Writers choice listening and speaking activities grade 9

Listening and Speaking
Activities
Grade 9

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Contents
Teacher Notes 1–4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Teacher Notes 5–9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Teacher Notes 10–14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

Teacher Notes 15–19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Teacher Notes 20–24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Listening Actively I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Listening Actively II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Listening Critically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Nonverbal Communication I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Nonverbal Communication II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Telephone Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Interviewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The Job Interview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Brainstorming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Roles in Group Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Participating in Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Introductions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Personal Narrative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Impromptu Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
The Demonstration Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Speaking to Inform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Speaking to Persuade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Storytelling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Oral Interpretation of Poetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Oral Interpretation of Prose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Reader’s Theater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Debate I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Debate II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Parliamentary Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24


Listening and Speaking Activities
Teacher Notes

Encourage students to articulate and analyze the principles involved in each activity. The questions at the
end of each activity are designed to help them do this.
Students may answer the questions on paper, in small
group discussion, in class discussion, or in a combination of the three formats. A cooperative approach is
encouraged so that students may learn from each
other.
Activity 1—Listening Actively I
Objective: To listen to a description and retell it accurately in one’s own words.
Suggestion: Point out that much of the information
we assimilate during the course of our lives is through
hearing. Re-creating a verbal picture helps sharpen
listening skills.

1. Answers should indicate that imprecise listening can
create significant differences between descriptions.
2. Answers should reflect an understanding that listening to oral descriptions is a skill requiring close
attention to detail.
3. Answers may include visualizing, remembering key
words, or simply paying close attention to detail.
Activity 2—Listening Actively II
Objective: To listen to directions and take accurate
note of the details.
Suggestion: Point out that giving and following
directions are skills people practice all their lives.
Encourage students to share experiences they have
had with imprecise or complicated directions. Discuss
with them what qualities make directions easy to
understand.

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Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

1. Answers should reflect that giving directions requires
precise detail and careful organization.
2. Answers should indicate that in taking notes, people
often pick up different information, not all of which
is necessary or relevant.
3. Answers should suggest that taking notes requires
good judgment and selection of detail.
Activity 3—Listening Critically
Objective: To distinguish between fact and opinion.
Suggestion: Remind students that they will spend
much of their lives listening to facts and opinions.
Without the ability to distinguish between the two,
they could become confused or exploited.

1. Answers should reflect an awareness that facts are
not always clear-cut, and opinions are sometimes
mistaken for facts. Examples will vary.
2. Answers should indicate that students are developing
techniques for distinguishing fact from opinion.
These might include asking questions, listening to
the use of words, or even observing body language.
3. Answers should indicate that sound decisions are
made only on the basis of reliable information.
Activity 4—Nonverbal Communication I
Objective: To practice nonverbal communication by
acting out a skit.

Suggestion: To students who complain that they do
not normally use much body language when communicating, point out that in the absence of words, gestures and facial expressions must be exaggerated.

1. Answers should indicate an understanding that some
situations are more suitable to nonverbal communication than others.
2. Answers should indicate a student’s ability to reflect
on his or her performance.
3. Answers should reflect an awareness that body
language is often an unconscious form of communication and, as such, may reveal a person’s true
feelings more accurately than words.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The Listening and Speaking Activities booklet consists
of five pages of teacher notes and twenty-four activity
pages. Teacher notes discuss the speaking and listening principles involved in each activity. They provide
practical guidelines for conducting the activity and
for evaluating students’ answers to questions. Activity
pages include practical tips and suggestions for performing the activity and questions to help students
evaluate the effectiveness of their own and their peers’
participation.


Listening and Speaking Activities
Teacher Notes
Activity 5—Nonverbal Communication II
Objective: To gain insight into nonverbal expression
through the use of nonsense syllables.
Suggestion: Point out that solely by tone of voice
people can transmit important information. Warm up

for this exercise by asking students to repeat the word
rhubarb lovingly, angrily, proudly, secretively, etc.

1. Answers should indicate an awareness that composing successful interview questions requires forethought and a knowledge of human nature.
2. Answers may suggest that even the most scripted
interview can take on a direction of its own.
3. Answers should suggest that there is no substitute
for experience.

1. Answers should indicate the need for exaggerated
verbal mannerisms in the absence of word sense.
Students may have mixed feelings about the
experience.
2. Answers should reflect an awareness that heightened
emotions are often defined vocally by extremes in
pitch, pace, and volume.
3. Answers should show that students understand the
importance of tone of voice when visual contact is
unavailable.

Activity 8—The Job Interview
Objective: To take both sides in a mock job interview.
Suggestion: Point out that even before a candidate
begins to speak at an interview, the potential
employer is making judgments. Model the first few
seconds of a job interview by asking a volunteer to
play the applicant entering the room, shaking hands,
sitting down, etc.

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Activity 6—Telephone Communication
Objective: To practice the skills necessary for a successful telephone conversation.
Suggestion: Point out that in a telephone conversation empathy must be communicated in words and
tone of voice. Help students articulate how tone can
reveal and interpret more than words might suggest.

1. Answers may reflect students’ feelings that the person taking the initiative has the more challenging
role, but responses will vary.
2. Answers should indicate that facial expressions and
body language are important in face-to-face conversations, while tone of voice takes on more importance over the telephone.
3. Answers should include some benefits and restrictions of voice-only communication.
Activity 7—Interviewing
Objective: To create a list of thoughtful interview
questions and conduct an interview.
Suggestion: Help students create questions that will
elicit informative answers. Demonstrate the advantage
of open-ended and follow-up questions by modeling
an interview with a student for the class.

1. Answers should indicate that both employer and
applicant utilize specific skills in a job interview.
2. Answers should point out that honesty, enthusiasm,
curiosity, and intelligence—among other
qualities—are universally acceptable.
3. Answers should reveal that students appreciate
some of the skills and challenges involved in job
interviews.
Activity 9—Brainstorming
Objective: To think freely and to find stimulus in the

ideas of others through the process of brainstorming.
Suggestion: Brainstorming establishes an environment in which students should feel free to express
their ideas. As you monitor the groups, steer students
away from critical or judgmental comments.

1. Answers should indicate an understanding that
brainstorming as a group generates many more ideas
than attempting the same task alone.
2. Answers should acknowledge brainstorming’s potential for creating new and surprising paths of thought.
3. Answers should reflect an awareness that brainstorming is an effective tool in all creative and
problem-solving endeavors. Students may propose
rules that allow all group participants a chance to
voice their opinions without fear of criticism.

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

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Listening and Speaking Activities
Teacher Notes

1. Answers should indicate an appreciation for the contribution an individual makes to a group.
2. Answers should acknowledge the responsibility of a
group to focus on its goal and achieve its task.
3. Answers should reflect an awareness that an
orderly group discussion provides direction for the
participants but may inhibit the free flow of ideas.
Activity 11—Participating in Groups
Objective: To observe how individuals participate as

members of a task-oriented group.
Suggestion: Invite students to share the problems
and benefits they have experienced in working as part
of a team. Point out that group productivity increases
when members behave courteously, act cooperatively,
and keep their goal in sight.

1. Answers should indicate an understanding that
groups have strengths and weaknesses determined
by their individual members and collective selfdiscipline.
2. Answers should reflect a student’s capacity for analysis and self-evaluation.
3. Answers should point out that a group has the collective strength of its members’ ideas and experiences, but that a group can sometimes be overly
cautious in its conclusions and slow in reaching
decisions.
Activity 12—Introductions
Objective: To practice creating and delivering an
organized and entertaining public introduction.
Suggestion: This activity will work best when everyone agrees to accept the central premise: a real
celebrity is coming to the class! The student making
the introduction should appear honored and enthusiastic; the audience should be attentive and respectful.

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Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

1. Answers should reflect an awareness of what makes
an introduction effective.
2. Answers should identify the specific techniques that
make an introduction memorable, such as humor,
anecdotes, and comparisons.

3. Answers should reflect an awareness that an introduction may provide an audience with its first
impression of both the speaker and the person
being introduced.
Activity 13—The Personal Narrative
Objective: To tell an effective personal narrative.
Suggestion: Students should understand that many
skills go into telling a successful narrative. Selection of
detail, humor, tone of voice, pace, focus, and the
lesson, or moral, all contribute to an effective performance. Consider modeling a narrative for the class
based on a first experience of your own.

1. Answers should reflect an understanding of the possible ways to alter a story or its delivery.
2. Answers should cite specific techniques, such as
using different voices to portray characters.
3. Answers should reflect an understanding of what
constitutes a good story and what speaking techniques can make an anecdote more interesting.
Activity 14—Impromptu Speech
Objective: To make an impromptu speech based on
personal experience.
Suggestion: Encourage students who cannot come
up with a memory on the spur of the moment to talk
about their ideal vacation, job, or meal.

1. Answers should reflect an awareness that impromptu
and rehearsed speeches require different skills and
are evaluated differently by the listener.
2. Answers should indicate that students were listening
actively to the content and delivery of their fellow
students.
3. Answers should reflect an awareness that impromptu

speaking is a useful skill in group discussions,
question-and-answer sessions, and debates.

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Activity 10—Roles in Group Meetings
Objective: To reflect on participation in a semi-formal
group meeting.
Suggestion: If time permits, extend this activity to a
class-wide discussion, and vote on the three most successful fund-raising ideas. Afterwards, ask students to
compare their roles as members of the small and large
groups.


Listening and Speaking Activities
Teacher Notes
Activity 15—The Demonstration Speech
Objective: To make a speech demonstrating a simple
process with the assistance of visual aids.
Suggestion: Students must assume that their audience knows nothing about the process they are
demonstrating. Encourage them to think through
each step of the process—which way to unscrew a
light bulb, how to make a loop in a shoelace, etc.

1. Answers should focus on organization, clarity, and
appropriate use of visual aids.
2. Answers should indicate the importance of carefully
choosing and employing visual aids.
3. Answers should reflect an understanding that
visual aids are most effective when used to illustrate information that would be difficult to

visualize through speech alone.

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Activity 16—Speaking to Inform
Objective: To research, organize, and present an
informative speech.
Suggestion: This exercise calls for only a limited
amount of research. Students should concentrate on
organizing their material and developing an effective
delivery with the assistance of note cards.

1. Answers should indicate that researching and organizing factual material sets the informative speech
apart from other presentations. Opinions will vary.
2. Answers should focus on good organization, clear
explanations, and effective delivery.
3. Answers should reflect an understanding that
delivering an informative speech from notes
requires rehearsal and improvisational skills.
Activity 17—Speaking to Persuade
Objective: To practice persuasive speaking by presenting an oral movie review.
Suggestion: Encourage students to choose movies that
they feel strongly about. Point out that they will find it
easier to be persuasive if their opinions are powerful:
either “you must see it” or “stay away from this.”

3. Answers should reflect an awareness of the many
professions that frequently employ persuasive
speech, including advertising, law, politics, and
education.

Activity 18—Storytelling
Objective: To tell a familiar story from the point of
view of one of its central characters.
Suggestion: If students are uncomfortable with the
idea of narrating from another point of view, select a
story that you have read in class, and model the
process for them by retelling the story in the words of
one of the characters.

1. Answers should reveal an understanding that no two
characters will tell a story in the same way. Responses
to the second question will vary.
2. Answers should indicate that students appreciate the
number of skills—dramatic, linguistic, and
physical—that storytelling involves.
3. Answers should reflect an understanding of the
choices a storyteller must make when adapting a
written story.
Activity 19—Oral Interpretation of Poetry
Objective: To recite expressively the lyrics of a song
without the music.
Suggestion: Ensure that students select songs with
words that will stand on their own. Point out that the
lyrics of some effective songs are too simple or repetitious to be read effectively without the music.

1. Answers should reflect an understanding that performing song lyrics as poetry can draw attention to
aspects of a song that were not immediately
apparent.
2. Answers should indicate students’ capacity for selfevaluation and an appreciation of the skills involved
in the recitation of poetry.

3. Answers should reflect an awareness of creative
choices such as tone of voice, gesture, posture,
phrasing, and emphasis.

1. Answers should indicate that students can evaluate
their own performances and assess the elements contributing to an effective persuasive speech.
2. Answers should indicate that nonverbal communication contributes to the effectiveness of a persuasive
speech.

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

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Listening and Speaking Activities
Teacher Notes

1. Answers should suggest awareness of the skills
required for effective dramatic reading. Students may
indicate that performing increased their understanding of the literature.
2. Answers should discuss how the speakers used verbal
and nonverbal communication to make each character distinct.
3. Answers should reflect an awareness that performing orally involves acting out each character in the
selection; an oral interpretation helps bring the
selection to life.
Activity 21—Reader’s Theater
Objective: To create and perform a dramatic scene
from a novel or short story.
Suggestion: Suggest that students pretend they are
performing for listeners who have not read the

original work. This will encourage them to create
informative introductory and concluding narrations.

1. Answers should reflect an awareness of speaking
skills that are essential to group presentations, such
as timing, enunciation, listening for cues, and working for an overall mood or effect.
2. Answers should indicate that a theatrical presentation gives immediacy to prose fiction but loses much
of the information supplied by the author’s voice.
3. Answers may include such considerations as
expressive reading, an informative narration,
thoughtfully chosen excerpts, and effective use of
rehearsal time.
Activity 22—Debate I
Objective: To make a brief speech supporting or
opposing an assigned statement.
Suggestion: Some students may be at a loss for supporting evidence. Encourage them to consult with
peers, and be prepared to serve as an idea bank to bolster their arguments.

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Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

1. Answers should indicate an awareness of the logical
and dramatic skills involved in effective debating.
2. Answers should reflect the ability to identify examples of solid evidence and faulty reasoning.
3. Answers should reflect an understanding that
participation in a debate helps a speaker think
logically, speak clearly, and listen critically.
Activity 23—Debate II
Objective: To participate in a brief, formal debate followed by questions from the audience.

Suggestion: Help students discuss the kinds of evidence they must gather and use to support their
arguments. Point out that Unit 6 in their textbook
contains appropriate tips.

1. Answers should reflect the students’ ability to evaluate the logic of their own arguments.
2. Answers should reflect an understanding that varied
evidence, sound reasoning, and effective delivery can
have a powerful effect upon an audience.
3. Answers should establish that students are able to
evaluate their performance with knowledge and
detachment.
Activity 24—Parliamentary Procedure
Objective: To stage a debate observing the rules of
parliamentary procedure.
Suggestion: Help students understand the basic rules
of parliamentary procedure. Ask a volunteer to study
Robert’s Rules of Order and give a short summary to
the class before the debate.

1. Answers should point out that the rules help maintain order but also restrict expression.
2. Answers should suggest that the chairperson must be
firm, observant, self-confident, fair, and well versed
in parliamentary procedure.
3. Answers should indicate that parliamentary procedure is useful for large meetings with a wide range
of opinions. Such rules do not serve any purpose
in small, informal gatherings.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Activity 20—Oral Interpretation of Prose

Objective: To rehearse and perform orally a selection
from a novel or short story.
Suggestion: Students may need assistance in choosing excerpts suitable for performance. Pre-selecting
passages for them will jump start this activity. Look
for excerpts that include variety in speaker and tone.


Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date .............................

Listening Actively I
Activity
Take a few minutes to visualize a room in your home as it looks when you stand in the doorway. Include the
essential features—the furniture or appliances, windows, and decorations—and where they are in relationship to
each other. Then describe that room as precisely as you can to a partner. When you have finished, listen to your
partner’s description without taking notes.

When everyone has had the opportunity to exchange descriptions, tell the rest of the class or a small group
about your partner’s room. After each description, give your partner a chance to respond. Did you remember the
important details? Was everything in the right place? Would your partner recognize his or her room from your
description? Share with others your experience of listening to a description and retelling it in your own words.
Tips
• When describing your room, try to see it as a stranger would. Remember that things
you take for granted are unfamiliar to your partner.

•

Make sure to describe the principal features first. Don’t get bogged down in
insignificant details.

•

When listening, try to visualize the room. You can then re-create your mental picture
when it is your turn to describe it to the group.

•

Listen carefully for spatial terms such as above, below, right, left, next to, opposite,
inside, and under.

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Questions for Response or Discussion
1. How did your description of your partner’s room compare with the original version? What might explain the
differences?

2. What did you find most difficult to understand as a listener? What did this activity teach you about giving
oral descriptions?

3. What advice would you give to someone listening closely to a description?

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

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Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date ............................

Listening Actively II

Activity
Form a group with three or four other students and take turns giving oral directions on how to get to the school
from your home. (If you live very near the school, choose a destination that involves a few more steps.) Deliver
your directions at a natural pace, without pausing or stopping to repeat yourself. While each speaker is giving
directions, the listeners should be taking notes. After everyone has had a chance to speak, compare your notes
with those of the other members. Then choose a spokesperson to repeat the directions back to the member who
first gave them.

Compare the directions you gave with those the spokesperson gave back to you. Were there many differences?
What was it about your information or your listeners’ notes that might explain any inaccuracies?
Tips
• Take a few moments to think through your directions before giving them. Make sure
that the order is correct and that you are not leaving out any essential steps.

•

Use your voice to emphasize important words in your directions, including left, right,
half a mile, and straight ahead.

•

Use significant landmarks—buildings, trees, signs, or hills—to make your directions
clearer. Street names are not always enough.

•
•
•

When taking notes, use a separate line for each major step in the directions.
Visualizing the directions as you listen will help you take note of the important steps.

Use abbreviations for commonly occurring words such as r for right and l for left.

2. How did your notes compare with those of your fellow group members? Did you include too much or too
little information? Explain.

3. What did you learn about taking notes from this activity?

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Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

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Questions for Response or Discussion
1. How easy or difficult did you find giving directions? On another occasion what changes could you make in
order to be more clearly understood?


Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date .............................

Listening Critically
Activity
With a group of three or four other students, select a general topic with which you are all familiar. (Examples
might include sports, music, movies, local politics, or various school subjects.) Then spend a few minutes writing
ten statements about your topic. Five of these statements should be factual and five should represent an opinion.
Make a list of your statements, identifying each one as either fact or opinion as follows:

•
•

Babe Ruth hit more than 700 home runs. (fact)
Babe Ruth was America’s greatest athlete. (opinion)

Appoint a spokesperson to read your group’s statements to the class. After each statement is read, ask the class to
vote on whether it is fact or opinion. Keep a record of the class’s answers on the chalkboard. At the end of your
ten statements, compare your answers with those of the class. Did the other students agree with your definitions?
Were there any statements that might have been either fact or opinion?

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Tips
• When writing your statements make sure that you choose factual material that you all
know to be true.

•

Remember that statements of opinion do not have to start with phrases like “I think”
or “In my opinion.” Many opinions are worded to sound like factual statements.

•

When listening, pick out words and phrases that make generalizations, suggesting
judgment—as everyone knows, all of us will agree, the best, the worst. These indicate
opinion rather than fact.

•

Listen for numbers and statistics, which generally indicate that the statement has a
factual content.

•

Your reaction to a statement may indicate whether it is fact or opinion. If one of the
statements makes you think “I agree” or “Hey, wait a minute,” it is probably an opinion.

•

Ask this question of every statement: Could you prove that? If the answer is no, the
statement is an opinion.

Questions for Response or Discussion
1. How easy or difficult did you find writing the statements of fact and opinion? Which kind of statement gave
you the most trouble? Explain why.

2. When listening, how did you decide whether a statement was fact or opinion? Were there some statements
that you found confusing? Explain.

3. Why is the ability to distinguish fact from opinion an important skill to develop?

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

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Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date ............................

Nonverbal Communication I
Activity

With a partner choose a conversation or confrontation that young people typically experience that you can act
out. Examples might include explaining to your mother why you got home late, trying to persuade a reluctant
friend to go to a dance, or trying to break it to your little brother that he didn’t make the team. This is not an
ordinary skit, however: you are going to perform without using words.

Spend a few minutes rehearsing your skit. Try to include the expressions, gestures, and body positions that people might use in the situation you have chosen. Then perform your skit for the class. Afterwards, ask your audience to describe the situation you acted out as precisely as possible. Were other students able to guess exactly
whom you represented and what you were “saying” nonverbally?

•

Remember that in the absence of words, visual signals must be easy to understand.
When performing your skits, exaggerate normal actions, gestures, and facial expressions.

•

Some messages are conveyed very simply: hands on hips represent anger, a bowed
head represents guilt.

•

As a performer, you may find it easier to use the appropriate movements if you
pretend to be speaking the words your character might be saying. Move your mouth
if you wish but do not talk.

•

As you observe the skits, try to imagine yourself using the same gestures or expressions. Putting yourself in another character’s position often increases understanding.

Questions for Response or Discussion
1. What situations did you and your partner consider performing, and why did you select the one you did?

2. Were you comfortable performing without words? Which aspect of the character you portrayed did you find
easiest to communicate?

3. Why is it important to be attuned to people’s nonverbal communication? How can nonverbal communication sometimes be more honest than verbal communication?

4

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Tips
• Situations in which the emotions play a role are the easiest to perform nonverbally.
Gestures and facial expressions generally don’t have much importance if you’re simply
discussing the weather.


Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date .............................

Nonverbal Communication II
Activity
With a partner think of a telephone conversation in which the caller is breaking some interesting news to a
friend. (I got a full scholarship to Harvard. I didn’t get the part in the show. My dog is really sick.) Imagine the tone
of voice that the speaker would use to express his or her emotions in the situation you have chosen. Then
rehearse this conversation using only the word rhubarb. In other words, the entire content of the message must
be expressed through tone of voice. Try to make your conversation last at least thirty seconds.

Perform your conversation in front of the class and afterwards ask members of the audience to guess what was

being said. If the class is confused, ask them for suggestions and try performing the conversation again.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Tips
• Work out with your partner the outline of your conversation, including details such
as who will speak first and who will do most of the talking.

•

You may want to prepare a written script for rehearsal, but don’t let the words get in
your way when it is time to perform.

•

Since this activity represents a telephone conversation, facial expressions are not relevant. You may find it easier to sit so that you cannot see your partner. Holding a
make-believe receiver to your ear may also improve your performance.

•

Concentrate on the tone and volume of your voice, not on the nonsense syllables you
are repeating. If you sound convincing, the audience will begin to forget that you are
merely repeating the name of a vegetable.

•

As a member of the audience, listen carefully to the rise and fall of the performers’
voices (and don’t laugh).

Questions for Response or Discussion

1. How did it feel to speak using words that were unrelated to your topic? What did you do with your voice in
order to make up for the lack of meaning?

2. Which parts of your conversation were easiest to perform? Why do you suppose this was so?

3. What would you say are the differences between a telephone conversation and a face-to-face conversation?

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

5


Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date ............................

Telephone Communication
Activity
Form a group of four—two sets of partners. Each pair will role-play a telephone conversation in which the
caller—a distant relative or a pen pal you have never met—is planning a visit to your hometown for the first
time. He or she wants information about what your town is like, what people do for entertainment, and when
you might be free to get together.

Briefly decide which of you will play the visitor who is making the call. Then sit back-to-back and stage your
conversation for the other set of partners. The caller should introduce himself or herself and start making
inquiries. The hometown resident should aim to be friendly and informative. When it is your turn to listen,
make note of how the conversation begins and concludes. Listen to how questions are asked and information is
given. Listen also for pauses and the tone of voice used by each speaker. After both sets of partners have taken
their turns, discuss the skills needed to conduct a successful telephone conversation.
Tips
• Speak clearly so that your partner and the observers can hear you.

•

Remember that the person you are speaking to cannot see your face. Your tone of
voice and choice of words are crucial in making a good impression.

•

The caller may not think of all the right questions to ask. As the hometown resident,
make his or her job easier by volunteering useful information.

•
•

If there is a lull in the conversation, try using a question to get it going again.
As a listener, put yourself in the position of the speakers. What questions would you
have asked? What information would you have given?

2. What were the challenges in talking to someone you couldn’t see? How did you deal with those challenges?

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of communicating only by telephone?

6

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Questions for Response or Discussion
1. Which of the participants in this conversation do you feel had the harder role to play? Explain.

Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date .............................

Interviewing
Activity
In a small group, write a list of questions that you feel would give an insight into a person’s character during an
interview. Spend a few minutes discussing the questions and then select eight to ten that seem particularly interesting. Each member of the group should then make a copy of this master list.

Find a partner from another group. Take turns interviewing each other, using your prepared questions and taking brief notes on your partner’s responses. After completing both sides of an interview, return to your original
group. Compare the interview results with those of your fellow members. Which of your questions proved most
successful in drawing out the interviewee? Which questions that you were asked made you respond thoughtfully
or enthusiastically? What conclusions would you draw about successful interviews?
Tips
• Ask open-ended questions that require thoughtful answers. (How and why questions
are often successful.) Questions with one-word or yes/no answers lead nowhere.

•

Keep your notes brief while interviewing. Do not allow note taking to interrupt the
flow of conversation.

•

Establish eye contact at the beginning and maintain it regularly throughout the
interview.

•

Leave room for spontaneity. The interviewee’s response to a question may lead to
some interesting follow-up questions.

•

Move on to another question if the interviewee seems confused or uncomfortable.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Questions for Response or Discussion
1. Which of your questions produced the most interesting information? Why do you suppose this was so?

2. Did the interview go as you had expected? Explain.

3. What did being an interviewee teach you about interviewing skills?

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

7


Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date ............................

The Job Interview
As a class, write a list of interesting jobs that are available to people your age. Then with a partner select a job
from the list; each pair should choose a different job. Spend the next few minutes with your partner becoming
an “expert” on the job you have chosen. As employers, how would you identify a suitable applicant? What questions would you ask? What qualifications would you look for? With your partner, write a brief job description
including a list of the job’s duties. Then list the qualifications the perfect job applicant would possess. Exchange
job descriptions with another pair of students. Read the duties and qualification carefully. If you were applying

for the new position, how would you present yourself to make the most favorable impression on a potential
employer?
Switch partners with the pair of students you traded job descriptions with. With your new partner, take turns
interviewing each other. Play the role of the employer for the first job you discussed and of the applicant for the
second. As employer, take an interest in the applicant. Ask questions about his or her experience. As applicant,
promote your good qualities without sounding boastful. For the purposes of this activity, feel free to invent
details about your life.
Tips
• Greet your interviewer or interviewee by name and with a firm handshake.

•
•

Establish eye contact. Sit in a straight but relaxed position and keep your hands still.

•
•

Be confident. Look for opportunities to explain why you are the right person for the job.

•

As employer, ask at least one question that will surprise the applicant and encourage a
spontaneous answer.

•

No matter which side of the interview you are on, be yourself.

As applicant, ask questions. Employers want to hire applicants who demonstrate

interest.

Questions for Responses or Discussion
1. Which side of the interview—employer or applicant—did you find easier to conduct? Explain your answer.

2. What personal qualities would impress any employer, regardless of the job?

3. Based on this activity, what advice would you give to someone applying for a job?

8

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Answer questions accurately and thoroughly. Be careful not to ramble or pad your
answers with nervous chatter.


Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date .............................

Brainstorming
Activity
Form a circle with a small group. Spend a few moments thinking about what a perfect day might include (skiing on new snow, playing computer games, visiting a former home, or just being with family and friends). Then
make sure that everyone has a piece of paper and jot down a word or phrase describing the first thing that
comes to mind when someone asks you to describe your perfect day. When everyone has finished, each person
should pass his or her paper to the left and write down another aspect of a perfect day on the new sheet of
paper. Keep writing and passing rapidly around the circle for several turns. If you run out of ideas of your own,
read what others have written and see if you can build on any of their suggestions.

When the group’s flow of ideas has begun to slow down, stop writing. Take turns reading the lists aloud. (Some
of the items may need explaining.) Finally, discuss the brainstorming process with the other members. Which of
their ideas surprised you or particularly appealed to you?
Tips
• Brainstorming is a time for creating ideas, not for evaluating them. Every idea is a
good one.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

•
•

Write swiftly. Don’t worry about spelling or punctuation.
Be spontaneous. Don’t think that you have to stick to your original topic. Feel free to
start afresh as new ideas interest you.

•

Thank about what other people have written or suggested and develop their ideas if
they interest you. Group thinking is at the heart of brainstorming. Your ideas may
start an avalanche of creative thought in others.

•

When discussing your ideas, be positive. Don’t criticize ideas you consider silly.
Creativity thrives on freedom of thought.

Questions for Response or Discussion
1. If you had been assigned to brainstorm for a presentation on “My Perfect Day” by yourself, would it have

been easier or harder? Explain.

2. How did hearing other people’s ideas influence your own thought process? Were you surprised by what was
said?

3. What are some situations in which brainstorming would be useful? If you were directing a brainstorming session, what rules would you set?

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

9


Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date ............................

Roles in Group Meetings
Activity
Form a group of six or seven and consider the following problem: Your freshman class has pledged to raise
$2,000 to buy equipment for a sister school in another country. The money must be available within two
months. The principal of your school has asked you to come up with three suggestions for raising the funds.
What will they be?

Before beginning your discussion, appoint a chairperson, a recorder, and two observers. The chairperson’s role is
to establish an orderly exchange of ideas, and the recorder will take written notes of suggestions. The observers
should consider how effectively the meeting is run. Is it focused, orderly, and courteous? Are all members
participating?
After a set time—ten or fifteen minutes—ask the recorder to read out the suggestions. Agree upon three fundraising activities and write down the final descriptions. The chairperson should then present your group’s ideas
to the full class. After each group has made its presentation, the observers should give their reflections on how
effectively their groups functioned.
Tips

• Allow the chairperson to select the speaker—even if you are bursting to talk.

Encourage all members to participate.
Listen to what other people have to say. If you disagree, do so courteously.
If a chairperson is allowing the discussion to wander, keep it on track by making sure
that your comments are focused on the topic.

•

Remember that you have a goal to achieve. Cooperate—don’t compete—with other
members.

•

Give good reasons supporting your proposals, but be open-minded to other proposals.

Questions for Response or Discussion
1. How would you evaluate your own participation in the group? In what ways might you improve your value as
a group member?

2. On a scale of one (poor) to ten (excellent), give your group a grade. Explain your choice.

3. What are the advantages of conducting an orderly group discussion? What might be the disadvantages?

10

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

•
•
•


Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date .............................

Participating in Groups
Activity
In a group of five or six students, spend five minutes writing a list of ideas for new programs or activities that you
would like your school to start. These might include new courses, social activities, clubs, or sports teams. Select
one of these ideas to develop and spend another five minutes coming up with reasons each chosen program or
activity is important. Then compose a letter to the principal proposing your idea and stating your reasons. Your
teacher will give you fifteen minutes to work on your letter and will tell you when time is up.

Have a class discussion about the task you have just been working on. Did you have enough time to draft a
letter? How did your group function? Did everyone participate?
Tips
• While writing your list, refrain from criticizing other members’ ideas.

•
•
•
•
•
•

Always keep your group’s task in mind. Don’t get sidetracked by other topics.
Speak up when you have something to say but don’t dominate the proceedings.

Express you opinions, even if you feel others may not agree with them.
If there is tension in the group, relieve it by asking people to clarify their differences.
Encourage quieter members to contribute by asking for their opinions.
Observe how group members are participating—including yourself!

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Questions for Response or Discussion
1. How effectively would you say your group functioned? What problems did you encounter as a group? What
strengths did you display?

2. How would you assess your own role in the group?

3. What advantages are there to solving problems or completing tasks in groups? What are the disadvantages?

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

11


Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date ............................

Introductions
Activity
As a class, make a list of celebrities—sports legends, movie stars, politicians, or local heroes—that you would like
to have appear as speakers in your class. Then, with a partner, choose two of the men or women on the list.
Spend a few minutes with your partner reviewing what you know about the people you have chosen. What are
their greatest achievements? Why would it be a thrill to have these people in your class? Practice introducing
your would-be featured speakers. Keep your introductions lively and informative and about one minute in

length.

Now take turns in front of the class. First introduce your partner as one of the celebrity speakers; then he or she
will introduce you as the other featured speaker. After everyone has given an introduction, discuss what was successful about your introductions and in what ways they could have been improved.
Tips
• Speak naturally but clearly. Everyone in the class must hear you.

•
•
•

Look out at your fellow students. You are talking to them.
Plan the order of what you are going to say ahead of time.
If the featured speaker means a lot to you, you may want to personalize your introduction by explaining why.

•

Not everyone in your audience will be familiar with your speaker. Describe his or her
principal achievements at the beginning of your introduction.

•

Write brief notes on index cards if you are uncertain of facts or the order of your
remarks. Glance at your cards and look up. Never read from them.

2. Which introduction was your favorite? What made it so memorable for you?

3. Why would you say introductions are important?

12

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Questions for Response or Discussion
1. What was successful about your introduction? How would you improve it for another occasion?


Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date .............................

The Personal Narrative
Spend a few minutes thinking about your first time at a new experience. You might consider the first day of
school, the first team practice, the first trip away from home, or the first meeting with a person who later
became your friend. Then get together with a small group and take turns describing your experience. How did
you feel? What details can you recall? Conclude by explaining why this incident is meaningful to you.
After narrating your experience, invite the group to comment on your performance. What did the others
remember most about your narrative? What would they like to have heard more about? How effective was your
voice and body language as you told your story? After everyone has had a turn, discuss with the group the qualities of a good personal narrative.
Tips
• The effectiveness of your narrative will depend upon your ability to bring it to life for
your listeners. Try to recall vivid details.

•

Focus on some aspect of your experience that made it meaningful. Did you learn a
lesson? Was there a conflict to be resolved?

•

How you tell your narrative may be as important as what you say. Let your voice
reflect your excitement or fear.

•
•

Consider using dialogue to bring your narrative to life.

•

Humor often holds an audience’s attention. There is something amusing in almost
any situation.
Be a good listener when your turn comes. Encourage the speaker by keeping alert and
interested.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Questions for Response or Discussion
1. Were you pleased with your narrative? What would you change if you told it again?

2. What did the most successful narratives have in common?

3. How would you define the qualities of a good personal narrative?

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

13

Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date ............................

Impromptu Speech
Activity
Get together with a group of six or seven other students and think of a memorable experience you have had. Jot
it down on a piece of paper in the following unfinished form:

•
•
•

The best vacation I ever took . . .
The strangest dream I ever had . . .
The worst meal I ever ate . . .

Start the activity by reading your fragment aloud and then calling out the name of another group member. He
or she must repeat the fragment and continue talking on the topic for at least one minute, using his or her own
experiences as subject matter.
When everyone has had a turn, compare your experiences as impromptu speakers. What difficulties are
involved? What made certain speeches effective?
Tips
• Choose an experience that others in the group are likely to have shared. “The biggest
shark I ever caught . . .” will not get much response from some students.

•

Take a few moments to think before repeating the sentence opener. A memory will
probably pop into your head.

•

If you find yourself totally at a loss for a true experience to complete your fragment,
make up a story about yourself. Impromptu speaking has a way of activating the
imagination.

•
•

Be aware of your delivery. Speak clearly and maintain eye contact with your listeners.

Questions for Response or Discussion
1. Do you enjoy impromptu speaking, or would you rather have time to prepare your presentation? Explain
your answer.

2. What made some speeches more effective than others?

3. Why is impromptu speaking an important skill? When would the ability to speak off the cuff come in handy?
What communication skills does impromptu speaking help you sharpen?

14

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

As a listener, take note of what is effective in the speeches you hear.


Listening and Speaking Activities

Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date .............................

The Demonstration Speech
Think of a simple process that you frequently perform without much thought and prepare a two- to threeminute speech demonstrating it in detail. (Assume that your listeners know nothing about the subject.) Your
topics might include changing a light bulb, tying your shoes, finding the cafeteria, or opening a can. With a partner, help each other prepare at least two visual aids to illustrate each demonstration. These visual aids might
include maps, charts, diagrams, or objects. Spend a few minutes thinking about the steps in the process and
planning how to use your visual aids effectively.
Present your demonstration to the class. Afterward, ask your audience for comments. Did you miss any important steps? Were the visual aids well chosen and easy to understand?
Tips
• Pretend that your listeners have no knowledge of the subject. For example, if you are
demonstrating how to change a flashlight battery, make sure they know what a flashlight is.

•

Keep the steps in the correct order. If necessary, outline the process on a note card
that you can glance at during the demonstration.

•
•
•

Make your visual aids clear and simple. Unnecessary detail may confuse your listeners.

•

As a listener, pretend that you are hearing this information for the first time. Ask
yourself if you could perform the process on the basis of this demonstration.

Plan in advance when to refer to your visual aids.
Don’t get so involved with your visual aids that you forget about your audience. Speak

slowly, so that they can easily follow your demonstration.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Questions for Response or Discussion
1. What would you say are the most important aspects of a demonstration speech? Explain your choices.

2. How did working with visual aids affect your speech? Did they help you focus and organize your
demonstration?

3. Why do you think visual aids are effective tools in public speaking? Should they be used on every speaking
occasion? Explain why or why not?

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

15


Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date ............................

Speaking to Inform
Activity
Prepare for this activity by finding two informative sources for a subject that you want to know more about. Any
subject that interests you will do: basketball, presidential politics, or cooking. Your sources might include books,
magazine and newspaper articles, television programs, or reliable Web sites. Now think of how you would present
this information to the class in a speech of three to five minutes. What important facts or issues does your
research emphasize? How would you best organize this material to inform your audience?

Organize your speech in outline form on note cards, writing down important facts and phrases in the order you

wish to present them. (Unit 5 in your textbook gives further information on preparing and drafting an informative essay.) Rehearse your speech several times before delivering it to the class. After speaking, ask your audience
for any questions about your presentation.
Tips
• Base your speech on your research. Do not attempt to be an expert in all areas of your
topic.

•

Make simple notes, using key words and phrases that will jog your memory at a glance.
Make sure that notes are clear and bold so that you can refer to them quickly and at
arm’s length. Never read from your cards.

•
•
•

Number your note cards or connect them with a key-chain ring to keep them in order.

•

Speak clearly and with appropriate expression. The most interesting information can
be lost when the delivery is inaudible or monotonous.

•
•

Don’t overwhelm your listeners with too many statistics.

Connect your ideas by using transitional words or phrases.

As a listener, evaluate the speaker’s organization, content, and delivery. Did you learn
something? Did the speaker keep you interested?

Questions for Response or Discussion
1. How does making an informative speech differ from other presentations you have given? Does working from
notes make the speaker’s job easier or harder?

2. What did you notice about the speeches that you considered most effective?

3. How is presenting an informative speech different from writing an informative essay?

16

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Rehearse in front of a mirror, maintaining eye contact with your reflection and only
glancing down briefly at your notes.


Listening and Speaking Activities
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................... Date .............................

Speaking to Persuade
Activity
Think of a movie that you could watch a hundred times without getting bored. Now recall another that you
could barely sit through once. What was it about these films that created such a strong reaction in you? Choose
one that you want to tell the class about in an oral review. Think carefully about the acting, the plot, the dialogue, the special effects, the theme, and the music—all those elements that contribute to a movie’s total effect.
Then prepare note cards listing the evidence that supports your opinion. Use these cards in a persuasive review

lasting three to five minutes.

After delivering your review, ask for comments from your audience. Did you use your evidence effectively? Were
any of your listeners persuaded to see the movie—or to avoid it—on the basis of your speech?
Tips
• Make sure that you state your opinion clearly in your introduction.

•

Try grabbing your listeners’ attention from the beginning with a bold opinion, an
interesting quote, or a provocative question.

•
•

Active, vivid language helps reinforce your argument.

•
•

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

•

Support your opinions with evidence from the movie: “He’s such a bad actor that in
the funeral scene you can’t tell whether he’s laughing or crying.”
Persuade your audience with tone of voice and body language as well as with evidence.
Summarize the movie’s plot in a few sentences. Give just enough information for the
audience to understand your praise or criticism.
If you are trying to persuade people to see the movie, don’t give away the ending!

Questions for Response or Discussion
1. How well do you feel you got your opinion across to your audience? How would you change your presentation on another occasion?

2. As a listener, how much were you influenced by the speakers’ tone of voice and body language?

3. In what other situations or professions might persuasive speech be an essential skill?

Listening and Speaking Activities, Grade 9

17