ELA10 - Spoken Language (2 credit), CSS, Cizeron

Learning Target (Curricular Competencies): Demonstrate speaking and listening skills in a variety of formal and informal contexts for a range of purposes Respond to text in personal, creative, and critical ways

You've been doing a lot of writing. Let's take a break and do some acting!

Shakespeare used two techniques to reveal the inner thoughts of his characters - an aside and a soliloquy. In an aside, a character breaks away from the other characters on stage and speaks directly to the audience. More commonly, Shakespeare had his main characters alone on stage speaking their innermost thoughts aloud in longer speeches called soliloquies. A monologue is a speech where one character addresses other characters

In As You Like It, the most famous soliloquy is a serious one about the passing of time and aging. The "All the world's a stage" soliloquy, which you will listen to shortly, is a perfect example of how Shakespeare uses rhythm and imagery to create memorable and innovative ways of using language.

Click the picture below to listen to the soliloquy from "As You Like It." Watch how the imagery is portrayed visually. Listen carefully, as you will be asked to perform your own dramatic reading.

Task: 

Create a dramatic recording of your reading of an excerpt from Romeo and Juliet.

• Dramatic! Bring energy and emotion to the words that you read. Make sure that your audience knows what you are feeling.

• Effective! Use your voice to make your audience feel - fluctuate your volume, pitch, and rate of speech. Consider tone, diction, enunciation

Read the RUBRIC: Dramatic Reading before you record your oral presentation.

GETTING STARTED:

Step 1: Choose one of the excerpts from the list below to perform.

Step 2: Prepare your reading based on the notes created in the previous sections. Go back and listen to others performing your part. Make sure you understand what your character is saying, and his/her motivation.

Step 3: Practise, practise practise! Read the excerpt to a partner and get feedback for improvement.

Step 4: Record the excerpt. Play it back and give yourself a mark based on the evaluation guide. Then, make some final adjustments.

Step 5: Re-record - submit this final recording to your teacher for evaluation.

Excerpts from Romeo And Juliet
I.i - Prince	II.ii - Romeo	II.iii - Friar	II.v - Juliet
III.i - Benvolio	III.ii - Juliet	III.v - Nurse

Recording your Dramatic Reading

Online:

Vocaroo is a very simple online recording program. When you have completed your recording, simply click the "Click here to Save." It will then give you sharing options. Please save the file to your computer (small blue links at the bottom of the box) and upload to the drop box.

Locally:

Audacity is a free application which you can load onto your computer. Don't forget to install the Lame plugin, which allows for saving to mp3 and other formats.

• Click here for a great Audacity tutorial website.

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: (Exemplary 6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  Oral reading is entertaining and captivating and captures the feeling of the excerpt. 

Oral Presentation: (Exemplary (6/6):  Delivery conveys powerful emotions and appropriate tone using dynamic inflection. Delivery seems natural. Speech is easily understood without mumbling, muttering or stumbling over words. Appears to have been thoroughly rehearsed. Pronunciation is accurate.

Submission: 

Use the "2.5 Dramatic Reading" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.