on CURRENT AFFAIR, HARD COPY, or other tabloid news programs? Why or why not?

What does the term best friend mean to you? How many real friends do you think a person has in a lifetime?

Were your fears about entering high school justified?

How do other people know when you are really angry?

How do you convince your parents to give you what you really want?

Does a circle, a square, or a triangle represent who you are best? Why?

If you could invite a movie star or a professional athlete to school for an assembly, who would you invite and why?

Who is your favorite cartoon or comic-book character? Why?

Have you ever collected anything? If so, what and why? If not, why not?

Are you a child or an adult? When does a person become an adult?

When a teenager says, "I'm bored," what does he/she really mean?

If you could be a guest star on a television show, which show would you like to appear on and why? What kind of a role would you like to play?

What do you miss most about being a "little kid"?

Discuss a time when things didn't turn out the way you wanted them to.

Where do you go when you want to be truly alone? Why?

Describe a place that you used to go to a lot, but that has changed over time.

What does "living on the edge" mean to you? Would you choose that kind of lifestyle? Why or why not?

Why do many teenagers want to grow up so fast?

How would life be different if you woke up tomorrow a member of the opposite gender, i.e., if you're a girl, you woke up as a boy; if you're a boy, you woke up as a girl?

Discuss a time that you thought you might die of embarrassment.

Discuss a time that you thought you might die laughing.

Discuss one or more pet peeves.

IMPROMPTU TOPICS: GRADE 10

Should parents clean their teenager's bedroom? Why or why not?

Would you rat on a friend who was about to do something that could hurt him/her or someone else?

Should parents censor the kind of music their teenagers listen to, the type of television show or movie teenagers watch, or the type of book teenagers read?

Would you tell your best friend that his/her girlfriend/boyfriend was seeing someone else?

Would you tell a friend that you didn't like his/her new haircut, hair color, new outfit, etc.?

If you found a wallet with money in it, would you return the wallet and the money to the person who lost it?

Is breaking the law ever justified?

What constitutes cheating? Is cheating ever justified?

If you had a job and were scheduled to work at the same time that a party you wanted to attend was going on, would you call in sick and go to the party?

Should teenagers have a curfew? Why or why not?

Would you crawl out of your bedroom window to go somewhere after your parents had gone to bed?

Do you support the practice of reading a CLIFFS NOTE or watching a video, instead of reading an assigned book?

Is it okay to eavesdrop on someone's telephone conversation?

Would you lie to protect someone else? Give examples.

Is there anything wrong with shoplifting?

Do you think it is okay to help yourself to money lying around your house?

If a sales clerk gave you an extra ten dollars in change, would you keep it?

If you disagreed with what a coach told you to do, would you do what he/she said?

If you thought a teacher was being unfair, what would you do?

Is revenge ever justified? What kinds of revenge would you consider harmless?

What would you do if you caught your mother or father reading your diary or a personal note?

Your friends are dumping on another student. Would you join in? Why or why not?

Your best friend wants you to lie to your parents so that you can go somewhere that your parents would never let you go if they knew the truth. Will you lie? Why or why not?

Is it okay to swear in school? Why or why not?

Is it okay to scream or swear at parents? brothers and sisters? Why or why not?

Should parents have any say about whom you date? about who your friends are? Why or why not?

IMPROMPTU TOPICS: GRADE 11

If you could determine the age at which you die, but with no guarantee regarding health or money, how old would you like to be?

If you could rid the earth of one thing, what would it be?

If you had to name the best live musical performance you have attended, which would you pick?

If you had to name the one thing that frightens you most about growing old, what would it be?

If you could have anyone from history welcome you into the afterlife, who would you want it to be?

If you were a dog, which breed would you prefer to be?

If you had to name the one thing you have witnessed that best represents goodness, what would it be?

If you had to name the one time in your life when you were the angriest, when was it?

If you could change one thing about your face, what would you alter?

If you suddenly found the courage to do one thing you have always been afraid of doing, what would it be?

If you could have witnessed the childhood of someone famous, whose would it be?

If you could keep only one book you currently own, which would it be?

If you could have changed the mind of one person from history on one issue, who and what issue would it be?

If you could change one thing about your country's history, what would you alter?

If you could suddenly be irresistibly charming for one day only, what would you do?

If you found yourself at the Pearly Gates and had one chance to make your case for entry, what would you say?

If you could change places with any celebrity in the world, but would have to remain that person forever, who would you be?

If you could have been nicer to one person in your life, who would it be?

If you had to name the smartest person you have ever met, who would it be?

If you had to name one personality trait that you have tried hard to change in yourself, what would it be?

If you could go back to the Garden of Eden and given Adam and Eve advice, what would you say?

If you could have any free service in your home everyday, what would it be?

If you could have any number of siblings, how many would you have and of what gender?

If you had to name the single most important duty of a parent, what would it be?

If you had to identify what made the best teacher you have ever had the best, what would you say?

If you had to identify the most important quality in a friend, what would it be?

If you had to nominate the best-dressed person you know, who would it be?

If you could open and run any kind of restaurant anywhere, what kind of food would you serve and where?

If you were to decide on a new punishment for convicted murderers (not life imprisonment or death, what would it be?

If you had to name a song that you associate with a particular period of your life, what song would it be and what experience would you associate with it?

If you had to recount a time when you put your foot in your mouth, when was it?

If you had to name the most difficult thing about being a teenager, what would you name?

If you had to describe the most embarrassing moment of your life, what moment would it be?

If you had to name the one thing you worried about most in high school, what was it and was it worth all the fuss?

If you could read someone's diary, whose would you choose to read?

If you had to name the person who has been the most important role model in your life, who would it be?

If the United States had to sacrifice one state, which state would you recommend?

If you had the gift of magic for one day, what would you do?

If you could pump enormous amounts of money into one area of scientific research, what area would it be?

If you force someone very rich give away all his/her money for a single cause, who would it be and what cause would it go to?

If you could have God perform one miracle today, what would it be?

If you had to name one thing you have done which has most pleased your parents, what would you name?

If you could live in a past era, which era would you select?

If you could be principal for a day, what would you do?

IMPROMPTU TOPICS: GRADE 12

Grade 12 students should be challenged to engage in an impromptu discussion about some teacher-selected topic. The teacher should prepare a list of topic-related questions and select questions randomly to insure that no student knows to which question he/she will be expected to respond and to eliminate any suggestion that the teacher intentionally gave a particular student an "easy" or a "difficult" question. After a student has answered his/her question, other students may respond to the same question and gain bonus points for doing so.

RECOMMENDED PRACTICES FOR ASSESSING SPEECHES

Rubrics are provided for each of the four types of speeches: impromptu, extemporaneous, memorized, and read from a manuscript (oral interpretation). A teacher should share these rubrics with students prior to using them and should fully discuss each scoring element included on them. A teacher may want to demonstrate the use of a rubric if there is a student willing to give a non-graded practice speech for that purpose or may elect to deliver a speech himself/herself and allow students to use the rubric to score him/her.

No student should be exempted from the speech requirement, but a particularly nervous student may elect to give his/her speech after school if arrangements are made with the classroom teacher in advance. If a high-school student fails to deliver an assigned speech, the following letter should be sent to parents via registered mail:

DATE

Dear PARENT'S NAME:

Several years ago, the English Department revised its philosophy statement as an ongoing part of the curriculum renewal process. This statement stipulates that there are some assignments that must be completed if credit is to be awarded: four speeches (impromptu, extemporaneous, memorized, and oral interpretation) and one MLA-documented research paper. The only way to assess a student's speaking ability or writing ability adequately and fairly is to listen to the student speak and to read what the student has written.

At this time your child has failed to attempt one of these activities: A DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT AND THE DATE IT WAS DUE. STUDENT'S NAME has two weeks from the date of this letter to complete the assignment or HE/SHE will not gain credit for HIS/HER English class. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding this assignment.

Sincerely,

TEACHER'S NAME

Bruce Lindberg, principal

Assessment Checklist: Extemporaneous/Impromptu Speech

Aspects of Delivery (Visual and Auditory)	Comments	Performance Level (Circle One)

Posture/Hand Control/Poise		NS P A G E
Body Language/ Facial Expression		NS P A G E
Eye Contact		NS P A G E
Volume/Pitch/ Verbal Expression		NS P A G E
Rate		NS P A G E
Articulation/Pronunciation		NS P A G E
Appropriate Use of English		NS P A G E
Development of Topic: specific, appropriate, adequate detail		NS P A G E
Unity and Coherence: clear thesis, introduction, body, and conclusion		NS P A G E
Use of Visual Aids (if applicable)		NS P A G E

NAME: ____________________ DATE: ___/___/___

TOTAL: ______________

NOTE: All PCHS students are required to complete four speeches per year: impromptu, extemporaneous, memorized, and oral interpretation. A student must earn a passing grade (70) before the deduction of any lateness points or a speech has to be repeated until a passing grade is earned. Failure to meet the terms of this requirement results in forfeiture of course credit.

NS = Not satisfactory (60)

P = Poor (70)

A = Average (80)

G = Good (88)

E = Excellent (96)

Assessment Checklist: Memorized/Oral Interpretation Speech

Aspects of Delivery (Visual and Auditory)	Comments	Performance Level (Circle One)

Posture/Hand Control/Poise		NS P A G E
Body Language/ Facial Expression		NS P A G E
Eye Contact		NS P A G E
Volume/Pitch/ Verbal Expression		NS P A G E
Rate		NS P A G E
Articulation/Pronunciation		NS P A G E
Use of a Prompter		NS P A G E
Introduction: title, author, background information		NS P A G E
Communication of Author's Tone and Meaning		NS P A G E
Use of Costume/Props		NS P A G E

NAME: ____________________ DATE: ___/___/___

TOTAL: ______________

NS = Not satisfactory (60)

P = Poor (70)

A = Average (80)

G = Good (88)

E = Excellent (96)

DATE

TEACHER'S NAME

IMPROMPTU SPEAKING

EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEECH

MEMORIZED SPEECH

ORAL INTERPRETATION