Introduction and Preparation before Beginning
English Orals are a crucial part of your English Component. It is one of the easiest SAC which can achieve the highest grade but it can also be one of the lowest due to lack of preparation and deep research.
Choosing a topic is the most crucial part of the component. If you chose a topic which you are passionate about you will give the topic your undivided attention, whilst choosing a topic which you hate is the polar opposite as it can be seen and conveyed through your tone of voice and presentation.
One thing I did discovery and helped the students in my class was choosing arguments. Don’t always go for the easier side. If you automatically chose the easier side:
A) Why did you chose that side? (maybe it was easier )
B) It has more arguments
C) Obviously that side is better
But what I found was the opposite side tends to have more interesting arguments which are original and unique. What I did was I would take the arguments from the easier side and debunk each argument forming my arguments. There is always research to back both sides up it’s just a matter of finding it.
These arguments tend to be more creative, have more passion and use a lot more language persuasion techniques.
A friend of mine chose the topic Smoking should be banned in public. Whilst she was reading her speech I had already figured out all of her arguments before she even began.
I gave her the idea of choosing the opposite argument. At the time she laughed but towards the end she realized that the other side had more interesting arguments and the teachers / students she was presenting to would be a lot more ENGAGED! Isn’t that what you want at the end of the DAY? To have an interesting oral presentation?
Eg: Smoking should be allowed in public places?
The generic augment would have been NO it’s bad for health (duhhh doesn’t everyone know that / do that??)
Opposite Argument:
Yes it should be allowed: It is discrimination against smokers by isolating and confining them to small spaces and taking away their freedom and rights. Is this what we want a repetition of the apartheid period in the 21st century? ORAL TOPICS 2016
• Child Vaccinations
• Pension and retirement
• Asylum seekers and detention centres / Children in detention centres
• Terrorism
• Trans-Pacific Partnership
• Social media becoming a fuel to fire ( doing more damage than good several topics here)
• CFA “Controlled Burns” doing more damage than good?
• Sexualisation of genders in movies
• Normalizing to the idea of sexualisation
• Ice Epidemic
• Metadata laws and its implications for privacy of our citizens
• Nuclear energy in Australia
• Drugs and Sport / match fixing
• Climate change
• Privacy Laws (“Hackers expose violent teen” / cloud storage / Hospital computer virus ) Don’t get too technical not all English teachers are tech savy like you!
• Compromising the safety of a few citizens for the greater good (Victoria Police – car barrier incident, motor chases)
• Public Health System
• Gentrification is dividing schools
• Whaling (always seem to be an issue every year )
• Australian becoming an alcoholic driven society
• Family Violence
• Casino have a duty of care for its customers
• Narcissism (selfie, summer body, Do you even lift?)
• Gay Marriage
• National identity and cultural laws
• New flag for Australia or keep the current one (New Zealand)
• Migrant Crisis (Europe)
• Australian Manufacturing
• Melbourne’s 24hr City Life
• Government Spending
• International buyers investing in Australian Land
• Uber and its surround issue (eg. Ban Victoria, safety, cost effective )
• Celebrities and Sports people have a certain responsibility to display for the public (AFL – drugs, tennis players cussing)
• Victoria’s legal system (personal favourite)
• The Parole Board protecting the community
• Victoria’s life time imprisonment (25 years is that enough for crimes in this day and age )
• Has the idea of safety been compromised in the 21st Century (internet, personal life, terrorism)
• Compulsory Organ Donation
• Oscars and Diversity Issue (Talent or Race issue)
THIS LIST IS NOT LIMITED TO THIS !!
Useful Resources:
• The Conversation:
http://www.theconversation.com/au• The Age: Comment's Section
http://www.theage.com.au/comment• SBS Insight: (Really good discussions and opinions/ views explored):
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/insight • Time Magazine:
http://time.com/Research Steps for an Oral Presentation:
1. Ensure that your issue has been approved. Establish the two main sides of the issue.
2. Research your issue: you must find a series of credible sources within the debate.
3. Think carefully about your research and issue. State your point of view clearly in your contention/s.
4. What do you want your audience to think about: the issue/ those involved/ to do?
5. Decide on your strongest points and main arguments.
• What I like to do is debunk the possible arguments which the other side could argue.
6. What are your arguments that will support your contention? Use logically constructed argument
7. Collect support for your arguments and points. This can include: evidence, reasons, facts, examples, and causes with explanations.
8. Think about how the opposition could attack your points and how you could counter some of these to make your case convincing.
9. Think about how you will tailor your ideas to persuade your desired audience
• What language should I use, that would be appropriate for each argument?
• What language strategies will I use? How will I order my arguments and language devices:
Begin with anecdote, juxtapose contrasting images, degrade the opponent then appeal to the wider community for support? Shock the audience and then….Build Suspense something that will grab your audience’s attention from the onset of the oral.
Please +1 
if you found this useful (means a lot) and sorry if I doubled up 
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