AQA GCSE English Language (8700): Spoken language – Study Guide

Spoken language is the part of AQA GCSE English Language that is not written in an exam. Instead of sitting a paper, you give a presentation to an audience and then respond to questions and feedback. It is reported separately from your GCSE grade, so it does not change the number you receive for English Language, but it appears on your results and shows employers and colleges that you can communicate clearly. The skills are also the same as those that make written work persuasive: clear structure, a purpose, a sense of audience and control of language.

Where this fits in the specification

The spoken language component is separate from Paper 1 and Paper 2. Your teacher assesses it in school, usually as a recorded or observed performance. The activity is set in a formal context, which means you are speaking to an audience beyond your close friends, with a purpose that matters. Your teacher will advise on the details of the task, timing and recording arrangements for your own school, and on how the endorsement is reported. The criteria are grouped under three headings, which are the three subtopics in this guide.

Presenting information and ideas

This strand is about what you say and how you organise it. A strong presentation:

• has a clear purpose: to inform, explain, argue or persuade, and you can state in a sentence what the audience should know or think afterwards;
• is structured, with an opening that gains attention and signals the topic, a middle made of a small number of well-developed points, and a conclusion that returns to the main idea;
• uses detail and evidence: facts, examples, short stories or comparisons that make points memorable;
• shows knowledge and confidence in the subject, so that you can explain a term or add detail without reading from a script;
• uses language techniques suited to speech, such as direct address (“you may have noticed”), rhetorical questions, the rule of three, repetition for emphasis, and signposting (“my second point is”);
• controls delivery: pace, volume, pauses, eye contact, posture and gesture. Pauses help the audience absorb ideas, and a steady pace shows control.

Choose a topic you know well or can research thoroughly. A narrow, specific title such as “Why a school should keep its library open at lunchtime” gives more to say, and more to evaluate, than a general title such as “School”.

Responding to spoken language

After the presentation you will be expected to listen and respond. This includes answering questions and reacting to feedback or comments from the audience. This strand rewards:

• active listening: you wait for the whole question, think and then answer what was asked;
• relevant, developed answers: neither one word nor a speech that ignores the question. A short answer followed by an example or reason is a good model;
• flexibility: you can rephrase if the question is unclear, concede a fair point or defend your view politely;
• responding to feedback: you take on board a suggestion or challenge and show that you have understood it;
• keeping to the register: you stay appropriately formal even when a question is surprising or critical.

Prepare by predicting three or four likely questions and practising answers. It is also useful to prepare a polite way to buy time, such as “That’s an interesting question, let me think about the most important part of it.”

Spoken Standard English

Standard English is the form of English used in formal writing and speech in public contexts, with consistent grammar and vocabulary that is not restricted to one region. In a formal presentation you are expected to use it accurately and fluently. Features to watch are:

• Verb agreement and tense: “we were”, not “we was”; “they did it”, not “they done it”.
• Double negatives: use “I do not have any”, not “I haven’t got none”.
• Pronouns: “those books”, not “them books”; “my friend and I”, not “me and my friend” at the start of a formal sentence.
• Vocabulary: avoid slang and filler words such as “like” and “you know”, and replace them with a pause.
• Contractions and fillers: some contractions are acceptable in a presentation, but a formal tone is normally kept up.

Spoken Standard English does not mean losing your accent or dialect. Accent is about pronunciation, and you can keep it. Standard English concerns grammar and vocabulary, and you should be able to control the formal register when the situation calls for it.

Worked example: planning a three-minute talk

Suppose you are asked to speak for three minutes on whether young people should volunteer in their communities. Speakers usually deliver about 130 words a minute at a comfortable pace, so three minutes needs around 390 words if you read at that rate (130 x 3 = 390), but you should use notes rather than a script, so plan key points and not a full text.

A workable plan could be:

1. Opening (30 seconds): a question to the audience, “When did you last do something that helped a stranger?”, then the main claim.
2. Point one (about 50 seconds): volunteering builds skills, with one example of a student organising a charity sports day.
3. Point two (about 50 seconds): it strengthens communities, with an example such as a litter-picking group.
4. Point three (about 40 seconds): the counter-argument that young people are busy, and your reply that a few hours a month are enough.
5. Conclusion (10 seconds): return to the opening question and restate the claim.

Add up the timings: 30 + 50 + 50 + 40 + 10 = 180 seconds, which is 3 minutes. Practise aloud with a timer, and adjust. Then prepare answers to questions such as “How would you persuade someone who has no free time?”

Common mistakes

• Reading a script word for word, with little eye contact and flat delivery.
• Choosing a topic that is too broad or one you know little about.
• Giving one-word answers in the question session.
• Using slang, fillers or non-standard grammar in a formal setting.
• Confusing accent with Standard English and thinking you must change how you sound.
• Speaking too quickly because of nerves, with no pauses.
• Treating the activity as a performance rather than as communication with a real audience.

Preparation and technique

• Write a one-sentence purpose and test it on a friend.
• Use cue cards with keywords only, never full sentences.
• Rehearse at least three times, once in front of someone, and record yourself if possible.
• Prepare a visual or object only if it supports the point; a poor slide can distract.
• Think about the tone: serious topics call for a calm, steady voice; humour should be used with care.
• In the questions, listen, pause, answer, then add an example.
• Use the criteria language when you reflect: ask whether you presented ideas clearly, responded to the audience and used spoken Standard English.

Frequently asked questions

Does the spoken language endorsement count towards the 8700 grade? No. It carries 0% weighting and is reported separately as Pass, Merit, Distinction or Not Classified.

How long should the presentation be? As a guide, no more than ten minutes, including responding to questions and feedback.

Do I have to use Standard English? Yes. Spoken Standard English is one of the three assessed areas, with presenting and responding to questions.

Check your understanding

1. State what the three strands of the spoken language endorsement are. Answer: presenting information and ideas, responding to spoken language (including questions and feedback), and spoken Standard English.
2. Does the endorsement change your GCSE English Language grade? Answer: no, it is reported separately.
3. Give two techniques suited to a spoken presentation. Answer: for example direct address, rhetorical questions, the rule of three, repetition, signposting.
4. Correct this sentence into Standard English: “Me and my mates was doing a project and we never had no time.” Answer: for example “My friends and I were doing a project and we did not have any time.”
5. Why should you not read a script? Answer: it reduces eye contact and natural delivery and makes it harder to respond to the audience.
6. Is a regional accent a problem in a formal presentation? Answer: no, accent is about pronunciation; Standard English refers to grammar and vocabulary.
7. A talk is planned for 4 minutes at about 130 words per minute. Roughly how many words is that? Answer: 130 x 4 = 520 words, although notes rather than a full script should be used.
8. How can you respond well to a question you did not expect? Answer: pause, paraphrase if needed, give a direct answer and support it with an example or reason.