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TEKS and Correlating ELPS
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TEKS
E3.1(A) Engage in meaningful and respectful discourse when evaluating the clarity and coherence of a speaker's message and critiquing the impact of a speaker's use of diction and syntax.

ELPS
Listening: 1(C) Learn new language structures heard during classroom instruction and interactions.
Speaking: 2(I) Adapt spoken language appropriately for formal and informal purposes.
Reading: 3(D) Use pre-reading supports such as graphic organizers and pretaught vocabulary.
Writing: 4(F) Write using a variety of grade-appropriate sentence lengths and types.
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WHY IT MATTERS
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At English III, discourse moves beyond listening actively and responding appropriately (English I/II) to a more sophisticated analytical act: evaluating the clarity and coherence of a speaker's message AND critiquing the impact of the speaker's specific diction and syntax choices. This is a meaningful cognitive advance — students are not just participating in discourse but analyzing it as both listeners and critics of language craft. English IV adds rhetorical strategies to diction and syntax as an additional critique target.
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LEARNING PROGRESSION
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English IIEngage in meaningful and respectful discourse by listening actively, responding appropriately, and adjusting communication to audiences and purposes — identical language to English I.
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English III (Current Course)Engage in meaningful and respectful discourse when evaluating the clarity and coherence of a speaker's message and critiquing the impact of a speaker's use of diction and syntax — analytical critique of diction and syntax added.
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English IVEngage in meaningful and respectful discourse when evaluating the clarity and coherence of a speaker's message and critiquing the impact of a speaker's use of diction, syntax, and rhetorical strategies — adds rhetorical strategies as a third critique target.
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ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
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DiscourseDiction & SyntaxThinkingAcademic Precision
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discoursedictionevaluateanalytically
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claritysyntaxcritiquespecifically
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coherenceword choiceanalyzecoherently
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critiquesentence structuredistinguishcritically
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evaluatetoneassessprecisely
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analyticalregisterrespondeffectively
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KNOW
Students need to KNOW…		SHOW
Students demonstrate mastery when they can…
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Evaluating clarity means assessing whether a speaker's message is easy to follow — logically organized, free of ambiguity, and accessible to the intended audience.
Evaluating coherence means assessing whether the ideas in a speaker's message connect logically and flow smoothly from one to the next.
Critiquing the impact of diction means analyzing how specific word choices shape the audience's understanding, emotional response, and perception of the speaker.
Critiquing the impact of syntax means analyzing how sentence structure choices — length, complexity, arrangement — create rhythm, emphasis, and rhetorical effect.
Note: English II had 'listening actively and responding appropriately.' English III adds analytical critique of diction and syntax. English IV adds rhetorical strategies as a third critique target.
This is a shift from discourse participant to discourse analyst — English III students evaluate how language works in spoken contexts, not just engage with its content.		Listen to a speaker and evaluate the clarity of their message with specific evidence.
Evaluate the coherence of a speaker's message — identify where ideas connect logically and where they do not.
Critique how a specific diction choice shaped the audience's perception of the message.
Critique how a specific syntax choice created emphasis, rhythm, or rhetorical effect.
Distinguish between evaluating what a speaker says (content) and critiquing how they say it (diction and syntax).
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STANDARDS-BASED QUESTION & SENTENCE STEMS
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The speaker's message is clear/unclear because ___ — specifically, the organizational logic of ___ (is/is not) easy to follow because…
The coherence of this message breaks down at ___ — the ideas fail to connect because…
The diction choice of ___ impacts the audience's perception by ___ — a different word choice would have achieved…
The syntax pattern of ___ creates the effect of ___ — specifically, the ___ (long/short/complex/fragmented) sentences produce…
Which statement best critiques the impact of this speaker's diction and syntax on the audience's experience of the message?
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MISCONCEPTIONSCORRECTION MOVES
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This standard is the same as English I and II.English I/II had 'engage in discourse by listening actively and responding appropriately.' English III adds evaluating clarity/coherence and critiquing diction and syntax — a shift from participant to analyst. English IV adds rhetorical strategies as a third critique target.
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Evaluating clarity and critiquing diction are the same task.Evaluating clarity addresses whether the message is easy to follow (organizational logic). Critiquing diction addresses how specific word choices shape the audience's perception (craft analysis). These are distinct analytical moves.
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Critique means the discourse was bad or poorly delivered.Critique in this context means analytical examination — identifying how specific language choices create specific effects. A critique can recognize effective diction just as readily as ineffective diction.
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This standard only applies when listening to formal speeches.Evaluating clarity, coherence, diction, and syntax applies across all discourse contexts — academic discussion, presentations, collaborative dialogue, and any instance where a speaker communicates ideas.
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