The English-Speaking Union

INTERNATIONALPUBLIC SPEAKINGCOMPETITION 2011

Words are Not Enough

The HSBC Global Education Trustees are delighted to fund the English-Speaking Union’s International Public Speaking Competition in 2011. This year, the Trust is supporting the final in London and also the earlier rounds in many of the participating countries.

In a changing world, the Trust aims to promote cultural awareness, tolerance and education.Education equips people with the skills and knowledge to achieve their full potential. It also fosters international understanding; allowing individuals, businesses and nations to develop long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships.

HSBC Global Education Trust says:

“The promotion of language is central to our aims. Language opens doors, removes barriers and helps people to understand attitudes and behaviour. There are currently 450 million native speakers of English, but perhaps as many as 1 billion learning it as a second language. With its long history and expertise, the ESU is in a unique position to introduce the English language to new speakers around the world. The International Public Speaking Competition is an exciting event that enables talented young people to meet, demonstrate their command of English and learn more about other cultures.”

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ABOUT THE COMPETITIONThe ESU and the IPSC_05Key Dates for 2011_05The Programme_06 Accommodation_06 Funding_06 The Themes for 2011_07 Accompanying Guests_07

RULES OF THE COMPETITIONEntrance and Eligibility_08 Competition Structure_08Timing_09 Sequence_09

GUIDANCE FOR SPEAKERSPreparing your speech_11Writing your speech_15Delivering your speech_18 Answering Questions_20

GUIDANCE FOR ADJUDICATORSLanguage_21Marking Scheme_21

CONTENTS

About the competition

INTERNATIONALPUBLIC SPEAKINGCOMPETITION 2011

– Words are Not Enough

We are delighted that you have chosen to take part in the English-Speaking Union’s International Public Speaking Competition. This competition provides a fantastic opportunity for young people from all over the world to develop their confidence and public speaking skills, it also provides the national winner in each country the opportunity to travel to London where they will compete with the winners from over 45 countries. They will also receive public speaking training from experts, have opportunities to visit some of the most beautiful venues in London including Hampton Court Palace and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and become an alumnus of one of the oldest and most prestigious organisations in the world.

IPSC ConvenorThe English-Speaking UnionDartmouth House37 Charles StreetLondon W1J 5EDUnited Kingdom

T +44 (0)20 7529 1550F +44 (0)20 7495 6108ipsc@esu.org

www.esu.org/ipsc

This year is the 30th anniversary of the IPSC. Since its inception, the competition has grown so that each year more young people than ever before have a chance to take part.

This handbook is intended to provide participants, their tutors, competition organisers and adjudicators with information about the competition. It explains the registration process, the structure of the competition and it is also a valuable resource containing guidelines for both speakers and adjudicators on speech preparation, speech writing and delivery.

If you have queries about anything in this handbook or about the competition generally, please contact the IPSC convenor.

We hope that the experience of participating in this competition is an enriching one. You will gain skills to enhance your own communication skills, the chance to meet some of the best and brightest people of your generation from around the world and the opportunity to become an alumnus of the ESU for life.

We wish you the best of luck in the competition.

Eamon Chawke IPSC Convenor

Annette Fisher Head of International

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The ESU brings together and empowers people of different languages and cultures. By building skills and confidence in communication, we give people the opportunity to realise their potential. Worldwide, the members and alumni of the ESU support these objectives.

Our vision is to provide people in the UK and internationally with communication skills, confidence and networking opportunities. We endeavour to see that the value of good communication as an essential attribute for individual, community and global development and understanding is publicly recognised and widely integrated into education and social policy.

The English-Speaking Union is present in 53 countries. Most ESUs run programmes to encourage the effective use of English as a means of communication, as well as a variety of current affairs and cultural activities aimed at improving confidence in spoken communication.

The International Public Speaking Competition (IPSC) has been held annually since 1981 and is one of the ESU’s most successful and far-reaching international programmes. It has three objectives:

• To give young people practical experience in the fundamental skills of public speaking.

• To provide a focus for the learning of effective communication skills in English among young people in countries where English is not the first language.

• To give students from a variety of countries and backgrounds a chance to meet, exchange views and form friendships.

The 2011 competition will be the 30th anniversary of the IPSC.

Friday 4 March Deadline for preliminary application forms from competition organisers.

Friday 1 April Deadline for participant entry forms and names of accompanying adults.

Monday 23 – Friday 27 May Final and associated activities based at Dartmouth House in London.

Mid-NovemberThe winner of May’s grand final will receive their certificate from HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace.

THE ESU AND THE IPSC KEY DATES FOR 2011

About the Competition

Participants in the international competition will spend five days in London from Monday 23 – Friday 27 May 2011. Participants live and study with their fellow participants, explore London and practice public speaking and debating. In past years, the programme has included:

• a trip to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre;

• a tour of Hampton Court Palace;

• public speaking and debate skills workshops with games and a mini-competition.

Preliminary heats of the competition and the semi-finals will be held at Dartmouth House. The grand final will be held at HSBC Headquarters in Canary Wharf.

A detailed programme will be sent to all participants in April.

Bed and breakfast accommodation will be provided in Central London to all participants of the competition and their accompanying adults. Details of the accommodation will be distributed to all participants well in advance and will also be made available on the ESU website www.esu.org/ipsc

Travel to and from London for participants must be covered by the home nation ESU or competition organisers.

The programme fee for one participant from each competing country will be fully funded by Dartmouth House. If you are sending a second participant then the full cost of the programme fee must be covered by the home nation ESU or competition organisers.

Accompanying guests must be funded by the home nation ESU, the competition organisers or the individuals themselves.

An assistance fund is available to help with the cost of flights for participants. This will be awarded at the discretion of the international convenor (based at Dartmouth House). The assistance fund is not available for any costs of a second participant.

THE PROGRAMME ACCOMMODATION

FUNDING

Dartmouth House in London

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This year, there will be two themes: one for national/regional competitions and one for the international competition. The theme for the 2011 national/regional competitions is “Lessons for the Future”. The theme for the 2011 international competition is “Words are Not Enough”.

Speakers may interpret the theme in any way they see fit, but they should not use the theme as their title.

In choosing their title, participants should not be afraid to be provocative, hard-hitting or humorous, as long as their intention is constructive and the speech is not offensive.

Speakers must avoid speeches that are likely to be perceived as highly political.

• Participants are not expected to bring an accompanying guest but are welcome to do so. Usually, this is either a parent, guardian or public speaking tutor.

• The application for accompanying guests must be submitted by Friday 4 March and final names by Friday 1 April. Please note that a maximum of two guests may accompany a participant.

• Please note that the programme is organised for the participants only, not accompanying guests. Please also note that there will be space restrictions at the grand final.

THEMES FOR 2011 ACCOMPANYING GUESTS

Final:6 Participants

Semi-Finals: 24 Participants

Rules of the Competition

The closing date for countries to register for the competition is Friday 4 March 2011.Late entries are at the discretion of the international convenor.

The deadline for participant and accompanying guest registration forms is Friday 1 April 2011, unless otherwise arranged with the international convenor.

The speakers must all be winners or runners-up of an ESU national public speaking competition or a partner competition in their country. Please contact your national ESU or competition organiser for details.

The competition is open to students aged between 16 and 20 years old, in full-time education at the time of the competition (i.e. the oldest possible competitor would have their 21st birthday on the day after the competition).

Each participating country may enter a maximum of two speakers.

Competitors must be passport holders or deemed nationals of the country which they are representing.

If, in the opinion of the international convenor, a competitor acts in a manner that would bring themselves, the ESU or ESU staff into disrepute, they will not be entitled to participate in the competition during the programme final week and the competition organiser in their country will be informed.

HeatsParticipants will be divided into 8 heats by the international convenor (see Fig.1). Participants are randomly assigned to heats. Where a country is represented by 2 speakers, both will be in the same heat.

Two participants will progress from each of the heats to the semi-finals, giving a total of 24 participants in the semi-finals. Only one participant may reach the semi-finals from each country.

Semi-FinalsThe 24 participants who progress from the heats will be divided into two groups of 12 for the semi-finals. Three participants from each semi-final will progress to the grand final.

Grand FinalThe six participants who progress from the semi-finals will compete against each other in the grand final. Three prizes will be awarded at the grand final. The winner and the runner-up will each receive a prize. A third prize will be awarded to the participant selected by the audience who may or may not be one of the other prize winners. This is the Audience Choice Award.

Speeches and AdjudicationAt the heats and the grand final, participants will deliver a prepared speech, inspired by the international theme for the competition. At the semi-finals, participants will be required to deliver an impromptu speech on a topic given 15 minutes in advance.

The heats and the semi-finals will be judged by the same pool of adjudicators. A different panel of adjudicators will judge the grand final. The adjudicators’ decision is final.

Prize givingThe winner of the IPSC is invited back to the UK in mid-November to receive their prize from HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

ENTRANCE AND ELIGIBILITY COMPETITION STRUCTURE

Fig.1Competition structure

Heats: A

ll Participants

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Heats and Grand FinalEach participant will be allocated 5 minutes to deliver their prepared speech. Adjudicators may penalise participants who overrun. Marks will be deducted for speeches which vary more than 45 seconds either side of 5 minutes and at the end of 6 minutes participants will be asked to finish their speech immediately.

The timekeeper will record the lengths of speeches and give these to the adjudicators. The timekeeper will also give an audible signal after 4 minutes 15 seconds, 5 minutes and 5 minutes 45 seconds.

Each speech will be followed by a series of questions from the adjudication panel and members of the audience. Each participant will be asked at least two questions by the adjudication panel and at least two questions by members of the audience. Question time will not last for more than 3-4 minutes.

Semi-FinalsParticipants will receive their topic 15 minutes in advance of giving their speech. Participants should aim to speak for two to three minutes and not more than 3 minutes 30 seconds.

Participants will not receive questions on their impromptu speech.

The timekeeper will record the lengths of speech and give these to the adjudicators. The timekeeper will also give an audible signal after 2 minutes, 3 minutes and 3 minutes 30 seconds.

At all stages of the competition, the order in which participants speak will be determined by the international convenor.

The chairperson will introduce each participant, giving their name, country and the title of their speech.

After the participant has delivered their speech, the chairperson will invite questions from the adjudicators and the audience. These must be addressed through the chairperson.

The question time will last for not more than four minutes so questions should be answered briefly and to the point.

Accompanying guests of the participant may not ask questions following his or her speech.

The participant will stand at the front of the room (see Fig. 2).

The adjudication panel will be at the back of the room, behind the audience (see Fig. 2).

The chairperson and timekeeper will sit at a table to the side of the room, next to the participant (See Fig. 2).

No visual aids or microphones are used by the chairperson, judges or participant. This includes props of any kind.

TIMING SEQUENCE

Fig.2Room layout.

Judges

Chairperson TimekeeperSpeaker

Guidance for Speakers

– “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two! Now, this means, to the average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy!”Jerry Seinfeld

In the next few pages we will look at how we prepare and write a speech – choosing your topic, researching your subject, organising your content and practising your delivery – with the emphasis on how to use each of these elements to build your credibility.

Finally we will look at how to deal with questions and tips to build your confidence.

ABOUT THIS PART OF THE HANDBOOK

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Credibility

Credibility is fundamental to public speaking. Having credibility doesn’t have to mean being the most qualified or knowledgeable, but it does mean making good, valid and preferably strong arguments.

Valid arguments are judged on their soundness, but not necessarily their truth. So you don’t need to prove your argument is true, just that it is sound. Good arguments make logical sense. They do not make assumptions or miss out key points. Strong arguments are both valid and good, and have the added bonus of being highly likely. This makes them easier to believe, and easier to be persuaded by. If you have a choice between a good argument with weak justifications (hard to understand or easy to disagree with) and one with strong justifications (easy to understand and hard to disagree with) – choose the strong argument!

Remember that your audience, including the judges, may not have detailed knowledge of your topic. A credible speech will not blind the audience with facts or assertions. If you want to use technical terms or complex facts, take time to explain them, and make sure they are relevant to your argument.

Building a strong, good and valid argument will give your speech credibility with an audience who neither knows you nor the details of your subject.

PREPARING YOUR SPEECH

Preparation

Giving a speech in a competitive environment is different to giving one at a wedding reception, in a business presentation or at school or university. The skills to learn are very similar, but the circumstances require a different attitude. Often competitive public speakers are reluctant to give speeches in other circumstances for this very reason. The guidelines in this section are written to help you make the most out of the competition, but remember that they are guidelines which are useful in virtually any form of public speech. Reading the adjudication guidelines as well will help you to tailor your speech to the requirements of this competition.

While each type of public speech has different aims, we can still identify common purposes. In general, a public speech should seek to

• inform

• entertain

• persuade

• inspire

Consider the types of public speech that you have encountered in the past and try to identify their purposes. Teachers seek to inspire and entertain for the purpose of informing their students. Politicians seek to inform people of their policies and persuade them that these policies should be adopted. Campaigners often need to persuade their audiences that their position is right to inspire their audiences to support their cause.

The most compelling and powerful public speeches do all four. For example, a politician could seek to persuade their audience by presenting lies, but the persuasiveness of that speech disappears once those lies are revealed. A speech that not only persuades, but accurately informs is far more likely to have an enduring impact on the audience.

Interpreting the theme

You are not allowed to use the theme as your title. The theme is quite broad and deliberately does not suggest a specific subject area.

Stick to the guidelines above about manageable topics that you are interested in. Don’t try to second guess what the ‘intention’ was behind the choice of theme, and do not pick something that you feel you ought to talk about in preference to something you really want to talk about. Also remember that adjudicators will be hearing a lot of speeches in succession, so interpreting the theme in a creative way will result in a more original speech that will stand out in the adjudicators’ mind.

Guidance for Speakers

Choosing a topic

You are restricted by the theme of the competition, but may interpret it in any way you wish within the guidelines.

Will my topic capture the audience’s interest?Your audience does not necessarily need to be interested in your subject before the speech. Indeed, most speeches that set out to inform will be on things that people know very little about, but the subject should capture their imagination. As your speech is only a maximum of five minutes, think about the ways in which interest can be captured within a few sentences.

Does it have obvious parallels with something that they do know about? The stock market may seem like an impenetrable topic for discussion, until you consider how similar it is to gambling.

Does it affect their lives, even if they don’t realise it? Allocation of government resources could be linked with the availability of teachers or hospital beds.

Are there links between this topic and areas that an audience may already have an interest in? Intellectual property rights seem like a mundane topic until you consider that intellectual property rights are breached every time a song or a movie is downloaded illegally.

Am I interested in the topic?Somewhat unsurprisingly, an effective prepared speech requires a significant amount of time in preparation!

We suggest that you talk to your teachers, parents and mentors about your choice of topic. This will help you find an area that you find interesting, but may not necessarily have existing knowledge of. Selecting a topic that you have an interest in means you will be more motivated when researching and composing it, and will therefore produce a better speech. Enthusiasm is an incredibly difficult thing to fake! On the other hand, if you already know a lot of detailed information, you may be tempted to show your depth of knowledge to the detriment of the structure of the speech. Picking a subject to speak on that is new to you will help you to produce a well-researched, interesting and engaging speech.

Am I able to research my topic effectively?You will need to use information in your speech to inform and persuade your audience. Use a range of sources, which can include the internet, school or local libraries, interviews or personal experiences. Refer to them in your speech so the adjudicators know you have a broad base for your arguments.

The questions that follow your speech are designed to test your knowledge and understanding of your chosen topic. Therefore, you should have carried out sufficient research to be able to answer questions relating to the subject matter of your speech.

Can I properly discuss my chosen topic in the limited time I have available?Some topics are unfamiliar to audiences and may require considerable amounts of background information simply to give context to your speech.

For example, it is probably impossible to reasonably convince people that “The Meiji Restoration in Japan was unfair on the daimyos” if you have to begin your talk with a description of the state of Japan before the Restoration, then tell us what the Restoration changed, tell us what a daimyo is, and then present analysis of your previous descriptions to show how the daimyos suffered wrongly as a result of the Restoration, all in five minutes!

If you need to give background information or explain technical terms make sure they do not take up any more than a few simple sentences. If they do, consider refining your topic.

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Inform, entertain, persuade, inspire

Above we discussed the purposes of a speech and saw how those purposes establish credibility. In this competition you have a limited period of time to deliver your speech, aiming simply to inform or entertain the audience will probably not enable you to fully demonstrate your public speaking skills. You should aim to use your speech to persuade your audience of your assertion, or to inspire them to take a certain action.

Statement of intent

‘If you can’t write your speech in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour’

Remember that writing a speech is different to writing an essay. You don’t have the opportunity to go back and reread sentences or pause to consider a complex statement. Clarity is crucial to effective delivery. To ensure that your speech remains clear, try to draw up what you believe will be the core of the speech; a few sentences that explain the purpose of the speech and its main points.

Complete the following sentence: “At the end of my speech I want to have convinced the audience that... ”

Give yourself a specific target. For example, rather than saying “At the end of my speech I want to have convinced the audience that global poverty is bad”, say “At the end of my speech I want to have convinced my audience that global poverty is bad, there are ways in which the audience can address it, and that they have a responsibility to do so”. This is your statement of intent.

You do not have to include the statement of intent in your speech, but having one allows you to tie your main points to what your speech sets out to achieve. By way of example, find a public speech that you find appealing and one that you find unappealing or confusing. Try to write a statement of intent for each. The speech for which you find it easier to identify a core aim, will be the speech you find more appealing.

Supporting your statement of intent

Each clause in your statement of intent is a claim that needs to be identified and then supported. Looking at the example, we can see there are three claims:

“global poverty is an important issue”, “the audience can take action to alleviate it”, and “the audience has a responsibility to do so”

Research evidence to support each of these claims to make your speech a valid and good argument. You need to explain how your evidence supports what you are saying, this will helps to make it a strong argument.

Conflicting evidence and opinions

Interesting speeches often make claims that are controversial. In the course of your research, you will discover information surrounding your topic that does not support your conclusion and opinions that differ from your own. Don’t ignore these!

Take time in your speech to acknowledge, explore and recognise other points of view, before comparing them carefully with your own evidence and reasons to come to a balanced conclusion. That is much more effective as a method of persuasion because it creates more credibility for you. When persuading the audience to adopt a particular point of view, think about the ways in which your arguments might be opposed, and try to incorporate the response to those arguments in your speech. After all, an audience is more likely to be persuaded by someone who understands the alternatives and can justify their position, than by someone who only knows or understands one view.

Audiences aren’t passive; they think about and question the material that you present, and are more likely to be persuaded by arguments that you have tested, and subsequently strengthened.

Guidance for Speakers

Methods of illustration

There are all sorts of pieces of evidence that could support your claim, not just what you might think of as ‘facts’.

• Common sense beliefs or idiom – if you can connect the idea that you are trying to communicate to a belief that is deeply held by the audience, then it is likely to persuade them;

• Narrative – simple stories can often communicate complex ideas by way of metaphor;

• Humour can also be effective – getting the audience to laugh at an idea makes it easy to then convince them that the idea is wrong.

Try to remember the ways by which you have been convinced in the past to change your view, or become interested in an issue, and use those techniques in your speech to connect with the audience.

Think of evidence as illustration in the most literal sense – shedding light on the issue, illuminating your ideas and making them easily understood by the audience. However, always remember to show how your evidence is relevant and how it supports what you are saying.

Researching your topic

Researching your topic is essential. Even if you have prior knowledge of your chosen topic, you will need to broaden your perspective on the issue, considering a broader range of sources and alternative perspectives. When researching your topic, you should be mindful of the following points:

• You should consider different types of sources, such as fact-based sources (e.g. encyclopaedias), opinion-based sources (e.g. newspapers) and academic sources (e.g. journals)

• You should also aim to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information on your topic. The internet can be very useful for this (e.g. Google).

• Where statistics are employed as evidence, you should aim to have two or more sources to support your argument. You do not need to quote these sources, but you should be aware of them, particularly for questions.

• Anecdotal evidence (e.g. personal stories, myths and memories) should never be the primary source supporting your arguments, but may be a very effective way to demonstrate the human elements of your speech and inspire passion or empathy in the audience. Anecdotal evidence is also, very often, entertaining.

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Speech outline

A speech outline helps the audience to follow your speech, you should tell them at the start of the speech what your key points are going to be. After you have delivered the bulk of material in the speech, remind them of what the key points are.

• Open with an introduction, which lets the audience know who you are, what you are going to be speaking about and why, and what you hope to achieve by the end of the speech.

• Provide a preview of your points, telling the audience what you will be saying which will help you to achieve your aims, and in what order. Think of this as a ‘map’ for the speech to help the audience follow you.

• Move on to your main points, covering them in a logical order. Start with the most basic or fundamental points or a description necessary to give your points context. Remember all the time to support your claims with evidence, and then show how that evidence supports your conclusion.

• Conclude. The conclusion ties together everything you have said and reminds the audience what you wanted to convince them of and why they should be persuaded. Try to link each step with your statement of intent. This does not mean reading out your statement repeatedly, but simply ensuring that everything you say is necessary to prove your statement and that everything necessary to prove your statement is said. Your conclusion should reiterate the main points you made in your introduction and show how the evidence provided in your speech support the overall conclusion at which you have arrived.

WRITING YOUR SPEECH

Let the audience know when you’re moving from one part of your speech to the next with transition words or phrases, like “So we’ve looked at the effect of global warming on poorer countries. Now I’d like to examine the effect on richer countries...” .

Summarise the points you have made so that the audience can feel confident that they have understood everything in your speech.

Guidance for Speakers

Using notes

Having a clear outline and structure to your speech enables you to make very simple notes. Each person will find a particular notation style that suits them, but remember never to write out any of your speech in full. Having a few large key words written on a card in front of you will enable you to pick up your speech more easily if you stumble or get lost. Because different people think and organise thoughts in different ways, it’s important to try different approaches until you find the one that works best for you. Some things to try might be:

• A hierarchical structure – open up a computer filing system and you will notice that it begins with a small number of folders, each of which opens out into sub-folders. In a similar way, a hierarchical structure begins with your state-ment of intent, branches out into the points you will make in your speech and then the sub-points that make up each argument;

• A mind map – sometimes seeing the flow of your argument graphically will make it easier to understand;

• Pictorial representations;

• Use of different colours to identify important points, or types of argument;

• Cue cards;

• Bullet points or key headings.

Different approaches will help you in different ways, so try combining the methods to find an approach that works best for you.

Giving your structure a theme

Your speech acquires a sense of unity if you can find a single theme that links the names you are using for your different points. This theme may be an analogy to a familiar ‘set’ story, song or well known person or event. It may even simply be a set of words.

Churchill once used a garbage pile of all things as a theme on which to base a short speech on European history before the War. It began by discussing how history often fails to capture the attention of the public, because at a glance it is impossible to view the detail beyond the trash heap of random events. On closer inspection however, you can identify the items of interest, a globe, a spice from the Far East, a bayonet, in the same way that history rewards inspection with revelation. It concludes by arguing that both are highly flammable, and a failure to pay it its due attention may yield disastrous consequences in the future.

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Introduction and conclusion

The start and end are the most difficult, and in some ways the most important, parts of your speech. You should plan them carefully and know them perfectly.

Your introduction is the very first impression you will make on the audience. Rather than explaining what your topic is about, try to grab the audience’s attention by making the topic relevant to them.

For example, compare the impact:

“Today I want to talk about global warming caused by carbon emissions. I will show how the rise in global temperatures will lead to inundations of floods, droughts and food shortages in some areas, disruption to the ecosystem and civil unrest. I will then tell you what we can do to stop these effects from occurring.”

With this:

“Floods; famines; plagues of locusts; war, death and destruction on a worldwide scale – no, not prophecies from the bible, not the scenes of some Hollywood disaster movie, but predictions for the real world in the next twenty years from top scientists, if we continue pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and altering the global climate. In my speech I want to show you how easy it could be to avoid this doomsday scenario, if we only wake up to the reality that this time it’s fact, not fiction.”

The conclusion is the last thing an audience hears, so it should leave an impression on them. This could be achieved, for example, by a rhetorical question to set the audience a departing challenge – but remember to ensure that you have already provided the answer to the question. Rhetorical questions are meant to be answered by you, not by the audience. Also remember that concluding on the question with which you started makes your speech more unified, and therefore more memorable as a whole, to an audience who has heard a number of speeches.

For example, consider the conclusion to Churchill’s WWII rallying speech “Blood, Sweat, and Tears”, which concludes in no uncertain terms:

“You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: victory; victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Let that be realised; no survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that mankind will move forward towards its goal. But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. At this time I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, “Come then, let us go forward together with our united strength.”

Guidance for Speakers

– “All styles are good, except the tiresome kind” Voltaire

Expression and delivery

When you communicate with an audience, your ideas are transmitted through the medium of speech. The reaction from the audience gives you feedback, letting you know how well your speech is getting across. In the process of this communication, some of the meaning that you have in your mind – both simple meaning and the more ambiguous or emotive meaning in your speech – is lost.

Let’s look at the ways that you can minimise this loss, making sure that the entire meaning gets across to the audience. Remember that it’s difficult to gauge the style of your speech while you’re delivering it. Try to record your speech and play it back, so that you can hear it in the way that your audience will, and use the following tips to improve your delivery.

VolumeMake sure you are speaking loudly enough to be heard, but not so loud that an audience can’t take in your words.

Pace and clarityMake sure that you speak at a rate that can be easily followed and clearly enunciate your words so that an audience can understand them.

Tone and pauseVary the way you use your voice to break up your sound. An audience will ‘tune out’ from a monotonous participant, so change your pitch and speed as you move from section to section.

Body languageMuch of our communication is nonverbal. Make sure that your body is making ‘open’ gestures,

DELIVERING YOUR SPEECH

like facing forward and using your arms freely to gesture (but not over gesture) in support of your words. Avoid ‘closed’ gestures like folding your arms, turning away or hanging your head.

Facial expressions and eye contactYour face is even more important than your body. The members of the audience need to feel that you are speaking to them. Make eye contact with as many people as possible. You need to convince them that you are confident in what you are saying, so smile and both you and the audience will be at ease.

StyleThere are different styles of speech, and different styles work well in different situations. Presenting an argument, which you seek to discredit with humour, in a sarcastic tone is likely to be effective, whereas a more detailed point, which you seek to discredit, is best dealt with in as reasonable a tone as possible. Also, moving between styles during your speech, depending on the argument, makes the speech more accessible to an audience. No one enjoys five minutes of angry shouting, nor do they enjoy five minutes of sombre argument; but a combination of the two is almost always effective.

VocabularyMake sure that you are using words that everyone in the audience can understand. Although all your audiences will speak English, we each use language in a different way, and we have to be careful not to slip into colloquialisms and slang that may exclude part or all of the audience. Try to preference clarity over ornate rhetoric. While it might be tempting to use lofty language, when preparing your speech remember that doing so can often undermine the clarity of your speech.

JargonIt can be tempting, if you have spent a long time researching a topic, to use a lot of technical words in your speech, or to refer to things by abbreviations or unfamiliar titles. Remember that your audience will probably not have your level of knowledge on the subject, so always explain these things in ordinary language. If in doubt, ask a friend who is unfamiliar with the topic if they would understand the word if used in a speech.

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ESU IPSC 2011

Word choiceEnglish is full of synonyms (two or more different words that refer to the same idea, object or concept). Different words often conjure up different versions of that same idea, object or concept people’s minds. Examine public speeches in media and take note of the way they choose their language. Does the US government refer to insurgents as “freedom fighters” or “terrorists”? Do animal rights campaigners refer to cattle farmers as “agricultural workers” or “murderers”?

ConsistencyTry to use language consistently throughout your speech. You will be presenting a lot of content to your audience in a short period of time. The consistent use of language will increase the clarity of your speech. Finally, avoid using extreme rhetoric. Your aim is to persuade a reasonably unpartisan audience, not to rally a crowd of like-minds, so while it’s important to use language that supports your case, it’s also important to use it in such a way that seems reasonable

A note on notes

Earlier, we advised you to use a few clear key words as your speaking notes, rather than writing out your whole speech or trying to memorise it in its entirety. One advantage of speaking from notes and constructing each of your individual sentences afresh each time you speak is that the speech retains a sense of novelty and reality. It is all too easy for members of the audience to get the impression, if you are reciting your speech for the tenth time, that your engagement is with your memory or words and not with the audi-ence. Know what each of your points is going to be. Know your introduction and conclusion well. However, don’t over-rehearse the main body of your speech to such an extent that you lose that vital connection with it or start to become bored with it.

Remember, it’s all about getting and keeping credibility!

Top tips for confidence

Know what you are going to say and have clear and easy-to-follow notes in front of you.

• Know your first sentence off by heart.

• Breathe in before your first sentence and speak while breathing outwards. You will find that your voice projects much further and it is easy to capture the audience’s attention

• Avoid wearing uncomfortable clothes or dis-tracting jewellery. Tie your hair back if neces-sary.

• Have a sip of water before you go up to speak. Keep the glass near at hand.

• Breathe deeply, using your diaphragm, not your chest (your stomach should move out if you are doing it right).

• Start clearly and loudly from the very first word.

• Make eye contact with the audience from the start. If you are too nervous to do that, look at the middle of their foreheads. They won’t be able to tell the difference!

• If you stumble over a sentence, or momentar-ily forget what you were going to say, don’t try to talk your way out of it. Just stop, have a drink of water or simply pause, breathe deeply and start again.

• Smile at the audience. They are not hostile.

• Relax and enjoy yourself. Having a whole room of people listen to you is a rare experience and can be exhilarating!

Guidance for Speakers

ANSWERING QUESTIONS

Most ‘real world’ public speakers will, at some point, be faced with questions about what they have said. They need to be able to answer those questions confidently, reinforcing or defending their original statement, or clarifying their original statement where it has been misunderstood or taken out of context.

As part of the competition, each speaker’s ability to answer questions is tested. At the end of each speech, audience members and adjudicators are invited to put brief questions to the speaker. These may ask for clarification or expansion on a point, or seek to know the speaker’s views on a related issue not covered in their speech. Although questions are not meant to be combative, they may sometimes ask the speaker to justify their views. Participants should take note of the following tips for answering questions:

• Before your speech, think what questions are likely to be asked and consider how you might answer them.

• Don’t be tempted to simply answer the question you had prepared. Always remember to answer the question that was actually asked.

• Use the time in which the question is being asked to start formulating your answer. Don’t be afraid to pause before answering. You do not have to rush into an immediate response.

• Do not feel that you have to say a lot to answer a question. Some of the best answers are very short. You should not spend more than one minute answering a question.

• Although some questions may ask you to further explain, defend or justify your views, avoid becoming defensive or starting a debate with the questioner. Answer the question as well as you can and thank the questioner for their comments and for giving you the opportunity to clarify your point.

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Guidelines for Adjudicators

LANGUAGE

This is a public speaking competition conducted through the medium of the English language. It is not an English language proficiency test. While it is necessary to deliver your speech in English, and proficiency in English is an asset, speakers should not penalised for mistakes of grammar, different pronunciations or for the occasional problem with a difficult word.

Where one speaker, having a reasonably good level of English but making a few minor mistakes, delivers a fascinating, funny and thought-provoking speech, and another speaker, who is fluent in English and speaks flawlessly, but with less interesting content and less engagement with the audience, the former speaker should win.

MARKING SCHEME

Subject, reasoning and evidence: 35 marks

The speaker should present an interesting speech of relevance to the topic and of general significance. The speaker’s main ideas should be presented in a clear and structured way. These ideas should be supported by evidence or illus-tration. The speaker should consider alternative viewpoints to their own, but should present the audience with a definite conclusion.

Expression and delivery: 35 marks

The speaker should use employ verbal and non-verbal skills to maintain the attention and interest of the audience. Vocabulary should be clear and understandable, but imaginative and appropriate word choice should be rewarded. The speaker should be confident and appear in com-mand of their subject.

Establishing credibility: 15 marks

Good performance in the previous two sections will aid the speaker’s credibility. In addition, the speaker should be able to guide the audience clearly through their topic, from an introduction that makes their aims obvious and the impor-tance of their topic apparent, to a conclusion that leaves the audience in no doubt as to the purpose of the speech. In the main body of the speech, the speaker should develop a good rela-tionship with the audience, responding to their reaction, perhaps engaging them with humour, and appearing genuine when conveying emotion about the topic.

Responding to questions: 15 marks

The speaker should engage with the ques-tion which was asked and use the question to reinforce the ideas presented in their speech. Speakers should not attempt to avoid the ques-tion. The speaker should answer as succinctly as possible and should be rewarded for introducing new material, where relevant and appropriate.

Total: 100 marks

Notes

About the English-Speaking Union

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