Speaking Fluency

8 Grade 10 English questions on Speaking Fluency, with worked marking schemes. 8 questions are available on this topic in full.

1. Question 1

   1 mark

   A learner reading notices at assembly speaks so rapidly that learners at the back catch only part of each notice. What is the best advice to give her?

   A. Repeat every notice twice at exactly the same speed

   B. Cut each notice down to a single word so that speed stops mattering

   C. Lower her voice so that listeners strain and therefore concentrate harder

   D. Slow her delivery and pause briefly at the end of each notice

   (1 mark)

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2. Question 2

   1 mark

   Mutiso says to his friend, "You are travelling to Kitui today," ending the sentence on a rising tone. The rising tone turns the sentence into

   A. a question inviting his friend to confirm the plan

   B. a statement of complete certainty

   C. a command ordering his friend to travel

   D. a complaint that his friend kept the journey a secret

   (1 mark)

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3. Question 3

   4 marks

   Mueni is to address the school assembly on safe storage of maize. Describe four things she can do beforehand to make her delivery more fluent.

   (4 marks)

   Marking scheme

   Award 1 mark each for any four: (1) Rehearse the talk aloud several times, recording it and listening back. (2) Look up and practise the pronunciation of difficult words such as "aflatoxin" and "ventilation". (3) Mark her script at the points where she intends to pause and breathe. (4) Prepare brief notes or cue cards instead of a full script so that the speech sounds natural. (5) Present the talk to a friend or small group first and act on their feedback. (6) Plan and memorise a short opening sentence so that the start is confident. Max 4 marks.

4. Question 4

   1 mark

   Kamene tells her class, "We planted the seedlings on Monday," giving extra stress to the word "Monday". The extra stress shows that

   A. she is unsure whether the seedlings were planted at all

   B. the day, rather than any other detail, is what she wants the class to note

   C. the sentence has been turned into a question

   D. "Monday" is the longest word in the sentence and must therefore be stressed

   (1 mark)

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5. Question 5

   1 mark

   Wanjiru's presentation on tea picking is repeatedly broken by "eeh", "you know" and "like". These expressions are known as

   A. intonation patterns, which carry the speaker's attitude

   B. fillers, which break the smooth flow of her delivery

   C. articulators, which help her to pronounce difficult words

   D. stress markers, which show the important words in a sentence

   (1 mark)

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6. Question 6

   2 marks

   State two effects of poor articulation on an audience during an oral presentation.

   (2 marks)

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7. Question 7

   6 marks

   A learner speaks freely in her study group but becomes hesitant and halting when she faces the whole school. Suggest three strategies she can use to overcome this and explain how each one works.

   (6 marks)

   Marking scheme

   Award 2 marks for each of any three strategies (1 mark for the strategy, 1 mark for the explanation): (1) Prepare and rehearse thoroughly - familiarity with the material removes the uncertainty that causes hesitation. (2) Breathe slowly and deeply before beginning - this steadies the voice and prevents a rushed, breathless start. (3) Learn the opening lines by heart - an assured beginning builds confidence that carries through the rest of the talk. (4) Practise before progressively larger friendly audiences - gradual exposure reduces the fear of the large group. (5) Concentrate on the message and the audience rather than on herself - this stops the self-monitoring that makes her speech block. Max 6 marks.

8. Question 8

   3 marks

   Account for the fact that short silent pauses improve a speaker's fluency rather than spoil it.

   (3 marks)

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