Hello, everyone.

My name's Ms. Keller, and welcome to today's lesson.

In this session, we are going to be exploring one of my favourite rhetorical devices: anaphora.

We're going to have a look at what it is and how we use it, and then, by the end of today's lesson, we're going to have a go at using it in our own writing.

So by the end of today's lesson, we'll be able to use anaphora and a refrain to write an engaging speech that reinforces a central message throughout.

So let's have a look at today's keywords.

We have impactful, rhetorical devices, emphasise, anaphora, and refrain.

So do pause the video here for a moment, and really make sure that you're familiar with these words because we are going to be encountering them quite a lot in today's lesson.

But before we move on, I would just like to draw your attention to two of the words here, and they are impactful and emphasise.

So impactful means that something has a strong effect or influence.

So, really, when we are writing speeches, we're aiming to write impactful speeches because that means that they're having an impact on the audience which means that they're being moved by our arguments.

Our arguments are causing them to reflect on their views and perhaps, hopefully, they are being persuaded by us.

And emphasise actually links to this idea of impactful writing because to emphasise something means to give special importance or prominence to something when speaking or writing.

So when we're trying to make an impactful argument, it's really important that we emphasise our key ideas or our central messages or perhaps a really strong piece of supporting evidence in order to make our speech more impactful.

So do bear in mind how these two words work together as we are going through today's lesson.

So how is the lesson going to look? Well, we're going to start off by exploring what anaphora and refrains are.

You may have come across these devices before.

You may not have come across these devices before.

That's okay.

We are going to explain what they are.

We're going to explore how to use them, why we use them, and then we are going to have a guided attempt at using them ourselves.

So, writing an engaging and impactful speech.

So we're already using these words.

Impactful, yeah? We're already thinking about how we can make our writing impactful.

So I'd like to start off with a discussion question.

Why do speech writers use methods and rhetorical devices? So I'll hand over to you.

Perhaps take a moment to think, and then share your views with the people around you, or make a few notes if you're working on your own.

Pause the video here, and click play when you're ready for us to continue.

Okay.

Welcome back.

So well done if you're picking up on this idea that these methods and devices make our speech more impactful and more memorable to our audience.

So we can use two particular methods to make the main body of our speeches memorable.

We have anaphora, which is when a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of a number of sentences or clauses that run on consecutively one after the other.

And then we have a refrain that is a word or phrase that is repeated several times in a piece of writing.

So we've got that really clear distinction there.

Anaphora, we will see those repeated words and phrases close together, whereas, with a refrain, they may be a bit more spread out.

So over to you again then.

Have a look at the definition of each of these methods.

What do they have in common? So pause the video while we take some time to think and discuss it, and click play when you're ready for us to be back together.

Okay.

Welcome back.

And well done to those of you who correctly identified that both are methods that involve repeating ideas for effect.

So we can see that word repeated there in both of those definitions.

So thinking more widely then about repetition, how does it help to make a speech impactful? So how does it really help us to get these persuasive ideas across in a way that can move our audience and perhaps change how they think about something? So pause the video here while you take some time to think and discuss it or make your notes.

And when you're ready for us to feedback together, click play, and we'll continue.

Okay.

Welcome back.

So you might have said something along these lines.

Repeating key ideas ensures your speech has a strong central argument, and it helps to make your message a memorable one.

And, actually, with a speech in particular, over and above other types of transactional writing, repetition is really important because our audience don't have that hard copy of the text that they can refer back to if they feel that they're unsure of our central message or of something that we've said.

Here, with a speech, our audience are just listening to us deliver it.

So we have one opportunity to really make that speech impactful, and a great way to really elevate the level of impact that we can convey is through repeating that central argument.

Once we finish giving our speech, the more we've repeated and reinforced that central argument, the more that it's going to stay with our audience.

So let's pause here, and check our understanding.

What do anaphora and a refrain have in common? So pause the video while you have a think, and, when you're ready for me to reveal the correct answer, click play.

Okay, welcome back, and well done to those of you who said b and d.

They are both types of repetition, and they both help to make a speech more impactful.

So now it's time for the first practise task of today's lesson, and I'd like you to take some time for a discussion, thinking about which of these two methods you think will make a speech most impactful and why.

So thinking really carefully about those key differences between anaphora and a refrain.

Remember that anaphora, the repetition will come close together, whereas, in a refrain, it may be spread out more widely across an entire piece.

So which of these two approaches do you think will have the most impact? So pause the video here while you take some time to share your ideas with your peers and with your neighbours.

Or if you're working on your own, just make some notes on your paper or your laptop or in your exercise book, and when you're ready for us all to feedback together, click play, and we'll continue.

Okay.

Welcome back.

Some really fascinating discussions taking place there, and I liked all the different reasons that you had for justifying why you thought one approach or one method was more impactful than the other.

So here is how some of our Oak pupils responded to this task.

So Alex said, "I think anaphora is more impactful "than a refrain "because the repetition occurs close together.

"This will make it more obvious to listeners "who may not pick up on a repeated use of a refrain "from earlier in the speech, "especially as they cannot refer back with a verbal text "such as a speech." So Alex thought perhaps having them close together draws more attention to them, perhaps emphasises that central message even more.

Whereas Aisha said, "I think refrain is more impactful than anaphora "because the repetition occurs throughout the entire speech.

"This means that speech writers can reinforce key ideas "or messages throughout "and ensure their speech is always closely linked "to the central argument." So how do Alex and Aisha's ideas match up with some of the things that you were discussing or the notes that you made? So one more question then before we move on.

Who do you most agree with here? Do you most agree with Alex or with Aisha? So over to you for one final discussion or one final moment of independent thought and making some notes.

So pause the video here, and click play when you're ready for us to continue.

Okay, so we've made it to the halfway point of today's lesson.

So we have spent some time exploring what anaphora and refrains are, and I hope you're feeling a bit more confident with being able to identify them in a text because we're going to look at some examples in action now.

We're going to analyse why they're effective or impactful, and then we're gonna have a go at emulating the use of these methods in our own writing.

So let's have a look at a speech here from one of our Oak pupils, Laura.

So she says, "When discussing the important issue "of animal conservation, "we must confront the challenges at hand.

"It is imperative that we acknowledge "the complex web of issues surrounding endangered species.

"It is imperative that we take decisive action "to implement responsible and ethical strategies "for captive environments.

"In doing this, we recognise the gravity "of our responsibility, shaping a path "towards a more sustainable and harmonious coexistence "with the diverse life forms that share our planet." So I have a couple of discussion questions for you.

I'd like you to take some time to reread this on your own and then, perhaps working with other people, or making some notes if you're working independently, can you spot any repeated phrases in Laura's speech? And, crucially, are they examples of anaphora or a refrain? So you'll need to think really carefully about what the differences are between each of those methods.

So pause the video here while you take some time to review Laura's response, and when you're ready for us to feedback together, click play and we'll continue.

Okay.

Welcome back.

So did we manage to spot any repeated phrases in Laura's speech? So well done if you managed to spot this here.

"It is imperative that." So was this an example of anaphora or a refrain? It was anaphora because "it is imperative" in both cases began the sentences.

We had those two consecutive sentences that both started in the same way.

So what is the effect of Laura's use of anaphora here? So think really carefully about what it emphasises and how it helps to make her speech impactful.

So pause the video while you take some time to think, and discuss it or make some notes, and when you're ready for us to feedback together, click play, and we'll continue.

Okay.

Welcome back again.

A really fantastic discussion there.

I was particularly impressed with how you were really beginning to think about the way that repetition can really help to reinforce and add impact to a speech.

So you could have said something like, "Repeating the word imperative emphasises "how important and urgent this issue is.

"It gives the impression there is no time to waste "and encourages the audience to engage with Laura's ideas." Because imperative means it's something we must do.

So, by repeating this idea that it's something we must do, it really helps to ramp up that sense of urgency which is going to make Laura's audience pay attention and really take these arguments on board.

So can we help Laura to add a refrain? We've got this fantastic effective use of anaphora.

So can we help to elevate this great speech even more with the use of a refrain? So the best way to think of a refrain is like a chorus in a song.

The repeated ideas should be important words or phrases that are central to the main argument of your speech.

So if you think about a chorus in a song, quite often the chorus of the song is actually the title because the chorus of a song is always that central idea.

So the verses might give us some examples or describe the situation or develop ideas, but that repeating chorus always contains that central message, idea, or theme that the song is trying to convey.

So a refrain in the speech works in much the same way.

So let's take a moment to think about what words and phrases we could choose for the refrain.

In order for it to be repeated, remember, we need to choose something that is already here in the speech that we've got so far because it needs to be a repeated word or phrase.

So pause the video here while you have another look over Laura's response, and think about which important keywords, phrases she's using, and, even better, begin to think of how we might be able to use them in a repeated refrain.

So pause the video here, and click play when you're ready to continue.

Okay.

Welcome back.

I could hear lots of different people coming up with different keywords and phrases that they'd spotted here.

So let's just summarise some of the fantastic responses that I overheard.

So we could have chosen the phrase "important issue" there from the first sentence or "confront the challenges." Later on, we could have chosen "decisive action" or "shaping a path" from the end there.

These are all examples of keywords and phrases that we could have used.

Now there is never one right answer in English, so don't worry if your options that you were discussing weren't one of the ones chosen here.

This is just an example of the sort of thing you might want to use as a refrain.

So thinking about these four examples particularly, why might they make good choices for a refrain? What is it about these four phrases that could make them useful ones for us to use when building this refrain? So pause the video again while you take some time to discuss it, and click play when you're ready for us to be back together.

Okay.

Welcome back.

So you may have said something along the lines of this.

"They're actually all really good choices for refrain "because they all link to the key message of Laura's speech "which is the issue of keeping animals in captivity," "and they all convey a sense of urgency that we had there "in that use of anaphora, "suggesting that this is an issue we need to solve "as soon as possible." So they were really helping to ramp up this sense of urgency that is only going to contribute to Laura's audience feeling like they really need to pay attention because this issue is important.

They should be invested in this issue.

So let's try out some of these phrases as refrains then.

Let's see how they might work.

So with this first one, "important issue," we could end with this important issue needs our attention.

And this is quite good actually because we're bookending that same phrase at the beginning and end of this paragraph.

Confront the challenges then.

Let's confront these challenges together today.

So we've got this idea here that Laura could use "confront the challenges" and the we personal pronoun that was used before, to directly address the audience and group herself in with them.

So this is something we should work together to do.

Again, decisive action is needed to save our planet.

So, again, really building on that sense of urgency.

And then we've got, "In doing this, "we recognise the gravity of our responsibility, "shaping a path "towards a more sustainable and harmonious coexistence "with the diverse life forms that share our planet.

"A path to fairness.

"A path to freedom for all species on Earth." And actually what's quite clever about this one is the refrain becomes anaphora because we've got this "shaping a path" which wasn't at the beginning of a sentence that has then gone on to become the beginning of those two sentences.

So we've got a really nice blend there of a refrain and anaphora.

So which of those did you find the most impactful, and why? So think really carefully about all those different reasons that we've highlighted and ways in which these refrains were building on the overall effectiveness of this argument and helping to really drive that impact.

So pause the video here while you take some time to discuss it, and click play when you're ready to continue.

So let's pause here, and check our understanding again.

So when selecting words and phrases to repeat for a refrain, it is a good idea to choose what? So take a look at these four options, and decide which one you think best completes that sentence.

So pause the video while you have a think, and when you're ready for me to reveal the correct answer, click play.

Okay, welcome back, and well done to those of you who said c.

Words or phrases linked to key ideas or the central message of the speech.

So, remember, we're always using these methods to keep reinforcing that central message because that is what is making our speech more impactful.

So onto the final practise task of today's lesson.

So what we'd like you to do is read the next part of Laura's speech, and redraft this part of the speech to make it more impactful.

So, in particular, we're looking for places that we can add anaphora and a refrain.

So pause the video here while you read what Laura has written carefully, and think about how you're going to add these methods to really elevate the impact of Laura's words.

So pause the video here, and click play when you're ready to continue.

Okay.

Welcome back.

I hope you had a chance to get to grips with Laura's speech there and to add in some of these methods.

So here is an example of how you could have added anaphora and a refrain, and I've highlighted them there.

So as I'm reading along, you can see where I've added these things in, and perhaps you'll be able to feel some of that impact yourself hopefully.

"Animal conservation is crucial "not only for preserving the natural beauty and diversity "of our planet "but also for educating humans "about the rich tapestry of life that exists on Earth.

"By keeping endangered species alive, "we provide invaluable opportunities for scientists, "students, and the general public "to learn about biodiversity and the intricate ecosystems "that support all life forms. "By keeping endangered species alive, "we can witness their resilience and uniqueness "which inspires a greater appreciation for nature "and a commitment to protecting our environment, "a commitment to future generations." So here we've got those examples.

We've got anaphora there first with that repeated sentence starter.

And then we've got that refrain there with the word commitment.

And, in fact, as the speech went on, Laura could really build up that idea of a commitment, really reinforcing our commitment to the natural world.

So review your redrafted speech.

Perhaps grab yourself a different colour pen or underline or annotate where you have included anaphora and a refrain, and think really carefully.

Do they both emphasise key ideas linked to the central message of the speech? So here we've got that central message of keeping endangered species alive, something that we really want to reinforce, and then, as I was saying before, that level of commitment because that really speaks to what Laura wants her audience to do.

She wants to see that level of commitment from the audience.

That's really what she's persuaded them to be: committed to animal conservation and saving endangered species.

So pause the video here while you take some time to review your work, and redraft if you need to.

Feel free to borrow anything that you can see here on the screen, but do challenge yourself to tweak and change and adapt it into the context of what you've written.

So pause the video here, and click play when you're ready to continue.

Okay, so we've made it to the end of today's lesson, and a massive well done for all your hard work today.

I hope you're feeling a lot more confident when it comes to using these two methods in your own speech writing.

So let's just summarise what we've covered in today's session.

Anaphora is the repetition of words that come at the beginning of a sentence, designed to grab the listener's attention.

A refrain is a repeated idea or phrase that occurs throughout a speech.

Repetitious methods like anaphora and refrains help to engage the audience and reinforce central ideas.

In both cases, the repeated ideas should be important words or phrases that are central to the main argument of your speech.

So thanks again for joining me in today's lesson.

I hope that you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

Have a fantastic day, and I look forward to seeing you all again soon.