English Language · Secondary 2

Active learning ideas

Rhetorical Devices: Repetition and Emphasis

Active learning helps students grasp rhetorical devices because repetition and emphasis rely on rhythm and emotion. Students need to hear, see, and create these patterns to understand their power, making hands-on activities essential for retention.

• MOE Syllabus Outcomes
• MOE: Language Use for Impact and Persuasion - S2
• MOE: Writing and Representing for Impact - S2

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Mystery Object
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs Analysis: Speech Breakdown

Provide excerpts from persuasive speeches like those by local leaders. Pairs highlight repetition, anaphora, and epiphora, then discuss effects on urgency. Share one example per pair with the class.

How does the use of anaphora create a sense of urgency in a speech?

Facilitation Tip

During Pairs Analysis, circulate to listen for students’ explanations of how repetition builds urgency in speeches.

What to look for

Provide students with a short excerpt from a persuasive speech. Ask them to identify one instance of anaphora or epiphora, underline the repeated element, and write one sentence explaining the effect it creates on the reader or listener.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Mystery Object
• 40 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Repetition Relay

Groups brainstorm a persuasive topic, such as school uniform changes. Each member adds a sentence using a different device: repetition, anaphora, or epiphora. Groups perform their chain speech.

Explain the psychological impact of repetition on an audience.

Facilitation Tip

In Repetition Relay, model how to vary volume and pacing to demonstrate the emotional impact of anaphora and epiphora.

What to look for

Present students with three short sentences. Ask them to rewrite the sentences to incorporate either anaphora or epiphora, focusing on creating a specific emotional impact (e.g., urgency, determination). Review student responses for correct application of the device.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Mystery Object
• 25 min · Individual

Individual Draft: Emphasis Paragraph

Students write a short persuasive paragraph on a given issue using two forms of repetition. Swap with a partner for feedback on impact before revising.

Construct a short persuasive paragraph using at least two forms of repetition.

Facilitation Tip

For the Emphasis Paragraph, remind students to highlight their repeated words before sharing with peers to emphasize intentionality.

What to look for

Students write a short persuasive paragraph on a given topic, intentionally using at least two forms of repetition. They then exchange paragraphs with a partner. Partners identify the types of repetition used and comment on how effectively they contribute to the paragraph's persuasiveness.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Mystery Object
• 35 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Device Gallery Walk

Display student posters with embedded devices. Class walks around, noting examples and voting on most emphatic. Discuss why certain repetitions worked best.

How does the use of anaphora create a sense of urgency in a speech?

What to look for

Provide students with a short excerpt from a persuasive speech. Ask them to identify one instance of anaphora or epiphora, underline the repeated element, and write one sentence explaining the effect it creates on the reader or listener.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach these devices by having students perform the texts aloud, as the oral delivery reveals their rhythmic power. Avoid over-simplifying by framing repetition only as emphasis; instead, show how it can create tension, unity, or climax. Research shows that kinesthetic and auditory engagement deepens understanding of rhetorical effects.

Successful learning looks like students confidently identifying repetition devices, explaining their effects, and applying them in their own writing. They should also recognize how these devices influence audience response in both speeches and texts.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Pairs Analysis, watch for students dismissing repetition as laziness without examining its purpose in context.

  Prompt pairs to underline all repeated words in the speech excerpt, then ask them to explain how each repetition serves the speaker’s goal. Circulate to guide their discussion toward recognizing strategic versus accidental repeats.

• During Repetition Relay, watch for students assuming anaphora and epiphora create identical effects.

  After groups perform their rewritten sentences, ask them to compare how the device at the start or end changes the pacing and emotional weight. Highlight the difference between building momentum and delivering a punchline.

• During Device Gallery Walk, watch for students separating devices from their persuasive purpose entirely.

  Have students annotate each poster with a sticky note explaining the effect of the repetition on the audience. During the walk, call attention to how visual repetition (e.g., bolded words) mirrors textual emphasis.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Mystery Object