USING ICONIC SPEECHES TO PROMOTE READING COMPREHENSION AND ORAL PROFICIENCY Dr. Nancy Peled & Dr. Elisheva Barkon Oranim, Academic College of Education ETAI International Conference July 4, 2016

Workshop Overview  Rationale  Introduction:  Dr. Martin Luther King, biodata & “I have a dream”  Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals and relevant devices  Hands- on simulated classroom activity  Discussion  Summing up  Excerpts of students reading iconic speeches

Rationale Why introduce oral rhetorical skills in the English classroom?  Literary texts at all grade levels provide a rich resource for reading aloud. In this presentation we have chosen to focus on iconic speeches.  Iconic, significant speeches in English, expose learners to historical and cultural events that have changed history.

Why introduce oral rhetorical skills in the English classroom?  Selection criteria should address core universal values such as multiculturalism, inclusion, tolerance, diversity, and equality while taking learners’ backgrounds, age and personal preferences into account.  The linked skills nature of the activity develops proficiency in all aspects of language processing while engaging with authentic materials.

Why introduce oral rhetorical skills in the English classroom?  Rehearsing requires repeated reading which, in turn, promotes fluency, and facilitates and fosters reading comprehension.  All the above elements emphasize the importance of voice: appreciating how voice may be used to convey meaning in others' voices and their own.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King

Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals  Logos: logical argument  Ethos: credibility or character of the speaker  Pathos: emotional connection to the audience

Sample examples of rhetorical devices from the “I Have a Dream” excerpt Allusion A reference in literature to a person, place, or thing in history or another literary text. “Five score years ago a great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” This alludes to Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address which began “Four score and seven years ago”.

Sample examples of rhetorical devices from the “I Have a Dream” excerpt Anaphora The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a sentence, verse, or paragraph. “But one hundred years later the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.”

Sample examples of rhetorical devices from the “I Have a Dream” excerpt Metaphor Comparing two essentially different elements to create a similarity between them. “With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the genuine discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.”

Sample examples of rhetorical devices from the “I Have a Dream” excerpt Personification The attribution of human characteristics to a nonhuman entity or the representation of an abstract quality in human form. “It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note... America has given the Negro people a bad check...”

Summing it all up  The versatility of iconic speeches improves reading and listening comprehension, vocabulary expansion, while mastering and polishing oral skills.  The format boosts learner confidence, motivation and self-esteem.  The contextualization of iconic speeches provides an authentic platform for developing historical and general background knowledge as well as fostering multicultural sensitivity.

Summing it all up  The speeches can be used in multiple contexts within the classroom; e.g., Reader's Theater, memorization (learning a story by heart) and recording, and with a variety of texts.  Texts can be adapted to learners' age, interests, reading skills etc.  Research indicates that these activities improve language proficiency, fluency and comprehension.

Summing it all up  The nature of linked skills activities provides opportunities for school wide cooperation.  Poems, songs, ads, selections from short stories, plays and extensive reading can be substituted for iconic speeches at all levels of English language studies.

Student Reading of Iconic Speeches Reader: Danna Choresh Ain’t I a Woman? Sojourner Truth May 29, 1851

Student Reading of Iconic Speeches Reader: Tiran Said The Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln November 19, 1863

Thank you for your participation We hope we have ENGAGED you! Dr. Nancy Peled & Dr. Elisheva Barkon Oranim, Academic College of Education ETAI International Conference July 4, 2016

Sources for the bibliographical information edia/enc_i_have_a_dream_28_august_1963/ ncyclopedia.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_ i_have_a_dream_28_august_1963/ ncyclopedia.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_ i_have_a_dream_28_august_1963/ luther-king-dream-speech- historyhttps:// martin-luther-king-dream-speech-historyhttps:// martin-luther-king-dream-speech-history washington