Chapters
The speaking and listening part of an English GCSE can be the best part or the part you dread the most, depending on what your skills are. It is something that everybody needs to do in their GCSEs, and in this guide we’re explaining what this part of the assessment is and what it involves.
What is Speaking and Listening?
Most of the work carried out throughout the GCSE English examination is written work. You’ll need to write both coursework and work throughout the exams that come at the end of the course.
However, there is a section where you need to demonstrate different communication skills in the form of speaking and listening.
According to the AQA website:
The aim of the assessment is to allow students to demonstrate their speaking and listening skills by:
- giving a presentation in a formal context
- responding appropriately to questions and to feedback, asking questions themselves to elicit clarification
- using spoken Standard English.
Basically, this component focuses on assessing your spoken communication skills. It usually involves tasks such as giving presentations, participating in discussions, and demonstrating effective oral communication. Students are assessed on their ability to speak clearly, fluently, and confidently, as well as their capacity to engage in meaningful conversations and discussions.
If you're not comfortable with your English pronunciation and wish to improve it, check out this exhaustive lesson offered by the online English school ISpeakSpokeSpoken
What Do I Have to Do?
The speaking and listening section of the GCSE is usually delivered in the form of a ten minute presentation for your teacher and the rest of your classmates, where you will have to plan a presentation, talk in front of people, and then answer their questions.
Your presentation must meet certain criteria. The focus will be on what you say but also on the way you make a point.
The teacher will play a big part in deciding what the topic is about, and giving you some rough guidance on how your presentation could be structured.
Example Exercise – The Most Powerful Movie I’ve Ever Seen
Here is an exercise that can help to prepare you for a speaking and listening exercise. This is the kind of thing you may be asked to do to allow your teacher to grade your work.
Imagine you’ve been asked to create a presentation entitled “The Most Powerful Movie I’ve Ever Seen” with the goal of demonstrating a movie that had a profound impact.
- Select a Movie: Choose a movie that you consider the most powerful you have ever seen. Try to think about the emotional impact, themes, and storytelling of the movie. What made it powerful? What emotional response did it trigger?
- Research: IResearch the movie you selected. Gather information about the plot, key characters, director, year of release, and any relevant background information about the movie's plot.
- Identify the Powerful Aspects: Pinpoint the specific aspects of the movie that you found most powerful. These could be related to the storyline, character development, cinematography, music, or any other relevant elements.
Structure the Presentation:
Introduction (1-2 minutes)
- Grab the audience's attention with a relevant quote or a brief intriguing fact before explaining the movie.
- State your thesis: Why do you consider this movie the most powerful?
Plot Summary (1-2 minutes)
- Provide a concise overview of the movie's plot, avoiding major spoilers.
- Highlight the central conflict and the journey of the main characters.
Powerful Aspects (2-3 minutes)
- Discuss the aspects of the movie that had the most significant impact on you.
- Use specific scenes, dialogues, or examples to illustrate these aspects.
- Explain how these elements contribute to the movie's overall power.
Personal Connection (1 minute)
- Share why this movie is personally meaningful to you. Did it resonate with your life experiences or beliefs?
Conclusion (1 minute)
- Summarise the main points of your presentation.
- Reflect on the lasting impact of the movie.
- End with a thought-provoking statement or question to engage the audience.
Practice: You should rehearse their presentation multiple times to ensure you are confident and stay within the time limit.
On the designated presentation day, you can deliver your speech to the class.
After each presentation, allow the audience to ask questions or share their thoughts. This will further test your communication skills, and will help you to prove that you understand the more important aspects of the listening part of the assessment.
Standard English
It is really important to use Standard English. This is one of the things that will be examined, and you should avoid using slang terms, even if you use them in your day-to-day life.
Terms you shouldn’t use include:
- Ain’t (use “are not” or “is not” depending on the context
- Wanna (use “want to”)
- Innit (use “isn’t it”)
- Gonna (use “going to”)
Standard English is a part of the spelling, grammar, and language assessment that will be part of your English exam, and it refers to the set of rules that we use when communicating with one another.
Vocabulary
In the activity in question, you should prove that you can use relevant vocabulary. So, when you’ve been asked to create a presentation about a “powerful” film, you may want to use some of the following terms:
- Emotional
- Compelling
- Gripping
- Impactful
- Moving
- Emotive
- Upsetting
- Inspiring
It all depends on the specific movie that you have chosen. The task at hand is to make sure that you show that you can effectively communicate your ideas, make a point that is backed up with evidence, and understand and respond to other peoples’ questions.
Tips for Your Presentation:
- Structure your presentation logically with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Create an outline or storyboard to help you organise your ideas.
- Start with a compelling introduction that grabs the audience's attention. You can use a story, a shocking fact, a question, or a movie quote.
- Clearly understand your presentation's objectives.
- Rehearse your presentation multiple times to build confidence and improve your delivery. Practice in front of a mirror, record yourself, or give the presentation to a friend or family member.
- Maintain eye contact with your audience. It conveys confidence, engagement, and a connection with your listeners.
- Speak clearly, audibly, and at a moderate pace. Vary your tone and pace to keep the audience engaged.
Don’t worry too much, nobody is expecting you to be a professional. You just need to be able to make your point in a clear and concise way, do your research thoroughly, and be willing to answer questions in a thoughtful way.
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Great site with a lot of resources. Thank You so much.
Hi Anneme! Thanks for your lovely comment, glad to hear that you found these resources useful! Best of luck with your revision! :)
thank you for helping me with my work
Wow. I can’t imagine what sources were used for this, but they clearly weren’t reliable. “During the first half of the twentieth century, America was open to immigrants from all parts of Europe”—nope. Look up the Immigration Act of 1924, and keep in mind it didn’t come out of nowhere. It wasn’t significantly revised until 1952 and was only replaced in 1965. It’s not exactly a secret Americans overall were distinctly unwelcoming toward Italian immigrants for quite some time. I’m not sure how many were victims of hate crimes in total, but not everyone murdered in the lynching epidemic was Black.
“However, Italian immigrants, especially from southern Italy or Sicily, held on to their ancient values”—don’t most of us do that? This smacks of xenophobia, and it gets worse from there. “Italy has a violent past due to criminal organizations like the Mafia…” I don’t even know where to start with this, but I see this is a UK site. Do you not realize how violent your own history is? Do you think Italians are monolithic? Even if your portrayal of the mafia’s significance were accurate, what makes a mafia don so different from one of the many capricious, overly entitled English monarchs throughout your history?
To be clear, I don’t want your answers to any of these questions. I want you to properly research your subjects before attempting to teach others about them.