Quick ViewJunior Cycle Speech Writing
A clear, student-friendly guide designed to help Junior Cycle students write confident, engaging, and effective speeches for exams and classroom tasks.
This resource breaks speech writing down into manageable, exam-focused steps, with a strong emphasis on audience awareness, spoken language, and persuasive techniques. It is ideal for mixed-ability classes and particularly supportive of students who struggle to move beyond “essay-style” writing.
What’s included:
Clear explanations of what makes a powerful speech, written in accessible language
A focused section on speech-specific language techniques, including:
Direct address
Rhetorical questions
Repetition
Anecdotes
Imagery
Tone and vocabulary
A real-world example of persuasive techniques taken from a public address, analysed in a clear table format
Step-by-step guidance on planning and structuring a speech, using an exam-style question
Scaffolded tasks that help students:
Identify techniques in sample openings
Improve weak openings
Write their own strong openings
Three full sample speeches on relevant Junior Cycle topics:
Global warming
Social media and wellbeing
Bullying and responsibility
Each sample includes comprehension-style questions focusing on technique and effectiveness
A final exam-style speech writing task, with clear audience, purpose, and success criteria
Planning space and a final checklist to support independent writing and self-assessment
