Speaking · Listening · Interaction · Culture

The Speaking
Room.

Comunicación Oral en Lengua Extranjera · 1.º Bachillerato

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Explore the course

Our activities and information, together.

Speaking & interaction

Debates

Explore different perspectives. Read a discussion text and develop your own point of view.

Explore debates Speaking activity

Improvisation Challenge

Open our improvisation activity and put your spoken English into practice.

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Assessment & weighting

Find out how the different parts of the course contribute to your grade.

View assessment Class project

The Elections

The project directory: sessions, party materials and everything we develop during the campaign.

Enter the project Year-long documentary

Voices of English

The full project guide: chapters, checkpoints, research, teamwork and assessment.

Open project guide

Our course keeps growing. New projects and activities will have their own place here throughout the year.

← Elections directory

Speaking project · First session

Campaign Hub.

Know your party. Defend your ideas. Find common ground.
Work in English, use keywords for notes and respect your party’s register.

Goal: Explain your party’s ideas and find common ground.
Work with: Your party, then representatives from other parties.
Timing: 5-minute meeting rounds · 30-second final statement.
By the end: Notes, two new policies, a possible ally and an oral statement.

New Generation Experience Matters Working Life Digital Tomorrow Learning Together Our Community The Everyday Voice

01Meet your party

Look at your party’s infographic and briefly discuss it together.

Who do you represent?
What register should you use?
What do your six policies mean?

Make sure everyone understands the party before moving on.

02Choose your main idea

Agree on the central idea that represents your party. Then share it with the other parties.

Our party mainly believes that…

03Know your six policies

Discuss these four questions for each of your six policies. Write keywords only.

WHAT? What are we proposing?
WHY? Why do we think it is necessary?
WHO? Who would benefit?
CHALLENGE? What might another party question or disagree with?

Everyone should be able to explain the policies in their own words.

04Create two new policies

Suggest different ideas, discuss them and reach a consensus on two new policies.

Do they fit your party’s identity?
Do they address the needs of the people you represent?
Can you explain and defend them?

Listen to everyone’s suggestions before deciding together.

05Political speed meetings

Split up and meet representatives from other parties. Each round lasts five minutes. Follow your teacher’s instructions for changing partners.

Explain your proposals and ask about theirs.
Find something you agree on.
Explore a disagreement or a question.
Discuss whether cooperation could work.

Keep brief notes: Party · Agreement · Problem · Possible cooperation

06Back to headquarters

Return to your party. Everyone reports what they discovered in their meetings.

Which party could be your best ally?
Why would that alliance make sense?
Which policies could you work on together?

Use what you learned in the meetings to reach a group decision.

07Your campaign statement

Finish with a 30-second campaign statement to the class.

Who are you?
What do you stand for?
What should people remember about your party?

Your statement should sound like YOUR party. Use the appropriate register.

← Course portal

Year-long documentary project

Voices of English.

One community · Three chapters · One documentary.
The complete guide to developing your project across the school year.

Download original PowerPoint ↓

5 teams3 groups of 5 + 2 groups of 6

3 chaptersEach spans two evaluations

5+ minutesNew material every evaluation

20%In evaluations 2, 4 and 6

Evaluations 1, 3 and 5 are formative checkpoints. Evaluations 2, 4 and 6 complete each chapter and are assessed. Everyone must have an identifiable spoken contribution in every evaluation.

Your chapters & tasks

Open the chapter you are working on

Chapter 1 · Community & Identity

CHAPTER 1 · EVALUATIONS 1–2

Guiding question: WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE, AND HOW DOES IDENTITY SHAPE THEIR ENGLISH?

EVALUATION 1 · MEET THE COMMUNITY

• Where is the community located? • Who are the people / what defines the community? • What role does English play there? • Which facts are essential before we go deeper? • Why is this community worth following?

EVALUATION 2 · LANGUAGE & IDENTITY

• Age / generation differences • Social or professional variation • Formal vs informal language when relevant • Slang / identity markers that genuinely matter • One concrete example of language expressing identity

By the end of E2, Chapter 1 should feel complete: community + identity, ready to move into how the variety sounds.

Chapter 2 · Voice & History

CHAPTER 2 · EVALUATIONS 3–4

Guiding question: WHAT DOES THEIR ENGLISH SOUND LIKE — AND WHY DID IT DEVELOP THAT WAY?

EVALUATION 3 · HOW THEY SPEAK

• Accent vs dialect — be precise

• 2–3 pronunciation features worth noticing

• Vocabulary / expressions that genuinely matter

• Standard vs local variation

• One short authentic language sample

EVALUATION 4 · THE STORY OF THEIR ENGLISH

• Where did English in this community come from?

• Migration, colonisation, contact or political change

• Which other languages influenced it?

• Link historical causes to features from E3

• Finish by connecting history, sound and identity

E3 and E4 each add at least 5 minutes of NEW material. By the end of E4, Chapter 2 should be complete and coherent.

Chapter 3 · Culture & Communication

CHAPTER 3 · EVALUATIONS 5–6

Guiding question: HOW DO CULTURE AND SOCIAL CONVENTIONS AFFECT COMMUNICATION?

EVALUATION 5 · BEYOND THE WORDS

• Politeness and ways of requesting / refusing / disagreeing • Small talk and conversational expectations • Directness vs indirectness when relevant • Tone, gestures, eye contact or personal space

EVALUATION 6 · WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

• One realistic intercultural misunderstanding • How could it be avoided? • What can outsiders learn from this community? • Build the final conclusion of the documentary • Prepare for the live Q&A / defence

E5 and E6 each add at least 5 minutes of NEW material. Talk about tendencies and conventions — not stereotypes about what “everyone” is like.

Before you submit

Submission checklist

BEFORE EACH CHECKPOINT

Use this before every project checkpoint — formative or assessed.

We answer the guiding question for the active chapter.
We added at least 5 minutes of new material.
We selected the most relevant information — not everything we found.
Our claims come from reliable sources and the source log is updated.
Every member has an identifiable spoken contribution.
Nobody is simply reading a full script.
The English is clear enough to understand without subtitles.
Images / clips support the explanation rather than distract from it.
The segment has a clear beginning, development and ending.
We checked audio, titles and credits before exporting.

If you cannot tick a box honestly, the chapter is not ready yet.

Checkpoints, assessment & final documentary

What happens in each evaluation?

PROJECT CHECKPOINTS

Every evaluation adds 5+ minutes. Only E2, E4 and E6 are graded as Project Documentary (20%).

≥ 5 MINUTES / EVAL

Add at least five minutes of NEW documentary material in every evaluation.

EVERYONE SPEAKS

All 5/6 members need an identifiable spoken contribution in each evaluation.

SOURCES INCLUDED

Keep the source log updated and credit information, images and external media used.

E1 / E3 / E5: 5+ minutes of progress for formative feedback. E2 / E4 / E6: add 5+ more minutes, complete the chapter and submit it for assessment.

Feedback from each checkpoint should visibly improve the completed chapter.

What will matter in the project?

ASSESSMENT

Project Documentary = 20% in Evaluations 2, 4 and 6.

CONTENT & RESEARCH

Accurate, relevant information supported by reliable sources.

ORAL COMMUNICATION

Clear, natural and understandable spoken English.

ORGANISATION

A segment with a clear purpose, progression and ending.

LANGUAGE & CULTURE

Relevant linguistic / sociocultural explanation for that stage.

TEAMWORK

The group works as one documentary, not separate mini-presentations.

INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION

Your own spoken contribution is visible and identifiable.

Each assessed chapter should show clear improvement from the previous checkpoint.

Build the final documentary

EVALUATION 6 · FINAL ASSESSED CHAPTER

E6 completes Chapter 3 and the whole documentary. The project counts for 20% of the evaluation.

REWATCH

Review all feedback.

IMPROVE

Correct weak explanations, pronunciation, sources or visuals.

CONNECT

Add transitions between the three chapters.

UNIFY

Make titles, audio, visuals and credits consistent.

CONCLUDE

Record a strong final conclusion.

DEFEND

Live Q&A: be ready to answer without a script.

Final documentary: approximately 30 minutes of polished material + live defence / Q&A of about 5–8 minutes per group.

The final evaluation rewards integration and improvement. You may trim repetition, but the three chapters must remain complete and coherent.

Help when you need it

Start here · team, community & first session

10 strong options · Part 1

CHOOSE YOUR COMMUNITY

Each team ranks its top three choices; the teacher approves the final distribution.

1. Scotland

Scottish English · Scots · Gaelic contact

2. Ireland

Hiberno-English · Irish influence

3. Jamaica

Jamaican English · Creole · identity

4. Nigeria

Nigerian English · Pidgin · multilingualism

5. India

Indian English · multilingual contact · colonial history

Choose a community with enough reliable sources, history, linguistic variation and cultural material.

10 strong options · Part 2

CHOOSE YOUR COMMUNITY

Only five communities will be selected, so groups will not all work on the same topic.

6. Singapore

Singapore English / Singlish · multilingual society

7. South Africa

Multiple English varieties · language contact

8. Australia

Australian English · identity · regional/social variation

9. New Zealand

New Zealand English · Māori influence

10. African American English (USA)

History · identity · sound · social meaning

Your first choice is not guaranteed: the final distribution must keep the five documentaries varied.

Set up the team properly

STEP 1

Five teams: three groups of 5 and two groups of 6.

1 · SHARED SPACE

One folder for research, source log, outlines, recordings, visuals and final exports.

2 · SOURCE LOG

Record every useful source from the beginning. Do not rebuild the bibliography at the end.

3 · FLEXIBLE ROLES

Research, presenting, editing, fact-checking and visuals can rotate between evaluations.

4 · EVERYONE SPEAKS

Every member must have an identifiable spoken contribution in every evaluation.

5 · EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS

No “editor-only” student. You should understand the chapter and be able to answer questions.

Roles organise the work; they do not remove anyone’s responsibility to research, speak and understand.

Your first project session

START HERE

Do not leave class with “we’ll decide later”. Leave with a concrete plan.

CONFIRM THE TEAM

Know exactly who your 5/6 members are.

RANK 3 COMMUNITIES

Choose your top three options from the approved list.

GET APPROVAL

The teacher confirms the final community for each team.

CREATE THE SHARED SPACE

Folder + source log + working document.

ANSWER 3 BASIC QUESTIONS

Where? Who? What role does English play?

SELECT E1 IDEAS

Choose what the audience genuinely needs to know.

ASSIGN SPOKEN PARTS

Everyone needs a real contribution.

SET A MINI-DEADLINE

Decide what must be ready before the next project lesson.

One community · Three chapters · Six evaluations · One documentary

Research, plan & record

The workflow for every evaluation

REPEATABLE PROCESS

Use the same cycle every time so the project stays manageable.

RESEARCH

Find reliable information

SELECT

Choose the strongest ideas

OUTLINE

Build a clear story

REHEARSE

Practise explaining

RECORD

Speak clearly and naturally

EDIT

Make it easy to follow

SUBMIT

Include sources & credits

IMPROVE

Use feedback next time

Do not start by recording. A strong chapter begins with a clear idea of what the audience should understand.

Reliable information matters

RESEARCH

The documentary is oral, but the content still has to be trustworthy.

GOOD PLACES TO START

Official institutions Universities / academic projects Museums / archives Reputable media Dictionaries / language resources

CHECK BEFORE USING

Who created it? Is the date relevant? Can the claim be verified elsewhere? Is it fact, interpretation or opinion?

KEEP A SOURCE LOG

Title / organisation Link What you used it for Image / clip source Final credits

Do not build a chapter from one random website, a single TikTok or an AI-generated summary.

Research → understand → select → explain in your own words.

What should 5+ minutes look like?

FROM RESEARCH TO VIDEO

An evaluation segment needs a clear message — not a spoken list of facts.

HOOK

Give the audience a reason to listen.

KEY IDEA 1

Explain one important point.

KEY IDEA 2

Add a second idea that moves the story forward.

REAL EXAMPLE

Use a map, clip, quote, image or language sample.

WHY IT MATTERS

Explain what the audience should understand.

CLOSING / TRANSITION

Finish clearly and lead into what comes next.

The 5-minute minimum is not a target to fill with extra facts: every minute should have a purpose.

The speaking matters more than the editing

ORAL QUALITY

This is an Oral Communication project — the video is the vehicle, not the objective.

ENGLISH ONLY

All spoken content must be in English.

NO READING

Prepare carefully, but do not read a full script.

EXPLAIN

Understand it well enough to explain it in your own words.

BE CLEAR

Pace, volume and intonation must support understanding.

EVERYONE SPEAKS

Every member needs an identifiable contribution.

BE NATURAL

Avoid flat, memorised delivery.

RE-RECORD

If the audio or delivery is weak, record it again.

OWN YOUR PART

Be ready to answer questions about your section.

A beautiful edit cannot compensate for weak spoken communication.

Keep production simple and effective

VIDEO & EDITING

You are not being asked to become professional filmmakers.

CLEAR AUDIO

The voice must always be easy to hear.

READABLE VISUALS

Use titles, maps, images and keywords that can be understood quickly.

SHORT EXTERNAL CLIPS

Only use extracts when they genuinely help explain something.

CONSISTENT STYLE

Use similar titles, fonts and transitions across the three chapters.

MUSIC = SECONDARY

Background music must never compete with the speaker.

CREDITS & SOURCES

Credit information, images and external media at the end.

Simple + clear + coherent beats complicated + flashy + difficult to follow.

Project overview & year roadmap

VOICES OF ENGLISH

COMUNICACIÓN ORAL EN LENGUA EXTRANJERA I

Year-long documentary project

COMMUNITY

IDENTITY

SOUND

HISTORY

CULTURE

One community · Three chapters · One documentary

27 students · 5 teams · 6 evaluations

1º Bachillerato · 2026–2027

The project at a glance

PROJECT OVERVIEW

What you will build across the whole school year.

STUDENTS

5 teams: 3 groups of 5 + 2 groups of 6

COMMUNITY

The same community / variety all year

CHAPTERS

Each chapter is developed across exactly two evaluations

≥5

MIN / EVAL

At least 5 minutes of new documentary material every evaluation

PROJECT WEIGHT: 20% IN EVALUATIONS 2, 4 AND 6

One project developed progressively: E1/E3/E5 are formative checkpoints; E2/E4/E6 complete each chapter and are assessed.

Three chapters across six evaluations

HOW THE YEAR WORKS

Each chapter lasts two evaluations. Every evaluation adds a new 5+ minute segment.

EVALUATION 1

EVALUATION 2

EVALUATION 3

EVALUATION 4

EVALUATION 5

EVALUATION 6

CHAPTER 1 · COMMUNITY & IDENTITY

E1: Meet the Community · E2: Language & Identity

CHAPTER 2 · VOICE & HISTORY

E3: How They Speak · E4: The Story of Their English

CHAPTER 3 · CULTURE & COMMUNICATION

E5: Beyond the Words · E6: What Can We Learn?

Minimum by the end of each chapter: 10 minutes of new material (5+ minutes in each evaluation).

E1 / E3 / E5 = formative development and feedback. E2 / E4 / E6 = completed chapter submission worth 20%. Across the year: at least 30 minutes of documentary material.

One community, three big questions

THE BIG IDEA

Each chapter explores the same community from a different angle. Each chapter contains two evaluation segments.

COMMUNITY & IDENTITY

Who are these people — and how does identity shape their English?

E1 · Meet the Community E2 · Language & Identity

VOICE & HISTORY

What does their English sound like — and why did it develop that way?

E3 · How They Speak E4 · The Story of Their English

CULTURE & COMMUNICATION

How do culture and social conventions affect communication?

E5 · Beyond the Words E6 · What Can We Learn?

All the information from the original guide is available here. Download the PowerPoint above for the original slides.

← Course portal

Speaking · Listening · Different perspectives

Debates.

Open a debate to read the text. Think about your opinion and listen to other points of view.

01Is English slang changing Spanish for the better?

A recent British Council study shows that English is becoming part of the everyday language of Spanish teenagers. Words such as cringe, random, glow up, mood, GOAT and POV are now common in conversations, especially on social media, in gaming and in digital content.

Teenagers do not simply copy English words. They often adapt them to Spanish and give them new meanings or uses. Expressions such as stalkear, trolear, hacer ghosting or estar de chill are examples of this mixture.

According to the study, these expressions can help young people express themselves, build their identity and feel part of a group.

But is this making Spanish richer, or are we using too much English?

02Should essential public workers have the right to strike?

In Spain, teachers and doctors have recently organised strikes and protests to demand better working conditions.

Teachers in Madrid have called for measures such as smaller class sizes, better salaries and more resources for public education. Doctors in several regions are also protesting against issues such as 24-hour shifts, heavy workloads and staff shortages.

Supporters of the strikes argue that teachers and doctors have the same right to protest and defend their working conditions as any other workers. They also say that improving their conditions can eventually improve education and healthcare for everyone.

However, strikes in these sectors can have serious consequences: students may miss classes and patients may face delays in medical care.

So, should workers in essential public services such as healthcare and education have the same right to strike as everyone else?

03Can violence ever be justified during a protest?

In recent weeks, student protests in France have grown into a nationwide movement. Many students are demanding better-funded schools, more teachers and improved learning conditions. Most demonstrations have been peaceful, but some have ended in violent clashes with the police, vandalism, fires and hundreds of arrests.

Some protesters and human-rights groups have also criticised the police response, arguing that the use of force has sometimes been excessive. The French government, however, says that police intervention is necessary when demonstrations turn into violence or property destruction.

This raises an important question: when does a legitimate protest stop being legitimate?

Should violence ever be accepted as part of a protest, or does it destroy the message protesters are trying to defend?

04Should students be allowed to use AI for schoolwork?

Artificial intelligence is already part of many students’ everyday lives. Students use AI tools to summarise texts, explain difficult ideas, correct language and help with written assignments.

Supporters argue that AI can be a useful learning tool if students use it responsibly. It can give quick feedback, explain concepts in different ways and help students work more independently.

However, critics warn that students may become too dependent on AI and stop practising important skills such as writing, research and critical thinking. They also argue that it can be difficult to know when AI is helping and when it is simply doing the work for the student.

So, should AI be treated as a useful educational tool, or should schools limit its use?

The SpeakingRoom.

Explore the course

Debates

Improvisation Challenge

Assessment & weighting

The Elections

Voices of English

Assessment & weighting.

How to be a better speaker

Language, society & identity

One language, many Englishes

The story of English

Culture & communication

Find your voice

Course infographic

The Elections.

Campaign Hub

Manifesto Launch

Our sessions.