Australian Curriculum v9 / ACiQ Year 7 English - Unit 5 - Discussion, speech and multimodal delivery

Discussion, speech and multimodal delivery

Discuss ideas with evidence and plan, rehearse and deliver a purposeful spoken or multimodal presentation.

Updated 2026-07-24 - 7 min read

Discuss ideas with evidence and plan, rehearse and deliver a purposeful spoken or multimodal presentation. This target belongs to an integrated English program: students read and view closely, discuss ideas, and use what they notice when writing, creating or speaking.

What success looks like

  • I build on or challenge ideas respectfully with evidence.
  • I structure a spoken text for listeners using clear signposting.
  • I rehearse voice, gesture and visuals as coordinated meaning-making choices.

A strong response makes decisions visible. It does not merely name a feature or give a personal reaction. It identifies the relevant detail, uses accurate English metalanguage and explains how the detail serves meaning, audience, purpose or context.

Core vocabulary and concepts

| Term | Working meaning | | --- | --- | | interaction skill | A listening and speaking move that helps participants develop ideas together. | | signposting | Spoken language that previews, sequences or connects parts for listeners. | | pace | The speed and rhythm of spoken delivery. | | tone | The vocal attitude or emotional quality communicated through delivery. | | pitch | The relative highness or lowness of voice used for meaning and emphasis. | | pause | A deliberate silence that separates ideas or creates emphasis. | | gesture | Purposeful movement that supports spoken meaning without distracting from it. | | rehearsal | Repeated, evidence-based practice used to refine structure, timing and delivery. |

Learn each definition as a decision tool, not as an isolated label. When two terms seem possible, ask which one most precisely describes the job performed in the stimulus.

A reliable process

  1. Define audience, purpose and message.
  2. Plan spoken structure and evidence.
  3. Design only the visuals that add meaning.
  4. Annotate voice and gesture choices.
  5. Rehearse with timing or recording.
  6. Use specific feedback to revise.
  7. Deliver and reflect.

The process is flexible enough for written, visual, spoken and multimodal texts. Evidence might be a short quotation, a paraphrased action, layout, framing, gesture, tone, pace, sound or sequence. State exactly what evidence is available instead of inventing missing information.

Worked examples

Worked example 1

Stimulus: Speaker 1: The library needs more quiet seats.

Question: Which response builds on discussion?

Strong response: The booking data supports that point, and it also suggests the busiest period is lunch, so a lunchtime trial would test the need.

Why it works: The response refers to the prior idea, adds evidence and advances a practical implication.

Worked example 2

Stimulus: A classmate recommends removing all printed notices.

Question: Which disagreement is respectful?

Strong response: I see the benefit of reducing clutter, but the survey shows some families rely on print, so we could reduce duplication while keeping essential notices.

Why it works: The response challenges the proposal, not the person, and uses evidence.

Worked example 3

Stimulus: The speech compares two waste-reduction options.

Question: Which opening orients listeners?

Strong response: Today I will show where our waste comes from, compare refill stations with extra bins and recommend the more effective first step.

Why it works: The preview gives listeners a clear route through the talk.

Notice that each worked response answers the exact question. The explanation does not claim more than the evidence can support. This is the difference between an interpretation and an unsupported guess.

Diagnose and repair common errors

  • waiting to speak not listening: Refer accurately to a previous speaker's point before extending, questioning or challenging it.
  • speech as written essay: Write for listeners using signposting, repetition and speakable sentences.
  • delivery means volume only: Coordinate volume with pace, tone, pitch, pause, gesture, gaze and visuals.

Repair: I will slow before the recommendation, pause after the key evidence and increase volume slightly on the action verb.

The repair coordinates specific delivery choices with particular meanings instead of treating volume as the only feature.

Guided practice

Use one of the worked stimuli above.

  1. Underline the words in the question that set the purpose.
  2. Circle or list two possible details from the stimulus.
  3. Choose the detail that most directly answers the question.
  4. Write one sentence that names the feature or idea.
  5. Add a sentence explaining the connection.
  6. Compare the result with all three success criteria.

If the task is automatically marked, read the worked solution after answering. If it is an open response, use the rubric and exemplar. An open response is an activity for feedback and revision; it is not presented as objectively mastered.

Independent practice

  1. Deliver or record a 60-second persuasive speech, then submit the annotated plan and a brief reflection on pace, pause, emphasis and timing. Stimulus: Purpose: persuade the class to trial a five-minute equipment check before sport. Evidence: forgotten equipment delayed three recent lessons. Performance evidence must be a teacher observation, audio/video recording or verified live conference; a typed script alone does not demonstrate delivery.
  1. Perform an evidence-based spoken response that builds on Speaker A and respectfully challenges Speaker B, then submit an observation or recording record and a two-sentence self-reflection. Stimulus: Speaker A proposes more bins. Speaker B says bins alone will solve all waste. Audit: half the waste is unopened food. The performance must refer accurately to both ideas, use the audit evidence and show respectful spoken interaction; a typed answer may serve as preparation but not as the only evidence.

After drafting, annotate where the response meets each rubric criterion. Revise the weakest criterion first. Do not copy the exemplar: compare its decisions with your own and then improve your own wording.

Transfer task

  • Reading: locate the precise textual evidence before interpreting it.
  • Viewing: treat framing, angle, salience, layout and sequence as evidence when present.
  • Writing: organise the response so claims, evidence and explanation form a clear line.
  • Creating: select language and multimodal features deliberately for an audience and purpose.
  • Speaking: rehearse pace, tone and emphasis, then seek evidence-based feedback.

The target is secure only when the same reasoning transfers to a fresh context after a delay. A correct recognition item is useful formative evidence, but sustained open writing and speaking still require human or rubric-guided judgement.

Self-check before submission

  • [ ] I build on or challenge ideas respectfully with evidence.
  • [ ] I structure a spoken text for listeners using clear signposting.
  • [ ] I rehearse voice, gesture and visuals as coordinated meaning-making choices.
  • [ ] I used evidence actually present in the stimulus.
  • [ ] I avoided plot retell, feature spotting and unsupported generalisation.
  • [ ] I revised the explanation rather than merely adding more words.

Assessment evidence and stimulus record

Every assessed stimulus must carry its mode, creator or custodian, provenance, rights or licence status, permitted use, Year 7 age-suitability decision and an accessible equivalent. The practice bank uses original Sylligence microtexts across written, spoken-transcript, visual-description and multimodal-description modes. The framing states when no tone, colour or hidden image detail may be inferred.

Where this pack declares a sustained stimulus pathway, use the complete anchor or the named linked parts before judging comprehension, structure, character, theme, craft or comparison. A short extract can diagnose a precise decision, but it cannot replace the whole-text evidence named by the task.

For speaking, a typed script is preparation rather than proof of delivery. Collect a live teacher observation, audio/video recording or verified conference record. Judge idea development with evidence, spoken structure, features of voice and any multimodal coordination. Keep a short self-reflection beside the performance evidence.

Open work uses a task-specific rubric. The criteria name the exact task, target skill, required stimulus evidence and mode control. Open responses remain activity only until a qualified teacher or reviewer has judged the actual response against the rubric.

Sources