Lesson video

Hello and welcome to today's English lesson.

My name is Mrs. Butterworth, and I will be your teacher for this lesson.

Now, this lesson, we are focusing on our public speaking skills, so we're gonna think about our vocal techniques and how we can really master them to create engaging, clear, beautifully presented presentations.

Sound good? Great, let's get started.

In this lesson, you will consider how the use of your voice contributes to the effective and confident delivery of a presentation.

Now, let's look at some key words that will be used throughout the lesson.

These words are tone, appropriate, resonate, and sincerity.

Now tone, we're gonna be talking about tone a lot today.

The tone is like the emotional quality of a speaker's voice, and it conveys feelings and sets the mood of a presentation, so you might say that someone spoke in an angry tone or a thoughtful tone.

Okay, so we're gonna be thinking about this a lot.

Appropriate means suitable or fitting for a particular situation or purpose, so we're gonna be thinking about an appropriate tone for your presentations.

Resonate, it's a lovely word, isn't it? Is to have a strong emotional effect or connection with someone or something.

So you may have heard people say, "That really resonated with me.

"It really made an impact on me." And then sincerity is about being honest and truthful in what you say and feel, so we want your presentations to have an element of sincerity in them.

So the outline of our lesson looks like this.

We're going to begin by thinking about the effective and appropriate presentation of tone, and then we're gonna think about using pace, volume, and meaningful pauses to really elevate the presentation of our presentations.

So I would like you to discuss please, first question is what is tone? So maybe think back to those keywords that we just looked at, and why is getting the tone right so important for a speech or presentation? So pause the video, so you can discuss your answers to those questions.

Off you go.

Okay, great, some really lovely definitions of tone there and some interesting comments as to why it is so important to get the tone right.

So you may have discussed some of the following points.

So as I said, one of our key words there, tone is the speaker's attitude or emotion conveyed through their voice and word choice, okay.

So if you are talking about something serious, you would adopt a serious tone.

If you are talking about something that is sad, you may adopt a more emotional or empathetic tone.

And using an appropriate tone is important because it helps set the mood and atmosphere, so it can really help to influence how the audience feels.

So you may have seen some famous speeches, and it's really interesting to look and listen to how these speakers use tone to really engage and influence how the audience feels.

Appropriate tone also ensures that the message is clear and understood as intended.

It helps connect with the audience on an emotional level and build engagement.

And a mismatch in tone can confuse or alienate the audience, so weakening the overall impact of the speech.

So it's really important that we consider how we are speaking and the tone that we are using.

True or false? A mismatch in tone can be an effective strategy to engage your audience.

Is that true or false? Tell me your answer now please.

Okay, that is false.

Okay, so well done to everyone that got that answer.

But now you need to explain why the answer is false and justify, so I'm gonna give you a few moments to come up with your answer.

Okay, so I'm gonna share an answer.

Hopefully, you have something similar, or if you were struggling, now's the time to make sure we understand this.

So a mismatch in tone can confuse or alienate the audience, weakening the overall impact of the speech.

It is important you consider how you will effectively convey your tone.

So we absolutely don't want a mismatch in tone because can you imagine, if you were delivering a presentation on a very serious topic, but you used a humorous tone, it would be mismatched, and it means your audience wouldn't be invested in your message.

I now want us to consider the differences between spoken language and written language and how tone is conveyed differently in these.

Okay, so really draw on your own experiences of both spoken and written language.

So you're going to discuss how might tone be conveyed differently through spoken language and written language? So pause the video to discuss your answer to that question.

Okay, when you're ready, off you go.

Okay, great, so you may have considered some of these following points.

So in written language, tone is conveyed through word choice, so sentence structure and punctuation.

Whereas, spoken language relies on pitch, volume, and pace.

So there's a real difference there, isn't there, in terms of the tools that we use in spoken and written language.

In written language, tone is inferred by the reader based on the context, but in spoken language, the speaker can use body language and facial expressions to reinforce tone.

It's almost much more explicit in spoken language because of the tools that we use.

So in written language, you've got to really imply your tone.

So written language does not receive immediate feedback from a reader, whereas, spoken language is more dynamic and can change or adapt in response to an audience.

So if you get a particular response to an audience, you can slightly adapt your tone in response to that, and obviously with written language, you don't always know how your reader is going to respond.

Okay, so in a moment you are going to watch the video of a speaker presenting two different presentations.

Okay, so I'm going to play that in a moment.

and I would like you just to think to yourself, how does the speaker create and convey the tone and how is this different to written language? Okay, so watch the video and consider how the speaker creates and conveys tone and how this is different to written language.

Okay, I'm going to press play now.

So this first presentation is about resilience and what my grandmother taught me, so you're looking out for how the tone is presented, so here we go.

My grandmother's resilience in facing hardships has taught me the importance of perseverance in life, but it's also filled our family with stories of joy, strength, and laughter.

She grew up in a small village, where life wasn't always easy, but even during the toughest times, she found ways to make things brighter, turning challenges into lessons and hardships into humour.

I remember her telling me about the days when things were tough, yet she'd make it a game, rallying her siblings to make the most of what they had.

Her laughter, her positivity, and her unwavering spirit taught me that perseverance isn't just about surviving tough times, it's about finding the spark of joy within them, which yes, it can be hard, but it's so important to try and do this.

Her strength paired with her lighthearted nature taught me that life may not always be easy, but with a joyful heart, we can sometimes make it beautiful.

This second presentation is about social media and its negative impact on mental health, so again, you are looking at and looking for how the tone is presented.

So here we go.

Social media can negatively impact mental health by fostering feelings of anxiety and inadequacy through constant comparison with others.

Every day, we're exposed to images and stories of people's perfect lives, beautiful vacations, flawless appearances, and seemingly endless success, but what we don't see is the reality behind these posts.

What's often a curated highlight reel can make us feel as if we're falling short, even when we're achieving our own milestones.

This constant comparison can create a sense of inadequacy, making us question our own worth.

For some, it even leads to anxiety, with thoughts that maybe we aren't working hard enough or that we don't look good enough.

But the truth is no one's life is as perfect as it seems online.

To protect our mental health, we need to remind ourselves to look beyond the filtered feeds and to value our own unique journeys.

Social media is a tool, but we need to use it wisely with self-awareness and self-compassion.

Okay, so hopefully, that was useful in looking at those different tones and how the voice was used to convey those different tones.

So I'd now like you to discuss the following, what might be considered an appropriate tone for the following presentation topics and how might this be conveyed through voice and facial expressions? So I'll give you the topic, and then you can discuss the appropriate tone and how this might be achieved.

So the first topic is social media can negatively impact mental health by fostering feelings of anxiety and inadequacy through constant comparison with others.

Okay, so pause the video and discuss what the appropriate tone might be for this presentation topic and how this might be conveyed through voice and facial expressions.

Okay, pause the video and discuss your answers.

Okay, so you may have come up with the following.

So an appropriate tone for this topic may be a concerned tone, an informative tone, or a thoughtful tone, and this would be presented through a steady, moderate pace and a lower pitch to show seriousness.

So I think that's a really important thing.

You want to speak slowly to maintain the seriousness and the weight of that subject.

Empathetic facial expressions, soft eye contact, and slight nods to really get that concerned, thoughtful tone across.

Okay, let's look at the next topic.

My grandmother's resilience in facing hardships has taught me the importance of perseverance in life.

So over to you to discuss please, what might be considered an appropriate tone, and how might this be conveyed through voice and facial expressions? Pause the video and get discussing your answers.

Okay, so you may have come up with the following.

So this is a much more reflective, respectful, and appreciative tone, and this will be conveyed through a calm voice, maybe pauses to emphasise key moments.

And facial expressions would show respect, with a soft smile or gentle eye contact to reflect the personal subject.

So you can see how the tone is slightly different to the social media, which is very serious, it's very concerned.

This is much more reflective, personal, so you can smile a bit more and create that kind of warm tone that would be suitable for this presentation.

Okay, so now I would like you please to choose the tonal words out of A, B, C, and D, the tonal words most appropriate for this topic.

So the topic is dogs teach us about unconditional love and loyalty, making them our true companions.

Which are the best tonal words, the most appropriate tonal words for this topic? Select your answers now.

Okay, and a very well done to everyone that picked warm and affectionate, because it's a very nice celebratory topic, isn't it? So you wouldn't wanna be dismissive or urgent.

It's about being warm and affectionate, talking about dogs, their loyalty and how they are true companions.

Well done, everyone, should we keep going? So what I would like you to do please, this is your first practise task.

So you need to think about your own topic, and I'd like you to identify the most appropriate tone for your topic.

So think about using those tonal words to identify the most appropriate tone.

And then I would like you to discuss please, how will you aim to convey this in your presentation? So think about the examples that we have looked at, and now you need to explain how you will convey this in your presentation.

So remember, you'll need to consider your voice, your facial expressions, your body language, and your gestures.

Okay, so when you are ready, pause the video and complete the task.

Okay, brilliant.

So it's really great to start planning these things before, thinking about tone and how we're going to convey that.

So now you have thought about an appropriate tone and how that can be conveyed, it's time to practise.

So I'd like you to practise delivering your presentation, focusing on your tone please, so really think about how you're gonna convey that tone through your voice, through your facial expressions.

Okay, pause the video and get practising.

We are now at the second part of our lesson, so now we're going to be thinking about pace, volume, and meaningful pauses to really think about mastering those vocal techniques.

I want you to now discuss, have you presented before, what are your experiences of timings and pace when presenting? Okay, so think about any time you may have spoken publicly or out loud, what are your experiences of timing and pace? Pause the video to share your answers, off you go.

Okay, so Izzy, our Oak pupil, says that, "I didn't practise out loud," so she's talking about her own experience.

"I didn't practise out loud, and when I came to present, "my speech only lasted three minutes "when I needed at least eight." Izzy, thank you so much for being honest and sharing that.

I think this is a really common thing that happens with presentations.

It can feel like you've been speaking for ages, and actually, you've barely reached the time that you need.

So this is why it's also important to really think about the pace at which we speak and also practising , so we know what three minutes feels like, and we know, in Izzy's case, what eight minutes should feel like.

And Jun said, "I didn't feel comfortable speaking slowly, "so I sped up.

"This led to many of my audience not being able to hear me." That's really interesting from Jun because I think with spoken language and pace, very often when we're nervous or we're feeling excited, we can speak quite quickly.

And actually, we need to really slow down and be confident in what we are talking about, that it's interesting and engaging.

So the pace at which you speak and deliver the content of a presentation is really important, so it can affect how long your presentation is, how much people hear, and how your audience engage with you.

Think about it, if an audience can't hear what you are saying because you're speaking too fast, that's not going to be very engaging for them.

And likewise, if you are speaking too slowly, they may be more likely to switch off, so we really need to think about the length of the presentation and that pace to really engage your audience.

It's important to note that it should feel slower than everyday speech, and give you time to take significant breaths and pauses.

So obviously, when you're speaking in everyday conversation, you're not thinking about your breath, but when you are public speaking, it's important to take time to take deep breaths and just slow yourself down and make those meaningful pauses.

And it also helps with your voice projection too.

Okay, true or false? Hopefully, we'll get this one right.

It is important to consider the pace of your delivery.

Is that true or false? Select your answer now please.

Yes, absolutely, well done, that that is true, but why is it important to consider the pace of your delivery? Can you answer that question now please? Off you go.

Okay, so here's an answer.

Hopefully, you have something similar.

It can affect how long your presentation is, how much people hear, and how your audience engage with you.

Okay, so we've thought about the pace, but I also want to think about this idea of meaningful pauses, because actually creating opportunities for meaningful pauses in your presentations can be really effective.

So just have a little think to yourselves and discuss please and share your answers.

Where might it be effective to pause when delivering a presentation? So maybe think about your own presentations or presentations that you have seen, and answer the question, where might it be effective to pause when delivering a presentation? So pause the video, so you can discuss your answer.

Off you go.

Okay, excellent answers, everyone, so here are some options as well.

So you may have considered some of these, they may be ones to consider.

So good place to pause is after key points.

So if you've said something that's really key, it just allows the audience to absorb the information and reflect on its significance, so you kind of wanna drop your key point or information and just let it sit there with a pause.

Before transitioning is also a good place to pause, so if you are shifting your focus or beginning a new section, you can just offer a little pause that also give you time to catch your breath.

So if you're saying, "And then," you can just pause and catch your breath.

To emphasise a statement, so if you are making a statement, having a pause before and after it can really heighten its importance and give it time to resonate.

And I think that's a really important point here, and we said this with the key points.

Once you have delivered something key, you want to drop it and let it sit with your audience.

And a pause will help you do that, and it will help with that, help create that resonance.

After asking a question.

So you may have some rhetorical questions in your presentations, and a good thing to do is just to pause because it allows the audience to think and engage with that question.

Okay, so if you ask it, just stop and let the audience think.

And also, those meaningful pauses can really help you to control your pace and emotion.

So it allows the audience to connect emotionally with the sincerity of your message, and it can just help you to take a breath and to kind of deliver it with really a controlled pace and emotion.

So I'd like you to watch a video now, and I want you to think about how does a speaker use meaningful pauses effectively? Okay, so watch the video and think how does a speaker use meaningful pauses effectively? So I'm going to press play now.

So in this presentation, you are looking out for pauses and how pauses have been used for effect and for emphasis.

Okay, so here's the presentation.

Change, it's a word that stirs up different feelings for everyone.

For some, it's exciting, for others it's intimidating, but regardless of how we feel about it, change is inevitable.

Think about the moments in your own life when things shifted.

Was it the day you started a new school, the day you moved to a new place, or the day you took on a new challenge? Each of those moments, in its way, changed you.

Change forces us to grow, to adapt, to become more resilient, but it also teaches us the value of letting go, of allowing new experiences to shape us and new perspectives to redefine what we thought we knew.

So the next time you find yourself facing change, ask yourself, "What could this moment teach me?" Embrace the uncertainty, the discomfort, the unknown, because ultimately, that's where growth begins.

Okay, great, so hopefully watching that presentation has just given you some ideas of how pauses can really help to emphasise your messages, to really help create an emotion, and to really help your ideas resonate with your audience.

Okay, so let's look at this question.

Which of the following would not be an effective place to meaningfully pause? Can you pick A, B, or C, please? Okay, are we ready for the answer? Okay, well done to everyone that said B, in the middle of a sentence.

So a meaningful pause in the middle of a sentence isn't ideal, but after a question or before a transition is a good place to pause.

So when speaking to an audience, another thing we need to think about is projecting your voice, okay.

So this doesn't mean shouting, it means slightly raising your voice and aiming for the back of the room.

So I always think about lifting my head up slightly and just speaking to the back of the room, so you want to ensure that the person furthest away can hear you perfectly.

And just projecting your voice can help you do this.

It isn't about shouting.

So I'd like you to discuss, I may have given away some of the answers already, but how else can you ensure you are effectively projecting your voice? So you may have some experience of this already, and that would be a great opportunity for you to share this.

If you don't have any experience, maybe you can make some intelligent guesses.

So I'd like you to discuss please, how else can you ensure you are effectively projecting your voice? Pause the video and get discussing.

Okay, so lots of you coming up with some great answers.

So making sure you are standing to speak or making sure that your posture is upright, okay, and I think that can really help with projecting your voice.

And again, setting your posture, so making sure you are upright, your shoulder's back, your arm relaxed.

And I think this is so important, your head's just slightly elevated.

You don't need to be looking all the way back here.

If you just elevate it slightly, it helps you to aim to the back of the room.

So when projecting your voice, you should.

Okay, find the answers that complete that sentence now please.

So when projecting your voice, you should A, slightly raise your voice, excellent, and C, aim for the back of the room.

So B, shout loudly, we don't need to shout, and if you are looking down, your voice is gonna go straight into the floor, which is not where we want it.

So here we have an an annotated script, so let's just look at these together.

So you will see how it has labelled meaningful pauses, pace, and volume, okay, so we'll read the section of the speech first and then we'll look at the annotation.

So, "Is there a more important issue for us, "the great nation of Britain to resolve "than children's rights? "Each morning, innocent children "wake up from a rough night's sleep "with nothing more than a pavement for a pillow." So you can see how these annotations, so we've got, "Pause before delivering a gesture to the whole room." Okay, it's got some stuff there on volume too, "Quietly to emphasise emotion." "The voice rises to indicate question," so it's identifying where pitch needs to be considered.

Again, "Another pause after "to give the audience time to think." There's a question there, so that's really good they've identified a meaningful pause there.

And then at the last sentence, it says, "Vary place within a complex sentence, "start with pace, but slow for 'pavement for a pillow.

'" So you can see here, these annotations have really thought about pauses, pace, volume, and even pitch to really think about how the tone, the emotion can be conveyed effectively through the presentation.

So what I would like you to do now is, thinking about all of those wonderful vocal techniques we've looked at today, I would like you to annotate your own presentation notes, identifying and making notes on pitch, pace, volume, and pauses.

Or you may wish to use the model presentation here to practise doing that, okay.

This is also available on the worksheet, so you're going to annotate those presentations, identifying and making notes on pitch, pace, volume, and pauses, exactly like we have just seen.

So pause the video and get annotating.

Okay, great job, so we have made those preparation notes, so obviously, now it is time to practise.

Practise is so important as you know, so what I would like you to do now is you can use those annotations to practise delivering your presentations.

Remember to consider pitch, pace, volume, meaningful pauses, all of those wonderful vocal techniques that we have looked at today.

So pause the video and get practising.

Okay, excellent work, everyone, and I'm really pleased to see you mastering those vocal techniques.

They will only make your public speaking even better, and it's a great thing to be able to do.

So remember, it is important to consider and present an appropriate tone for the topic of your speech.

Tone is conveyed differently in spoken language.

We've got different tools, haven't we? We've got the facial expressions, body language, and voice.

Spoken language should feel slower and slightly louder than everyday speech, and meaningful pauses can help with pace and emphasise important parts.

Thank you so much for your hard work today, and I look forward to seeing all of you again soon.

Until then, I'm gonna say goodbye.

Goodbye.