Speech New Zealand

Vocational Speaking Syllabus 2001

This syllabus is designed specifically for use by candidates
1. Preparing for the workplace
2. Undergoing further training or well established in their occupation
3. Holding professional or executive positions, or representative responsibilities

 

Learning outcomes through all levels are:

• Learning to communicate through personal and group interaction
• Learning to communicate through formal and informal speaking situations appropriate to occupation or profession
• Understanding how voice and speaking are used in a range of contexts appropriate to the candidate's occupation.

As a guide to candidates and tutors specific achievement objectives for each activity are listed at the end of the examinations syllabus.
This is to assist in understanding the syllabus prescriptions and to recognise the elements inherent within each section.

General Information

Scholarship for Introductory Speech
During the course of the examination year, Examiners may nominate candidates taking the Introductory Vocational Speaking examination for the Todd Jubilee Prize.

Assessment
Successful candidates will be assessed as either Pass or Fail.
To achieve a Pass in Introductory Vocational Speech most achievement objectives must be met at a basic level, but some may require further development.
To achieve a Pass in Vocational Speech Certificate most achievement objectives must be met competently.
To achieve a Pass in Advanced Vocational Speaking Certificate most achievement objectives must be mastered.

Entries
Entry forms, available from the Local Secretary, must be completed by the teacher or candidate. Accurate entries, together with the registration fee, must be received by the Local Secretary no later than the closing date notified by Speech New Zealand.
To contact the Local Secretary in your area phone 0800 SPEECH.

Re-entry
Candidates who are unable to attend the examination because of illness must notify the Local Secretary immediately. Applications for re-entry on medical or compassionate grounds must be made in writing together with supporting documents.

Refunds
Applications for refunds must be made in writing with supporting documentation. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the refunded fee will be retained by Speech New Zealand to cover handling costs.

Examination Centres
The Local Secretary will notify candidates of the place and time of attendance. Once notified these times are final.

Attendance
Candidates must attend the examination centre 15 minutes before the examination time stated on their form.

Procedures Within Examinations

• Examinations are conducted in English, but brief introductions or phrases in other languages are acceptable.
• Time limits must be strictly observed. Candidates may be disadvantaged in discussion or impromptu sections if prepared work exceeds time limits.
• Candidates may present their work within an examination in any order.
• The use of visual aids, where appropriate, is encouraged.
• It is the candidate's responsibility to provide any electronic equipment necessary for the presentation of their work. Candidates who intend to use such equipment should advise the Local Secretary at time of entry.
• Talks which are memorised or read are not acceptable.

Group Work
Candidates may enter as individuals or in groups. Groups should not exceed four in number as examiners must be able to assess the work of each individual candidate.

• Each candidate must present all the work prescribed
• Each candidate must be given equal opportunity
• Group presentations may be less than, but not exceed, the total of individual times for that section.

Observers/Audience
All examinations are conducted with an audience present. Interaction between candidate and audience will be encouraged.
Candidates will provide their own audience. Any difficulties arising from this requirement should be discussed with the Local Secretary at time of entry.

Speech New Zealand reserves the right to invite or exclude observers at any examination.
From time to time a trainee examiner will be in the examination room and, under the direction of the examiner, may take part in the examination.

Examination Reports and Certificates
Examination reports will be distributed to teachers by Local Secretaries.
Certificates will be awarded to successful candidates.
When certificates are received from National Office the Local Secretary will notify teachers. Reports and certificates are the property of the candidate.

The examiner's decision is final.

Complaints Procedure
These must be received within 14 days of the receipt of results of the examination.
All complaints must be set out in writing and addressed to The Director,
Speech New Zealand.

Resources
ClipBoard, a regular newsletter distributed free to teachers is available on request.
Other resource material, available from time to time, is advertised in ClipBoard.

Specific requests for information regarding the examination content and management are welcomed on application to National Office.

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INTRODUCTORY VOCATIONAL SPEAKING CERTIFICATE

Total time = 15 minutes
For secondary or tertiary students and apprentices, or other adults, who are undergoing initial occupational training or retraining, or who are already established in their paid or voluntary work.

General communication skills will be assessed throughout the examination.

1. Give an instructive or informative talk or demonstration.
   The topic should be related to an occupation you are training for or are currently engaged in.
   You must specify the audience and purpose for which the talk is intended.
   (Limit 5 minutes)
2. Read aloud a prepared passage from any publication relevant to your work or course of study.
   (Limit 2 minutes)
3. Be prepared to discuss or give explanations or further opinions related to the work presented in sections 1 and 2.
4. Give a social speech appropriate to your work or course of study.
   This may be a welcome, an announcement, an introduction, a presentation of a gift, or a farewell.
   (Limit 3 minutes)
5. Take part in a role play, telephoning or interviewing.
   In setting this exercise the examiner will take into account your work or course of study.

For achievement objectives click here

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VOCATIONAL SPEAKING CERTIFICATE

Total time = 30 minutes
For adults who are undergoing further training, retraining or who are well established in their occupation.

NOTE: Submit a written statement of the communication demands of your occupation or intended occupation. This must be in the hands of the Local Secretary 48 hours before the examination.

General communication skills will be assessed throughout the examination.

1. Give an informative or persuasive talk on any aspect of the occupation concerned.
   You must specify the audience for which the talk is intended.
   (Limit 8 minutes)
2. Give a social speech appropriate to your occupations or course of study.
   This may be to welcome, farewell, congratulate or propose a toast, in circumstances which you specify.
   (Limit 3 minutes)
3. Take part in conversation and discussion related to the work presented in sections 1 & 2.
   (Limit 2 minutes)
4. Read Aloud. Bring a book, magazine or collection of papers related to your occupation.
   The examiner will choose a passage for you to read.
   (Limit 2 minutes)
5. Choose an exercise appropriate to your occupation to demonstrate some other aspect of communication skills central to your work.
   (Limit 5 minutes)
6. A work-related impromptu exercise will be set by the examiner after discussion with you. The exercise will be based on the statement you submitted of the communication demands of your occupation.
   (Limit 3 minutes)

For achievement objectives click here

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ADVANCED VOCATIONAL SPEAKING CERTIFICATE

Total time = 45 minutes

For adults who hold professional or executive or representative responsibilities.
NOTE: Submit a written statement of the communication demands of your occupation. This must be in the hands of the Local Secretary 48 hours before the examination.

General communicative skills will be assessed throughout the examination. This may include conversation, further explanations and instruction, the oral assessment of a recommendation related to your work or proposed by the examiner, and impromptu speaking on any topic related to the preceding exercises.

1. Give an informative talk in which you
   Either
   Outline the communication challenges which your occupation/work role presents and explain the strategies and techniques you use to ensure your communication is effective
   Or
   Analyse a difficult communication situation which has arisen within your work environment and evaluate the strategies and techniques used to handle the situation.
   (Limit 7 minutes)
2. Give a persuasive talk introducing change within or related to the work of your organisation. You must specify the intended audience.
   (Limit 7 minutes)
3. Choose a task or responsibility in your current occupation.
   Coach an individual or small group in at least one, or some of, the skills or techniques required to carry out this task or responsibility.
   (Limit 5 minutes)
4. Give a formal social speech.
   Either to honour a colleague or distinguished person associated with your organisation
   Or
   Welcome a delegation or group of distinguished visitors.
   (Limit 5 minutes)
5. Introduce to a group of four to six people a topic which requires a decision. Select a topic related to your occupation.
   i Assist the group to reach a consensus decision.
   (Limit 10 minutes)
   ii Summarise the discussion in the form of an oral report to the examiner.
   (Limit 2 minutes)

For achievement objectives click here

VOCATIONAL SPEAKING ACHIEVEMENT OBJECTIVES

General
For all sections of the examination you should aim to:

• Speak with confidence, clarity and energy
• Listen with courtesy and interest
• Question to clarify information and /or instructions
• Attempt all sections
• Observe time limits
• Give more weight to key skills for an occupation than to secondary skills
• Show strength in all sections but, having regard to the requirements of the occupation, weakness in some may be complemented by strength in others.

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INTRODUCTORY VOCATIONAL SPEAKING CERTIFICATE

Throughout this examination you should aim to:

• Listen, speak, explain and question at a level which will enable work to be carried out under supervision
• Show initiative within the limits of the authority of the proposed occupation.
  
  Talk
• Use extempore style
• Have a clear purpose
• Hold interest
• Meet the purpose of the chosen option
• Meet the needs of the specified audience
• Use visual aids to clarify key points for your audience
• Informative talk
  Use a logical structure
  Show evidence of some research
• Instructive talk
  State objective(s) clearly
  Use instructive techniques
• Demonstration
  Make the demonstration clearly visible
  Handle and use equipment efficiently
  Give a suitable commentary
  Use back-up strategies to cover any hitches
  
  Reading
• Phrase for sense
• Read fluently
• Use eye contact to share reading with the audience
• Respond to the writer's intention
  
  Conversation and Discussion
• Engage willingly in conversation and discussion
• Express points of view and support these with reason and /or example
• Demonstrate basic conversation skills, such as inviting comment from other(s), drawing in another or others, building on other(s) ideas
  
  Social Speeches
• Meet the purpose of the speech
• Show awareness of the audience
• Speak with sincerity and free of cliché
  
  Impromptu Exercise
• Listen to and carry out instructions
• Clarify, if necessary, what the task requires

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VOCATIONAL SPEAKING CERTIFICATE

Throughout this examination you should aim to:

• Listen, speak, explain and question at a level which will enable you to carry out your work under supervision
• Show initiative within the limits of your authority
• Relate, at all times, to the communicative demands of the occupation set out in the written statement, together with any other demands which may reasonably be expected of the occupation
• Take responsibility for the examination to some degree
  
  Talk
• Clarify the purpose of the talk
• Specify the audience and occasion
• Show a clear choice of informative or persuasive talk
• Give a clear sense of knowledge and experience in the occupation
• Use well planned visual aids to clarify key points/issues for the audience
• Informative talk
  Use a logical structure
  Research in depth
• Persuasive talk
  Use an accepted persuasive structure
  Use persuasive language
  Deliver your talk with conviction and objectivity
  
  Social Speech
• Specify the audience and occasion
• Meet the purpose of the talk (to welcome etc.)
• Clarify the purpose of the talk
• Speak with sincerity and free of clichés
• Speak with confidence and awareness of the specific audience
• Choose language suited to purpose, occasion and audience
  
  Sight Reading
• Choose challenging material
• Display sound book handling skills
• Read fluently
• Engage the audience in the content
• Convey the intention of the writer
  
  Exercise
• Choose an exercise which enables you to show competence in another central aspect of the occupation
• Show spontaneity and flexibility in setting up the exercise
• Carry out the exercise with confidence and competency
  
  Impromptu
• Follow instructions
• Reveal specific communication skills related to task

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ADVANCED VOCATIONAL SPEAKING CERTIFICATE

Written Statement of Communication Demands

This statement should:

• Analyse the scope of communicative demands of the occupation
• Enumerate strategies or techniques required to ensure effective communication within the chosen occupation

Throughout this examination you should aim to:

• Listen, speak, explain and question at a level to enable others to carry out work
• Exercise leadership skills
• Use communication skills to deal with problems that may arise, relevant to your occupation
• Relate performance to the communicative demands of the occupation set out in the written statement, together with any other demands which may be reasonably expected of the occupation
• Take appropriate responsibility for audience management within sections of the examination
  
  Talk: General
• Fulfil the requirements of the prescription
• Make balanced use of time
• Structure information clearly and logically
• Show skilful handling of visual aids to reinforce key points for your audience
• Demonstrate confident, authoritative delivery
  
  Talk: Informative
• Outline of communication challenges
  Identify communication challenge presented
  Explain strategies or techniques required to ensure effective
  communication within the chosen occupation
• Analysis of difficult communication situation
  Identify communication challenge
  Describe and explain strategies and techniques used
  Evaluate strategies and techniques
  
  Talk: Persuasive
• Identify and introduce the change required
• Show persuasive techniques in
      manner of delivery
      language choices
      structure
• Relate content to the occupation
• Meet the needs of the audience
  
  Coaching
• Choose a task or responsibility appropriate to meet time limit
• Select instructional skills to suit the task and the individual or group
• Prepare individual or group to receive coaching
• Structure coaching for learning
• Select suitable information
• Use appropriate language
  
  Formal Social Speech
• Specify the audience and occasion
• Meet the purpose of the talk
• Use appropriate degree of formality
• Use appropriate style for audience, speaker and message
• Structure the talk logically
• Share sense of occasion with the audience
  
  Discussion Group
  Assist group to reach a decision
• Select a topic suited to the occupation, the group and the time limit
• Show good group management
• Show awareness of group dynamics
• Guide group towards making a decision
  Summary
• Sum up points briefly, accurately and objectively
• Give group decision accurately and succinctly

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Contact the Local Secretary for your area - dial "0800 SPEECH"