1. Literacy Focus in lessons: speaking and listening

2. Oracy Literacy Focus
Promoting Speaking and Listening Skills in lessons.
Agree, Build and Challenge tasks can be used as development activities, starters and plenaries.
The task can be differentiated through using speaking stems.
The tasks promote:
Confidence in forming and developing opinions
Speaking accurately
Consolidating ideas
Presenting coherent arguments
Developing listening skills
Preparing students for writing activities
Ensuring students consider alternative perspectives and ideas

3. Ideas of how to use ABC activities
The teacher, or a student, proposes a statement.
Students can use their planners (there are coloured pages in the back) to signal where they stand in relation to the proposed statement (agree, build or challenge).
The teacher could then select students at random to voice their opinion based on the statement.
When the first student has provided their opinion, the rest of the class are asked whether they want to agree, build on, or challenge the last point. This then creates a chain of argument.
Alternatively, students can do this activity in groups, where they each make their own statement based on a topic.
Rules:
Avoid repeating words such as ‘like’ and ‘kind of’ unnecessarily.
Speak clearly and fluently (take your time to form ideas).
Try to create a chain of arguments.

4. Build Agree Challenge Sentence Stems
I agree with ______’s point due to…
In addition to _____’s point, we could suggest that…
Agree
The reason I agree with ______ is..
I would like to build on ___’s point …
Furthermore, we could consider…
Build
Not only are there valid reasons for…
Evidence also suggests that…
Despite _____’s view that..., I believe….
I would like to challenge ______’s point …
Challenge
I don’t hold the same position as _____ because…
I disagree with ___’ s point because …

5. Respond to the statement below.
Agree
Respond to the statement below.
X2 + 7 = 0 has no solutions
Build
Rules:
Avoid repeating words such as ‘like’ unnecessarily.
Speak clearly and fluently (take your time to form ideas)
Try to create a chain of arguments
Challenge

6. Respond to the statement below.
Agree
Respond to the statement below.
The blues originated in America.
Build
Rules:
Avoid repeating words such as ‘like’ unnecessarily.
Speak clearly and fluently (take your time to form ideas)
Try to create a chain of arguments
Challenge

7. Banned words and phrases.
Statement(s):
Agree
Points that were made:
Task:
Using the ABC sheet, write two statements based on your interpretation of the play.
When you have completed this, be ready to present your statements and run a group discussion.
Note down key points/ arguments made in relation to your statement.
Banned words and phrases.
‘like.. it’s like… like etc.
Basically, basically, basically
Literally, it’s literally like Dunno, kinda, y’know, etc.
Avoid repeating words.
Build
Points that were made:
Challenge
Points that were made:

9. Banned Words and Phrases
Statement(s):
Agree
Points that were made:
Banned Words and Phrases
‘like.. it’s like… like etc.
Basically, basically, basically
Literally, it’s literally like Dunno, kinda, y’know, etc.
Avoid repeating words unnecessarily.
Build
Points that were made:
Challenge
Points that were made:

10. Respond to the statement below.
Agree
Respond to the statement below.
Build
Rules:
Avoid repeating words such as ‘like’ unnecessarily.
Speak clearly and fluently (take your time to form ideas)
Try to create a chain of arguments
Challenge