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Writing a Speech for the International Speech Contest

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Title: Writing a Speech for the International Speech Contest


1
Writing a Speech for the International Speech
Contest
  • What makes a winning speech?

2
Introduction
  • This presentation was originally given at the
    District 11 TLI in January, 2008. At that time I
    had entered the International Speech Contest four
    times, never having progressed before the
    district level. In 2008, though, I progressed all
    the way to the International final. So, I have
    since modified this presentation to include
    lessons learned from that experience.
  • If you are entering this year, good luck! It can
    be a wild ride

3
International
  • The big one!
  • Six levels
  • Club, Area, Division, District, Region,
    International
  • Think
  • What do you remember from the best contest
    speeches?
  • What do you remember from the best speeches
    youve heard outside TM?

4
What Do The Judges Want?
  • This is the wrong question
  • Practically speaking, judges are a very
    heterogeneous group
  • Moreover, when you get up on any stage, you
    should be speaking for the audiences benefit,
    not for the judges
  • The better questions to ask yourself are
  • What do I want the audience to get out of this?
  • What do I want to get out of this?
  • What does the ballot ask for?

5
Questions to Ask Yourself
  • What do I want the audience to get out of this
    speech?
  • As I prepared for the WCPS final, Darren LaCroix
    (WCPS Champion, 2001) repeatedly told me, This
    is not about you its about the audience.
  • Do I want to move them to action?
  • Do I want them to change the way they think?
  • Do I want to bring about an emotional state?

6
Questions to Ask Yourself
  • What do I want to get out of this?
  • The speech contest is also a growth exercise
  • So, its worthwhile to ask how you are hoping to
    grow from this exercise as a speaker, and as an
    individual

7
The Ballot
  • In terms of the contest, think not in terms of
    judges, but in terms of the ballot
  • The ballot does allow a lot of subjective
    judgment
  • However, attention to the ballot can help you
    understand why sometimes the speech you remember
    most isnt necessarily the one that wins

8
The Ballot on Content
  • Speech development (20 points)
  • speech is structured around a purpose, as a
    unified whole
  • Effectiveness (15 points)
  • audience response, subjective judgment, clear
    purpose
  • Speech value (15 points)
  • responsibility to say something meaningful to
    the audience, a contribution to the
    audiences thinking

9
The Ballot on Content
  • Be sure to think about all of these
  • Coming up with your core message is the most
    important step in speechwriting
  • Darren LaCroix and Jim Key both told me that I
    should be able to summarize my key message into
    10 words or less
  • Within the speech, you should challenge your
    audience to think about how your message relates
    to their lives, and give them time to think about
    this

10
What One Champion Says
  • Jim Key, 2003 World Champion
  • Johnny Carson has said that people will pay more
    to be entertained than educated however, if you
    can educate while entertaining, then you're truly
    hit upon something.
  • Talk about something you completely believe in,
    from which you sincerely believe that the
    audience would benefit.

11
Structure
  • The ballot emphasizes being clear of purpose
  • Use a clear structure
  • Grab attention immediately
  • Have a clear introduction
  • Develop a meaningful, coherent speech body
  • Revisit introduction or body in conclusion

12
Delivery
  • Consider the statement on the next slide
  • First, imagine it as delivered by the most boring
    professor in the world
  • Then, imagine it again, as delivered by a
    professor who is dynamic, dramatic, and really
    cares about her material

13
Delivery
  • So with PET scans, MRIs, CAT scans, EEGs, and
    BEAM imaging we have all sorts of brain imaging
    equipment at our disposal however, psychology
    still cant address Descartes original question,
    of how the mind is connected to the brain.
    Psychology still cant tell us what consciousness
    is.

14
Delivery
  • From this exercise you should have learned that
    its important to think about how you deliver
    every sentence
  • This is not to say that every sentence should be
    delivered with maximum drama
  • Rather, there are no throwaway sentences every
    sentence is important, every sentence can benefit
    from thoughtful consideration as to its delivery

15
The Ballot on Delivery
  • Physical (10 points)
  • appearance should reinforce the speech, body
    language should support points through gestures,
    expressions, body positioning
  • What can you do?
  • Move around but not excessively!
  • Use the entire speaking area
  • Address the whole audience
  • Videotape your rehearsals and performances
  • Sometimes what the audience sees is different
    from what you think they see

16
The Ballot on Delivery
  • Voice (10 points)
  • flexible, variety of rate and volume,
    clearly understood
  • Think about pauses, tone and pace
  • Darren LaCroix emphasizes the use of pauses to
    let the audience think and absorb your points
  • A great contest speech is often like a
    rollercoaster ride - you lift the audience up and
    down, around corners in directions they never
    expected. You steer them using your delivery

17
The Ballot on Delivery
  • Manner (10 points)
  • indirect revelation of the speakers real self,
    enthusiasm and assurance, interest in the
    audience and confidence in their reactions
  • Dont just let the audience hear a speech, let
    them experience you as a speaker
  • Your confidence and enthusiasm send the message
    that your message should be as exciting to them
    as it is to you

18
The Ballot on Language
  • Smallest component of the point scoring, but may
    be the easiest place to lose a few points, or to
    set yourself apart to gain points
  • The higher the level of the contest, the more
    likely that the top speakers will only be
    separated by a point or two

19
The Ballot on Language
  • Appropriateness (10 points)
  • words that relate to your speech purpose and to
    the audience.
  • Correctness (10 points)
  • proper use of grammar and correct pronunciation
    to show you are the master of the words being
    used
  • have someone whos grammatically knowledgeable
    listen to your speech a few times, to catch
    things you might not notice

20
Language
  • Try to develop a few powerful turns of phrase,
    things you want the audience to remember
  • This is not a matter of complex wording, often
    quite the opposite
  • Straightforward wording can pack real power
  • I have a dream
  • Ask not what your country can do for you
  • Tear down this wall

21
Language Exercise
  • Change the language to make this sentence more
    interestingGeorge got out of bed, went
    downstairs, stepped outside and picked up the
    mail.
  • Think about ways you could change the wording to
    make this more vivid and have the audience feel
    what George feels

22
So, What Else?
  • Practice
  • Jim Key practiced at 20 clubs for each of
    regional and international levels, and hundreds
    of times privately
  • Darren LaCroix
  • "I knew I was not the most talented not the best
    speaker in the world. But, I thought, I can be
    the best prepared."

23
Finally
  • Before contests, get your game face on
  • Drink enough water to avoid dry mouth
  • Make sure your energy level is up
  • Walk up there with a spring in your step and a
    sense of enthusiasm
  • Enjoy the rush!
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