In this sample, the student pretends to be Antjie Krog, a prominent journalist and poet from South Africa, who most likely witnessed the speech first-hand in 1994. In the oral activity, the year is 2014 and she is speaking at an event of the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling political party of South Africa, upon the 20th anniversary of Mandela’s speech.
Link to speech
Sample further oral activity (SL)
Thank you members of the ANC for inviting me here today to speak to you on this 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's inauguration. Many of you know me and my work. You know me as a reporter from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the 1990s. Many of you know my works of poetry written in both Afrikaans and English. And for those of you who do not know my works intimately, you know that the words and ideas of Nelson Mandela are dear to me. They have influenced my writing and shaped me. They have shaped us all. I stand before you today to tell you why I think Madiba's words still ring true today, twenty years later.
I was only one of hundreds of thousands of people who came to Pretoria on 10 May, 1994. People of all races, from all corners of the world, queens, presidents, and local citizens came to hear his words on that day. It is therefore no wonder that of all the words he used in his speech, the word 'people' was used most frequently. In combination with this word, he spoke of 'humanity'. He appealed to our sense of national and global citizenship when he stated so clearly:
"Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce humanity's belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all"
He let us know that in our corner of the world, something great had happened to restore faith in all of humanity. On the very steps of the Unions buildings in Pretoria, where the concept of Apartheid had been conceived he invited the world to gather to celebrate diversity. Where he had devised a shameful state of disgrace, he drew a colossal crowd of hope. Where we had unjustly accused the innocent, he promised reconciliation. He captured this sharp juxtaposition of our country and times best in the final lines of his speech, where he said we had suffered the indignity of being the skunk of the world', and then immediately stated that 'the sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement!' This was Madiba at his best. How symbolic that was. How moving and noble it was to see Madiba make that day -- a day that should have been about his personal achievement -- a day for the people of South Africa and a day for all of the oppressed people of the world.
As a writer, I always want to know how one makes an audience feel a certain way. How did Madiba make us feel as one? How did he unite us? As I re-read his words of that day in 1994, I see much reference to the land and nature. He spoke of the soil of his country that we all share, the rich earth, the grass and blossoms. He reminded us of how we are interconnected through the seasons that affect our moods. He pointed out that 'that spiritual and physical oneness we all share with this common homeland explains the depth of the pain we all carried in our hearts as we saw our country tear itself apart in a terrible conflict.' I, as a farmer's daughter, Madiba, as the son of a tribal leader, and all of us, as children of Africa, knew the pain of seeing our homeland torn apart for decade after decade. He united us by tapping into that emotion. He united us by saying that 'the time for the healing of the wounds has come'.
My questions as a writer, continue. It is one thing to unify us, speak of healing and draw the world's attention to our suffering, but how did he make us believe in a future that is brighter and full of more opportunity than today? I believe he did this by celebrating the achievements of others. In a style that was characteristic of our great leader, he quite humbly appointed F.W. de Klerk Deputy President giving credit to the man who began our country's great transition. He saluted the securty forces for organizing free and fair elections. Remember, many of these forces had a history of hunting down members of the ANC. He dedicated the day to the prisoners and freedom fighters, who for centuries tried to bring democracy and justice to Africa. And this brings me to my final point. Just as Madiba led by example, by honouring his predecessors, by showing humility and forgiving his enemies, we too must continue in this spirit. The dream of freedom is not yet entirely fulfilled in the townships of Johannesburg. There is not yet 'Peace for all' on farms where owners are chased off their land. The ideal of non-racial violence is not a reality where xenophobia exists between South Africans and Zimbabwians and Malawians. Nelson Mandela and the ANC received a mandate on 10 May 1994 'to lead our country out of the valley of darkness', as he said in his words. He warned us that there would be 'no easy road to freedom' and that 'none of us acting alone [could] achieve success'. The world's eyes are still watching South Africa. They do not only watch us when we host the World Cup for football or rugby. Oppressed peoples all over the world look to us as leaders, as pioneers in this field of democracy, diversity and human rights. Madiba has given us big shoes to fill, and we must fill them. we muse deliver on his promise that:
'South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk, talk without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable rights to human dignity -- a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.
Thank you ANC for inviting me here today on 10 May 2014. The words of our great leader are as relevant today as in 1994. And when we meet on this day for decades to come, I hope that we can say that this rainbow nation is at peace with itself and the world.
Teacher's Comments
The following assessment and comments are based on the oral presentation. On the whole, the student's performance is focused on Nelson Mandela's inaugural speech, which gave it a strong sense of purpose and coherence. It commented well on a text in its context.
The student explores the ramifications of Mandela's speech in South Africa both in 1994 and in 2014. The students explains the effect of the words on Antje Krog and the rest of South Africans. The student explores several themes, such as humanity and unification. Mandela's words are also looked at in light of the current problems of South Africa, such as crime and poverty. The student is knowledgeable on the text, as there is reference to and explanation of the original speech.
The student demonstrates an awareness of the meaning of Mandela's words and their effect on his audience then, in 1994, and now in 2014. Certain phrases, such as the skunk of the world and so glorious an achievement are singled out and explored further, in depth. The whole organizing principle of this speech -- a call to remember Mandela's words -- narrows the focus of this further oral activity down to the use of language in context. This is commended.
There is strong coherence in this student's speech as it continually returns to a guiding question: why do Mandela's words still ring true today? The student offers several explanations which are illustrated well with supporting quotations from Mandela's speech. There are signposts and markers for the audience, such as the questions and topic sentences that keep the piece coherent and effective.
The student's use of English is effective and appropriate. The student uses parallel constructions and strong phrases such as where the concept of apartheid had been conceived, he invited the world to gather to celebrate diversity. Where we had devised a shameful state of disgrace, he drew a colossal crowd of hope. Where we had unjustly accused the innocent, he promised reconciliation. The speech contains many of the main elements of good speech writing, as it appeals to the audiences emotions and sense of logic. What is more, the speech contains a good level and use of vocabulary with words such as mandate and xenophobia. This shows a command of the English language.
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