Directed writing: Speech

Recently, there have been many reports in the news about students being
stressed out in school, especially those who are sitting for important exams.
As a peer counsellor, you are asked to give a talk to Form 5 students

Use the notes below to write your talk.

Why students are stressed:

 Pressure from parents
 Pressure from the school
 Competition among peers

How to avoid stress?

 Pay attention in class
 Study consistently
 Eat nutritious food
 Do regular physical activities
 Get enough sleep

How to overcome stress:

 Take a break
 Talk to a trusted friend

When writing the talk, you must:

 greet the audience
 state the purpose of your talk
 use all the notes given
 give two more ways to overcome stress
 end your talk appropriately

Model answer
 A very good morning to the _____________, ____________ and fellow fifth
formers. My name is Alice and I am a peer counsellor. We will be sitting for the SPM
examination soon so today I want to share with you on _______________________
Recently, there have been many reports in the news about students
being stressed out in school, especially those who are sitting for important
exams. One of the primary causes is _____________________. All parents want
their children to do well but there are some parents who put too much importance on
examination. ________________ too sometimes have high expectations on
students. They want to achieve 100% pass. As a result, they overburden students
with ______________. Stress can also be caused by competition ______________.
Students have to compete with their peers in order to get into good classes. The
burden having to proof themselves can sometimes be too much on students.
There are many ways students can _____________ stress. Firstly,
_________________ in class and start revising early. This is to make your revision
easy. Next, _________________, if possible, create a timetable to help you manage
your revision time. Last minute studying rarely works and will only add unnecessary
pressure. Students should also eat _______________ and drink lots of water.
Healthy eating is important as it will improve our _____________, boost energy
levels and increase our immune system. Do not forget to do regular physical
activities. ______________ releases endorphins and makes us feel more energised.
Finally, __________________. Sleeping for at least seven hours is essential to
enable our body to rest and recharge.
There may be some of you here who are already feeling the stress. So, what
should you do? You can take a ______________ and rest your mind. You can also
indulge in a ______________. Sometimes, they can help you to get back on track.
Other than that, you can talk to a __________________ and share your problems.
Talking helps you to feel relief and puts things in perspective. If you find confiding in
a friend is difficult, you may get help from school counsellors. If the stress is
overwhelming, seek help either from your parents, teachers or adult you can trust.
That is the end of my talk today. ________________ for listening.
Model answer

A very good morning to the principal, teachers and fellow fifth formers. My name is Alice and I am a peer
counsellor. We will be sitting for the SPM examination soon so today I want to share with you how to cope with
examination stress.

Recently, there have been many reports in the news about students being stressed out in school, especially
those who are sitting for important exams. One of the primary causes is pressure from parents. All parents want their
children to do well but there are some parents who put too much importance on examination. Schools too
sometimes have high expectations on students. They want to achieve 100% pass. As a result, they overburden
students with homework. Stress can also be caused by competition among peers. Students have to compete with
their peers in order to get into good classes. The burden having to proof themselves can sometimes be too much on
students.

There are many ways students can avoid stress. Firstly, pay attention in class and start revising early. This is to
make your revision easy. Next, study consistently, if possible, create a timetable to help you manage your revision
time. Last minute studying rarely works and will only add unnecessary pressure. Students should also eat nutritious
food and drink lots of water. Heathy eating is important as it will improve our concentration, boost energy levels and
increase our immune system. Do not forget to do regular physical activities. Exercising releases endorphins and
makes us feel more energised. Finally get enough sleep. Sleeping for at least seven hours is essential to enable our
body to rest and recharge.

There may be some of you here who are already feeling the stress. So, what should you do? You can take a
break and rest your mind. You can also indulge in a hobby. Sometimes, they can help you to get back on track. Other
than that, you can talk to a trusted friend and share your problems. Talking helps you to feel relief and puts things in
perspective. If you find confiding in a friend is difficult, you may get help from school counsellors. If the stress is
overwhelming, seek help either from your parents, teachers or adult you can trust.

That is the end of my talk today. Thank you for listening.

Directed writing

It is English week in your school. As President of the English Society, you have been asked to write to write an article
on the importance of promoting the reading culture in school.

Use the notes below to write your article.

Benefits of reading

 increase knowledge
 expand vocabulary
 improve quality of conversation
 improve writing skills
 strengthen analytical thinking skills
 (give one more benefit of reading)

Ways to promote reading

 good library
 start a book club
 reading campaigns
 bestseller list on bulletin board
  book exchange programme
 (give one more method to promote reading)

When writing your article, you must

 use the appropriate format (give your article a title, state the purpose of the article and give your name as
the winner)
 include the name of the writer
 use all the notes given
 give your own ideas when needed