First date taught: 9 Dec 2022

11C – Sport Relief

Theme: Raising money for charity with sport, discussing charities; informative speech structure and tips.

philanthropist (n) – someone who gives money to people who need help

relief (n) – things (such as food, money, or medicine) that are given to help people who are in need, as an act of charity (often they are victims of a war, natural disaster, social misfortune, etc); synonym: aid

can’t see the forest for the trees (idiom) –
big picture vs. details

I digress (v) – to move away from the main subject you are writing or talking about and to write or talk about something else

to keep the lights on (idiom) – to make sure that a business, system, etc. continues to operate, even if it does not make much progress

pledge (n) – a serious or formal promise, especially one to give money or to be a friend, or something that you give as a sign that you will keep a promise

food drive – a form of charity that is conducted by a group of individuals or a corporation to stockpile and distribute foodstuffs to people who cannot afford food.

shelf stable / non-perishable foods – food of a type that can be safely stored at room temperature in a sealed container; nonperishable food does not decay quickly

fall-out shelter (n) – a strong building, usually under the ground, intended to keep people safe from the dust in the air after a nuclear explosion

social programs (n) – organized work intended to advance the social conditions of a community, and especially of the disadvantaged

run amok (adv) – to be out of control and act in a wild or dangerous manner

stand on your own two feet (idiom) – to be able to provide all of the things you need for living without help from anyone else

pull yourself up by your bootstraps (idiom) – to succeed or elevate yourself without any outside help; often used in political discourse to refer to impoverished people

political discourse (n) – the use of language to communicate in speech or writing, or an example of this

impoverished (adj) – very poor

stigma (n) – a strong feeling of disapproval that most people in a society have about something, especially when this is unfair; a strong lack of respect for a person or a group of people or a bad opinion of them because they have done something society does not approve of

aid (n) [C1] – help or support; help in the form of food, money, medical supplies, or weapons that is given by a richer country to a poorer country

in aid of someone/something – in order to collect money for a group of people who need it

PTO (n) – (Am.) parent-teacher organization

to go door to door (adj) – going from one house or building in an area to another

EBSCO – an online database used to research academic papers, sources and other materials used in the academic research field; seen as the leading resource for proper research, rather than unfounded or potentially unproven sources randomly found on the internet

work-study – a federally-funded program in the United States that assists students with the costs of post-secondary education.

outline (n) [B2] – a description of the main facts about something

commonality (n) – the fact of sharing interests, experiences, or other characteristics with someone or something

this leads me to my next point…

scaffolding (v) – a method where teachers offer a particular kind of support to students as they learn and develop a new concept or skill

foundation (n) – the structures below the surface of the ground that support a building; an idea or fact that something is based on

lay the foundation(s) of/for (idiom) [C2] – to produce the basic ideas or structures from which something much larger develops

thesis (n) [B2] – a long piece of writing on a particular subject, especially one that is done for a higher college or university degree; the main idea, opinion, or theory of a person, group, piece of writing, or speech

subtopic (n) – a subject that forms part of a larger subject

transition (n) [C2] – lead in to the next topic; a change from one form or type to another, or the process by which this happens

lead in (n) – something that introduces something else, such as the words and music that are used to introduce a television programme

dwell (v) – to live in a place or in a particular way
dwell on something (ph.v.) [C1] – to keep thinking or talking about something, especially something bad or unpleasant

reasonable expectation (n) – the principle that responsibilities and rights are to be interpreted in terms of what a reasonable person might expect in a particular situation

layman’s terms (n) – simple language that anyone can understand

lay person – someone who is not trained in or does not have a detailed knowledge of a particular subject; often used to describe someone who is just an average everyday person

talk down to someone (ph.v.) – to talk to someone as if they are less intelligent than you or not important

captivate (v) – to hold the attention of someone by being extremely interesting, exciting, pleasant, or attractive

visual aid (n) – something that you are shown, such as a picture, film, or map, in order to help you understand or remember information

moderation (n) [C1] – the quality of doing something within reasonable limits
moderation is key / everything in moderation / moderation in all things (idiom) – said to advise someone that it is best not to have or do too much or too little of anything

Additional Listenings:

Informative Speaking

from the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Communication.
https://www.comm.pitt.edu/informative-speaking

Informative speaking generally centers on talking about people, events, processes, places, or things. Informing an audience about one of these subjects without being persuasive is often a difficult task to complete. For example, a speech informing an audience about growing peace lilies as houseplants might ultimately persuade the audience to buy and grow peace lilies. All speech has an effect that might enable individuals to self-persuade themselves. The line walked during an informative speech, as opposed to a persuasive speech, is to not make persuasion an explicit and obvious goal. An informative speech on peace lilies might cover both the advantages and disadvantages of these houseplants; a persuasive speech would take a firm position on the virtues of peace lilies.

Tips for informative speaking:

Analyze the audience. What can the audience be reasonably expected to know? If talking to a field of medical professional about cloning, they likely know the basics of DNA. An audience of lay people might not be so fluent in the language of biomedical engineering, and so basic concepts like this will have to be explained. Never presume that an audience has a thorough background in the subject.

Use appropriate language. What are the norms for speaking style for the audience? If they expect lots of jargon and specialized language, the speech should be peppered with such language or else the audience will feel like they are being talked down to. If the audience is unfamiliar with these technical terms, avoid using them or introduce them with an explanation of what they mean.

Explain the importance of the topic. Why should the audience listen? Will this information improve their lives in some meaningful way? Especially with a captive–involuntary–audience, a speaker must establish a connection between their topic and the interests of the audience.

Express interest in the subject material. Why should an audience listen if the speaker seems just as bored as they do? A speaker who confesses their own interest in the topic might activate the audience to share a similar interest.

Show, don’t tell. Don’t most people learn through doing or seeing? Being told about a process, like cloning, could be informative, but probably not have as great an impact as being shown the process with pictures or perhaps even lab equipment. Informative speeches often benefit from a demonstration or visual aid. Technology can assist “showing” when the subject is not easily brought physically into the room (imagine the troubles of an informative speech on the sun if a prop was required!)

Be specific. Informative speeches thrive on detail, and dive on generalities. If speaking about basket weaving, carefully note what types of weaving materials work and do not work for basket making. Audiences are often impressed by detail, but be careful not to become so detail-oriented that the big picture of the speech is lost (missing the forest for the trees).