Lancaster (2022) has some easy to follow suggestions for writing a powerful speech that could easily be taught to students. Below are the key steps:
- Start with three super-short sentences (or just three words) to create a sense of urgency.
Example: How do you feel? Anxious? Nervous?
- Write three repetitive sentences/phrases to communicate emotion. It could be three rhetorical questions or three repeated statements.
Example: It’s wasted words, wasted time, wasted effort.
- Write three balancing statements to indicate balance and logic.
Examples:
This is about rich and poor, black and white, old and young.
While other businesses are cutting costs, we are investing.
Many schools are trapped in the past, but we are the future.
- Use a metaphor to attract people towards a particular image or emotion. If you want people to recoil, use a disgusting metaphor (dirt, disease, death, darkness, danger). If you want to stimulate a positive mood use attractive metaphors (light, health, security, freedom, warmth, family).
- Use exaggeration to highlight and generate energy.
Examples:
I’ve been waiting for ever to…
I’m going to give this my heart and soul.
- End with rhyme as it helps with retention.
Model 1: At an advanced level.
- Illiteracy is an insidious curse. A social virus. An economic plague.
- We must apply the research. We must teach effectively. We must give everyone the joy of reading.
- Reading is an essential skill for all, not just for those who master it without effort. We must put aside our entrenched beliefs and embrace the strategies that are most helpful to all students. We need to choose fact over tradition, success over failure.
- History tells us that when we find the right light, and shine it in the right direction, the greatest progress is made.
- It is time we stopped blaming the students, their parents and the system and instead fan the flames of hope and success.
- Take heed of this warning and let’s get moving. Learning to read is as necessary as breathing.
Model 2: At a primary school level.
- Carrots! Peas! Broccoli!
- Are you getting enough vitamins? Are you getting enough fibre? Ae you eating enough vegetables?
- You might think vegetables are boring, but you can eat them in a variety of ways. Vegetables are not just for vegans, but are also important for meat eaters. We can’t just eat cakes and biscuits, we need vegetables in our diet as well.
- Without vegetables we will be riddled with disease and imprisoned in the darkness of ill-health.
- Vegetables are our saviour, the food of our soul, the fertiliser that makes us bloom.
- Eat more vegetables. They are nutritious, healthy and delicious.
Reference:
Lancaster., S. (2022). Connect! How to Inspire, Influence and Energise Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime. Heligo Books: UK.