Lesson video

Hello, Ms. Howard here.

On to our third lesson of the writing rhetoric unit.

And today's lesson, we're going to explore really effective speech writing.

We're going to take our inspiration from several key speakers throughout history before creating our own incredible speech.

So you'll need a pen and a piece of paper to write on for today's lesson.

Make sure you close down any distractions or apps or conversations that you might have running in the background if you know how to do so.

Find yourself quiet space where you know that you won't be disturbed and then we'll get started.

So in today's lesson, we're going to revise our knowledge of rhetoric and explore some of the ways that rhetoric can help us.

when we write speeches.

We're going to explore some fantastic iconic speakers throughout history who have used rhetoric to raise morale or inspire change, or even just bring awareness to key issues.

So at the start of the unit, we put together a rhetoric framework that helps us form a three-part plan for any sort of rhetoric writing that we put together.

We then look to opinion articles and how that might be put to play for writing opinion articles themselves.

And today we will focus solely on speech writing.

We'll consider how we order and organise rhetoric effectively.

We'll then have a look at what exactly makes an incredible speech.

We'll use key speakers throughout history, as inspiration in order for us to understand the answer to that question a little bit better.

We'll use these ideas as a hints and tips for our own incredible speech.

Also considering how we can use particular methods to expand our sentences for the speech itself.

I will finish up by thinking about why rhetoric is an effective tool for life.

We'll be coming back to our Aristotelian triad when we look at rhetoric.

That we need a blend of these three key aspects, whenever we're putting anything together that explores rhetoric and the use of rhetorical language.

Ethos.

So to what extent you come across as a speaker, somebody who genuinely cares about the topic that they're talking about.

Logos.

The proof of our opinion or argument, which also might include overcoming a counter-argument.

So anticipating what the opposition might say and coming up with plenty of proof to convince them that and your audience that what they're saying is nonsense.

And finally closing with Pathos.

That's our idea of how you can make your speech or your writing memorable in such a way that there's some powerful final lines as we appeal to Pathos to make our audience feel emotionally moved so that they feel motivated or inspired or persuaded.

whatever it is that we want them to feel and as a result.

So we use exactly the same structure to frame our rhetoric.

We open with ethos because it's impossible to do anything without gaining trust.

We then move on once we have that trust to build a sense of logos.

So making sure that we've supported all of our arguments, and then we close with pathos.

We make sure that our writing is unforgettable.

And so that's the best place to put it right at the end of final messages.

So we are going to focus on this concept of ethos and why ethos is so important to include when speaking rhetoric rather than writing rhetoric.

Ethos is essential to effective speech writing because we don't have the luxury that we have when we're writing, so for example, our opinion articles from last lesson, because the reader can then have a look back at what we put previously, skirt ahead to the next paragraph or the final section, and as a result weigh up, whether they agree with us or not, when we're delivering to an audience, we're speaking in real time.

That makes building trust with our audience, particularly around specific controversial topics, really, really important.

Because we cannot establish anything, we cannot argue our points of view until they trust us.

And so it's really important that we put extra work into building this strong sense of ethos, right from the outset so that they're then even receptive, so open to listening to what we have to say.

So here's the task that we're going to be working towards today.

I thought it might be best to share it with you earlier on so that as we're experimenting with different devices, you can keep this in the back of your mind.

And you might note down ideas as we work through the lesson.

So it's your birthday and you are out with friends for pizza.

The restaurant owner says, if you can come up with a winning speech to convince him, he will give you all ice cream.

The catch? He's given the same task to the table next to you.

Only one of you gets the ice cream sundaes.

It's also play for.

We're going to export these three key devices.

Tricolon, anaphora, and hypophora.

Let's have a look at those in a little bit more detail.

So these are our three key devices.

I'd like you to do once I've finished talking is pause the video, write down the devices so that you and somehow spell them what they are.

And then either write a definition in your own words or have a go using that device within a sentence.

Now you may use the ice cream scenario as inspiration for your sentences.

Completely up to you.

The reason you need to write your own definition is to make sure you understand it.

So please don't just copy mine from the screen because it won't help you as much as writing your own definition out.

It's far more beneficial if you're learning to write in your own words.

So let's have a look.

A tricolon is the use of a list of three or repetition of something three times over to emphasise a point or an idea.

So now this can be used in several different ways.

You're either repeating something three times or you're using a list of three.

Now that could be three adjectives used to describe an idea, as ridiculous preposterous outrageous, or it might be that you're using three benefits.

So of particularly, for example, if you were talking about eating ice cream as being good for your mind, good for your health, good for your life.

That would be an example of tricolon.

Now the reason that tricolon is so effective is because of the fact that an audience is going to be far more convinced if you provide them with three different ideas.

Now if you only provide them with two, you could be probably as convincing, if you provide four, it becomes less convincing because it feels like you're overdoing it.

You're having to work too hard to convince them.

So three really is the magic number.

Next time you look at an advert or listen to an advert, see how they use tricolon within the advert itself.

You'll be surprised how many adverts use tricolon in quite a subtle way to convince you to buy whatever it is that they're selling.

Next up we have anaphora.

Can you say it? Have another go anaphora.

Brilliant.

So anaphora is starting each successive clause or phrase with the same words.

Now, if you haven't already, I strongly recommend that you head over at some point to the rhetoric and motivation unit, because Winston Churchill uses this impeccably in his "We shall fight on the beaches" speech.

So he uses to start off that sentence We shall fight.

We shall fight.

We shall fight to start his sentences over and over again.

And so it really reinforces here the main idea behind his speech.

The last device we're going to look at is hypophora.

Can you say it? Hypophora.

Brilliant work.

So hypophora is like a supercharged evolved version of a rhetorical question.

So a rhetorical question, as you may know, is a question that doesn't require an answer.

So it asks something to pose as an idea.

Hypophora is a question that you then answer within the speech or writing itself.

So the answer can then be used to highlight your opinion or your standpoint on a particular topic.

Sometimes hypophora the answer is used using imperative language, which means that you can instruct your audience as to what they should or shouldn't think in quite a sophisticated way.

Pause the video here and write down definitions in your own words, or alternatively have a go at using one or two of those within sentences.

Don't forget to press play when you're done.

So let's have a stop point with this multiple choice question.

What is a tricolon? Fantastic work if you've got option number three.

Tricolon is a use of list of three or repetition of something three times over to emphasise a point or an idea.

Brilliant work.

Next one.

Some of the best speakers in history were.

Did you get option two? Leading others into battle.

Remember we've had both male and female examples from the earlier points in the lesson, and you're going to see some uses on some of those examples in just a moment.

Yes but however, lots of speakers within the history have also used rhetoric to do lots of different things like motivate people, inspire people, raise awareness of issues within society, but some of those people were also leading others into battle.

So let's have a look at how these devices are used within rhetoric and take some inspiration from some brilliant speakers.

So our first speaker is Marc Antony.

Now Marc Antony was delivering a funeral oration.

And now if you recall, rhetoric is taken from the Latin retal, which means a fantastic writer or speaker.

So an orator is a professional speaker.

Somebody that's used to and quite confident and familiar with delivering to large crowds of people.

So Marc Antony was delivering this oration and speech at Julius Caesar's funeral.

He opens with this incredible tricolon and we're going to pick its pocket and see why it's so incredible.

So he says "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears." Let's have a look at this.

So we have three addresses here that he's using to address the audience.

Friends, Romans and countrymen, but think about an order of this tricolon as well.

He expands as it goes on.

So he starts with quite an intimate address.

Friends, he's regarding the audience, quite a large audience, quite a large crowd as friends.

It feels personal.

It builds a really strong sense of ethos because it builds trust.

He then moves on to Romans, this kind of group, this collection of people that all feel the sense of belonging, the sense of feeling the part of the collective parts of a group.

From the parts of a group, it makes us feel good to be part of a group of people that share our common interests.

So Romans would make these people feel very much part of a collective.

And lastly, countrymen.

So people of the country, it means people that live within the country.

And so he's starting on quite an intimate basis and he's moving out with his tricolon.

By this he's emphasising to the crowd, to the audience, that he regards them as friends before anything else.

So it's a very clever use of tricolon, but it makes for a fantastic opening because he establishes trust really quickly.

Now over to you.

How can you create an opening like Marc Antony? Now you may want to just create an opening to have an experiment, or you may want to create a specific opening for the writing task later on where you're talking directly to the restaurant owner or the restaurant staff that you're addressing for this ice cream.

Completely up to you.

I've given you my example as well here.

Over to you.

Press pause and then press play when you're done.

How did you get on? Good? Don't worry too much.

We're just experimenting at the moment to get to grips with these different devices.

Our next person to inspire us is the fantastic Elizabeth I.

Now this is an extract taken from speech that she delivered to the troops at Tilbury on the 9th of August, 1588.

And this was at Tilbury in Essex in preparation for repelling the expected invasion of the Spanish Armada.

So they were anticipating, they were waiting for the Spanish Armada to invade.

And so the troops are standing there getting ready to fight.

Now this is quite an important speech within history because it was quite interesting to fact that Elizabeth I delivers that now as a woman obviously, and female Monarch, so queen on the throne and she had to work a little bit harder to gain the respect of people because she was female.

And females weren't necessarily regarded as strong or powerful and seen perhaps as fragile or maybe not very good decision makers.

And so Elizabeth worked very hard and her history is actually very interesting.

Well worth looking up, but she worked very hard to establish this reputation for herself as loyal and devoted.

And she has to particularly emphasise that in this speech as her troops are going to battle.

So the reason I've included the picture there, is because to accompany her fantastic use of rhetoric, she turned up to deliver this speech to the soldiers in full armour.

So of course in her position of Monarch, she wouldn't have fought.

However, it would have been quite a lovely token gesture to her soldiers that she turned up as though she's going into battle with them.

It would have really emphasised her loyalty.

Now let's have a look at her use of rhetoric in itself, particularly her use of anaphora, but also almost doubles up as tricolon.

So let's have a look.

"I'm amongst you at this time, not as for my recreation or sport, but being resolved, in the midst and the heat of the battle to live or die amongst you all, to lay down for my God and for my kingdom, and for my people, my honour and my blood." Now that's very nice.

Let's have a look at this tricolon and then we'll expand later a little bit the different ways that she uses rhetoric beyond that.

Let's focus on the tricolon first of all.

For my God, for my kingdom, for my people.

Now we also have that use of anaphora, don't we there? For my, for my, for my.

Now that for my, that use of personal pronoun that she's chosen to use in her anaphora really does emphasise how loyal and dedicated she is.

Also think about the things that she has chosen to include within the anaphora.

So for my God demonstrates her commitment to religion.

And so her ability as a person to commit to things overall, her idea that she is devoted.

And it also implies that she's devoted to her troops in the same way that she's devoted to God.

She also uses for my kingdom.

She acknowledges her responsibility as a monarch to take care of the people within her kingdom.

And she ends with for my people.

So she regards them on a personal level there, for my people.

But she understands that part of her role as queen is to take care of them and look after them and ensure their safety.

And so whereas with Marc Antony he had an order where I think he got to use, it started a real level of importance to gain ethos and build ethos.

Here you have three different areas that Elizabeth is acknowledging are important to her.

I'm devoted to God and I can demonstrate to you my commitment through that.

I'm devoted to my kingdom and my position of Monarch, but as an individual I care about my people.

And so she's almost demonstrating the different roles that she holds as queen of England to emphasise her loyalty overall.

So over to you.

How can you demonstrate your loyalty like Elizabeth I.

Again you can use an example that you might think up or alternatively you might want to prepare yourself for that writing task later on.

How can you demonstrate your loyalty to this pizza restaurant in the same way that Elizabeth I demonstrated her loyalty to the troops at Tilbury? I've given you some sentences to start with there, I would, I would, I would to create your anaphora.

Pause the video and press play when you're done.

So before we take a look at our third inspirational speaker, I'd like to introduce some new vocabulary, because the third speaker uses these words within speech, but we might also want to challenge ourselves to do the same in our speeches later on.

The first word is audacious.

Audacious.

Being audacious means that you're willing to take risks, but almost to a point that is really quite irresponsible.

Violate.

Violate.

Now to violate something is to break the rules or fail to obey.

So to violate the rules is to break the rules.

And the last word malediction.

Such a nice word, have a go.

Malediction.

A malediction is a magical word or phrase said by someone to curse or bring about evil.

So you might say, he uttered a malediction.

Pause the video here and write down three words, with each your own definition.

Don't just copy your mine from the screen because it won't help you to understand the word as much as your own words will.

Or if you'd like a challenge, have a go at using the word within a sentence.

Press play when you're done.

So for our third inspirational speaker, we're going to look at an extract from Napoleon Bonaparte's speech that he delivered to the troops at the Battle of Marengo before they went to battle with the Austrian troops.

Now as I'm reading, what I'd like you to do is try and spot the hypophora.

Although there's a great deal of other devices being used in here that we can really take some inspiration from.

"Shall we allow our audacious enemies to violate with impunity, the territory of the Republic? Will you permit the army to escape which has carried terror into your families? You will not.

March, then, to meet him.

Tear from his brows the laurels he has won.

Teach the world that a malediction attends those that violate the territory of the Great People.

The results of our efforts will be unclouded glory and a durable peace." Did you spot it? Let's have a look.

Okay.

So the first question is a rhetorical question.

He doesn't answer it.

The second question is hypophora, because he replies with a response.

So he says, "Will you permit the army to escape which has carried terror into your families?" So he is saying, will you allow them to escape after they've brought terror to your families? and he answers with an imperative command, "You will not".

He's telling them what they're going to do, but actually in such a way that it fires them up.

It motivates them to go to battle.

He says he follows them with another imperative command, "March then to meet him.

Tear from his brows the laurels he has won." When he's talking about laurels, and if you think of Julius Ceaser and Romans high members of society show their status by wearing laurel leaves around their brows.

So it ran kind of almost like a crown.

he's saying tear them down from the laurels that he has won.

So we will overcome them.

He makes quite an assumption and a constant assumption that they're going to win.

So if we have a look later on, he says the results of our efforts will be unclouded glory.

What a fantastic use of emotive language.

Unclouded glory.

So that assumption and he criticises obviously the opposition with that they carry terror into our families, the audacious enemies.

So they are risky.

And then he follows up by saying, he makes this assumption that they will win.

They will defeat the opposition.

The results of our efforts will be unclouded glory and a durable peace.

So that unclouded glory, this is what we'll experience, but then we'll also long term have a durable peace.

Which is a really nice way to close off here.

So you've got that use of hypophora, but like I said I think there's a great deal that we can learn from this.

Notice also that use of collective nouns all the way through, we, our, our efforts.

It's a fantastic piece of writing.

So how can you present as confident, like Napoleon Bonaparte.

Pose a question and then provide an answer.

And if you like an extra challenge, trying to provide an answer with use of imperatives.

Pause the video here, you can use your own scenario that you can think of.

You might be thinking about one as you're going into battle that might be useful, or you can use our ice cream scenario, and then you might use it later on in your final piece of writing.

So what can we learn from each of these individuals? Well, I think it's safe to say that they all demonstrate loyalty.

They all demonstrate how they're loyal to the people that they're addressing.

They either say that they're loyal or they're devoted, or they do it in different ways.

For example with Napoleon, he's motivating his crowd.

So he demonstrates that loyalty through his motivation.

They also appear incredibly confident.

They're making the assumption that what they say is correct.

And so Elizabeth I, very much says that she's going to lay down for life.

And she says that with quite a lot of conviction, she's very confident in what she's saying.

They also, so if we think particularly for Napoleon, criticise the opposition and prepare themselves for the counter-argument.

And so that might be, remember you're in competition for your ice cream, you might want to think about how you could criticise the opposition, the other table, in quite sophisticated way to benefit your own argument.

So complete these questions.

What is important to do in the opening of a speech? what did Marc Antony to gain the trust of the crowd and how might you appear as confident in your argument.

Press play when you're done.

So here's some of the possible answers that you might've had.

Don't worry too much if you haven't got exactly the same as mine or you've actually got a completely different idea, particularly for number three.

There was plenty that you could have put there.

But let's go through and have a look.

So it's really important to create a strong sense of ethos in the opening.

If we think about Marc Antony and this answers our question for number two, Marc Antony created a strong sense of ethos by using a tricolon to gain the trust of the crowd.

He established that relationship when he started with friends.

How might you appear as confident in your argument? Well, you might want a few answers to this question, I've used hypophora.

So ask a question and then answer it.

However you might've included about criticising the opposition.

You might've included about using imperative language and you might've included about that final powerful closing lines.

Completely up to you.

But here's a few ideas that you might have had.

Just pause the video here and add to your own answers.

Press play when you're done.

So how can we build sentences for our own incredible speech? We've got all of this inspiration, but let's think about how we need to structure sentences in such a way that they work for us, that they essentially build really effective rhetoric.

Let's take a look at an example.

So to remind us of the task again.

It's your birthday, and we're trying to convince the restaurant owner.

So he's the person, all the restaurant staff that we are addressing.

Let's take a look.

So if you haven't come across it before, because, but, so, is a really effective way of building an argument and expanding your sentences along the way.

Let's take a look at how I've used it.

So I have allocated because to my opening building ethos.

My but is going to turn my counter-argument around, to benefit me and work in my favour.

And my so is really going to finish my argument in a strong, powerful way.

So let's take a look at the opening.

We've worked hard to remain loyal to you, returning every week and spending our hard earned money, oh really emotive there, heard earned money, not just because we like pizza, but because we like your pizza.

So plenty of collective nouns direct address in there, but that because gives it reason, this is why we spend all of our money on your pizza because we like it so much.

We like your pizza and not just pizza.

And so that would really win you brownie points.

It will sit with the restaurant owner when you're creating that strong sense of ethos there.

Let's have a look at the logos and using but to turn our counter-argument around.

Many could tell you that they deserve it and they might indeed be correct, but no one will be as grateful as we are today.

Incredibly emotive again.

You see how my but turns it around.

You might also use however, but but is a really nice, strong, stable way to turn that around.

Let's have a look at how to use so in our final powerful lines.

We need to sample such fantastic ice cream so we can continue to support this outstanding local business and spread the word.

So we've used the so to give reasons, but the reasons that we've provided are actually to work in the restaurant's favour rather than our own it always makes it sound as though us having the ice cream is actually going to be a benefit to him rather than us.

Very clever Let's see what a plan for our speech writing might look like in action.

So using my rhetoric framework of ethos, can you tell me? That's right logos.

Net one? Ethos.

It's going to be my three part structure.

So what would I like to use to open on? Well probably in my plan a tricolon.

I'm going to use my tricolon as an opportunity to really flatter the restaurant staff.

So I'm going to say friends, hard workers, valued citizens, to really gain their trust.

And also that friends is inspiration from Marc Antony as well.

I also want to use my collective nouns at this point to make them feel as if we've been friends for a million years.

We are all in this together.

I'm also going to use my because to explain why this is so important to me, why this ice cream is so important to me.

Now remember it's my birthday so I definitely think I could include that here somewhere.

I'm going to put birthday to remind me.

Now when building a logos, I'm probably going to say something around the fact that it's the finest, most sophisticated.

I want their ice cream to sound like the best ice cream.

Should I put the world? I think that's too far.

I want it to be believable.

The region.

Sound's still pretty impressive.

Now I need to anticipate my counter-argument.

Why are they going to say that I don't deserve it? I think they probably might say something like, we eat ice cream all the time.

Maybe there would be a little bit cruel and say we look like me too much ice cream.

So some might say to remind me something about too much ice cream.

And then my but will come in and I'm going to use my personal pronoun to explain why I deserve it.

I want to put the word deserve in my plans so I remember that.

In fact I'm going to say something about them being audacious.

So our audacious guests here, or our audacious diners next to me, something like that because you know this idea that they're quite risky but not in a good way.

Then I need to appeal to pathos to close.

So I think here my hypophora and anaphora are going to be my best friends to appeal to pathos.

So my question that I will answer would be why would you refuse.

Notice I'm making use of that direct address.

And also in my answer, I'm going to use the fact that refusing us would being a malediction.

Remember what malediction means? Yes a curse.

So refusing us would feel so horrific that it would feel like a malediction, a curse.

And then my anaphora, I'm going to put something around it's more than, and I'm going to think of three things that it's more than.

So maybe it's more than words.

It's more than ice cream, it's more than a meal.

And then my final line.

Oh I'm also going to use so right here to sum up the fact that it's a malediction.

My final line, I've already thought about it for quite awhile.

I'm going to put it's the experience of a lifetime.

Little bit of hyperbole there and some exaggeration.

So I planned out my speech, I'm building a really strong sense with ethos with my tricolon and collective nouns, got my because in there to back myself up and explain my ideas.

And then moving on to build a really strong sense of logos.

I've talked about how much I know about their ice cream.

I've anticipated the counter-argument, and then I'm going to come with my but too, with my use of personal pronouns to overcome that the counter-argument.

And then I'm going to close with my hypophora.

So why would you refuse? And then answer that question.

And my use of anaphora it's more than, it's more than, it's more than to really exaggerate how important this ice cream is to me.

And now it's over to you.

So have a go at planning out and writing your own effective speech to win this ice cream before the next table along does.

Now don't forget my example on the because, but, so slide of this lesson, you can also rewatch my planning process to get an idea as to how you're going to plan, make sure that you include or try and incorporate tricolon, anaphora and hypophora within your own rhetoric's features.

And if you also want an additional challenge, think about how you can use those three new words that I introduced you to before.

Do you remember them? Brilliant work.

If not skirt back and have a double check.

Press play when you're done.

Fantastic work today, you've completed some really challenging tasks around there in preparing and writing that speech as well.

I want to finish up by thinking about why rhetoric is such an effective tool for life.

Why are we spending so much time looking at rhetoric? Surely it's just for nonfiction writing.

I would argue not at all.

Rhetoric is really effective, not only for us to use when writing to explain our ideas or put our ideas across or opinions across in an effective way in a convincing way.

But it's also really handy because rhetoric is used in all aspects of everyday life from when we watch advertising to when we were having a look at things on social media to in the news and the vast majority of what we read, use this rhetoric to some degree.

So it's really important that we understand it because then we can see when we're being influenced or manipulated in particular way.

Well, it's not always necessarily negatively sometimes it's just because a company wants to sell us something.

But it's still useful to know when we're being sold to, because it will impact how we view or perceive particular ideas or beliefs or opinions.

It's a little bit like viewing the world through a new lens when you understand the rhetoric a little bit better.

Fantastic speech writing today.

If you'd like to please ask your parent or carer to share your work on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, tagging @OakNational and #LearnwithOak.

Fantastic work today.

I bet your speech is absolutely incredible.

Do make sure that you have a go at reading it out loud.

It not only helps the editing process, there might be particular words that you think, Oh that doesn't work once I've said it out loud, this word would work better, but it also helps you to be aware of exactly how effective our devices are when we're using them in action.

It also helps to understand how emotive the language will be when it's said out loud as well.

So highly recommend having a read through.

And also if you have enjoyed the key speakers that we've looked at for inspiration, head over to the rhetoric and motivation unit or the rhetoric and change unit or the rhetoric and injustice unit, because there's some fantastic speakers that we haven't perhaps touched on today that also offer a really insightful inspiration for rhetoric as a whole.

I'd like you to do two things for me before you finish up today, I'd like you to write down three things that you've learned in this lesson.

It might be particular vocabulary use of rhetoric or particular devices, or just why rhetoric is so effective as a tool for life.

I'd also like you to complete the quiz.

I'm really interested to see how much you've learned today.

Well done for working so hard and I'll see you next time.