Spoken Word Performance Text Production Oral English Studies Melanie Smith

Subject Outline Oral Text Production A range of forms of presentation. Develop students’ skills in the oral presentation of complex ideas and information in a fluent and expressive manner. An awareness and control of language techniques and stylistic features appropriate to different audiences, purposes, and contexts.

Chief Assessor's Report Creativity and flair. Opportunity to experiment. Demonstrate a wide range of language skills. Offer options to cater for their interests and needs. Skilfully use conventions of the text type that they are trying to create.

The key point is that a range of language skills is evident. Avoid simply reading out a script in a monotone manner. Opportunity to showcase voice and performance techniques Tone Volume Pace Pausing Emphasis Emotion Variations of these

Where to next? ‘Spoken word poetry tends to demonstrate a heavy use of rhythm, improvisation, free association, rhymes, rich poetic phrases, word play and slang. It is more aggressive and “in your face” than traditional forms of poetry.’

A brief history of spoken word and slam poetry. Political urgency that drove it originally. Nature of modern day slam competitions.

What to keep in mind? Concrete Language – project vivid images, sounds, actions and other sensations. Repetition – a simple but powerful poetic device. Rhyme – Rhyming use with skill, surprise and moderation. Attitude – “No attitude, no poem!”

Persona – spoken word allows you to be anyone you want to be. Performance – practice performing with elements of good stage presence in mind… Posture and stance Eye contact Projection Enunciation Facial expressions Gestures

Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre and Brother Dash Be True To You! Speak from an authentic experience or perspective. Substance over style. It is an opportunity to say something to an audience. Challenge the audience. Don’t tell people what they want to hear—push them out of their comfort zones.

Be specific. Don’t write about “war,” write about a specific person in a specific war dealing with a specific problem. Don’t write about “love,” tell a detailed story about a specific moment in your life when you felt loved.

Perform to the audience, not at the audience. Rewrite, edit and re-edit your work. Play with the flow, rhythm and beat of the lines, images and choose precise words or phrases.

Read your poem out loud. Know how the words feel in your mouth and sound in your ears. Record your voice and listen to it in order to make changes or improvements. Slow Down! OR Speed up! Perform, Perform, Perform!

Watch examples for performance elements. A great place to start is: buttonpoetry.com and nPoetry and nPoetry -and-performance/tips-on-reciting -and-performance/tips-on-reciting Explore transcripts of these pieces for written elements. Discuss idea of ‘page to stage’

After the talking… Javon Johnson - Cuz He's Black Shane Koyczan - To This Day Rachel Rostad - To JK Rowling, from Cho Chang Sarah Kay – If I should have a daughter Dylan Garity - Friend Zone Sarah Jones - Your Revolution Inspired by Gil Scott-Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”

Taylor Mali - What Teachers Make &uact=8&ved=0CEoQtwIwBA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D 3xkk71rhQpo&ei=jJkjU7bCEIqqkgW_toBg&usg=AFQjCNGarMfqKvub5rpsA1IkLJf_B90d4A& bvm=bv ,d.dGI Georgia Me - Full Figure Potential (A fat girl's blues) George Watsky – V for Virgin Suli - “I WILL NOT LET AN EXAM RESULT DECIDE MY FATE” Neil Hilborn - OCD Katie Makkai - Pretty Guante – Ten Responses to the phrase “Man Up” Pages Matam - Pinatas

Live audience and recorded for audience Ethan Smith A Letter to the Girl I used to be ch?v=Lkn06Y8prDU ch?v=Lkn06Y8prDU ch?v=1Sc6w4I1Z00 ch?v=1Sc6w4I1Z00

If they still look like this…

SHARE THE PAIN! This is where I embarrass myself

Things that worked Getting them to find something of importance to them. Giving them space to lessen the embarrassment. The option of taping/recording.

Say it again Brainstorm several generic phrases and play with how they can be said. You never did, not really, not at all. You never did, not really, not at all. You never did, not really, not at all.

The Recording Draft This strategy was surprisingly effective allowing students room to play with their presenting style. Listen back… Feedback on voice, pausing, emphasis, emotion, tone, volume etc.

Son to Mother You suffer in silence, never uttering a word as you try to hold back the beastly black dog. Check where emphasis can add emotion You watch in fear as it bites and tears pieces same here which words need stressing? from your only son, bit by bit, limb from limb. Your whole world collapses around you as you realise you cannot be his saviour. watch up inflection... Takes away seriousness You attempt to remain strong for the sake of your son, pause between 2 parts but he hopes and prays, that one day you’ll see, you were never to blame, good emphasis here not for something so surreal, nothing could have prepared you for something so severe. Good pausing between last three words

Speaking back to students Inflection example Emotion and emphasis example

Topics they covered… Anorexia Depression Body hair Body image Cruelty of words Girl school bitchery Art Perception Refugees Double meanings Justice and judgement Over thinking Difference Gender Life and death Student exchange Addiction and family Words as an escape Finding your way Overcoming adversity Memory Alzheimer's Being thankful Going first Saying goodbye Anxiety Intelligence vs. interests Choice

Show creativity and flair. Opportunity to experiment. Demonstrate a wide range of language skills. Offer options to cater for their interests and needs. Skilfully use conventions of the text type that they are trying to create.

The end result A range of forms of presentation. Develop students’ skills in the oral presentation of complex ideas and information in a fluent and expressive manner. An awareness and control of language techniques and stylistic features appropriate to different audiences, purposes, and contexts. A different form of presentation than analysis of a shared text piece, it is an original piece. A focus on a personal complex idea and being expressive in their delivery. The opportunity to demonstrate awareness and control of their own use of devices for the purpose of performance and expression.

Please me If you would like copies of: This PowerPoint Task Sheet and assessment criteria Assessment Feedback Sheet Student Background/Preparation materials, professional examples, transcripts, and links Student Examples of final pieces