Writing a Speech for the International Speech Contest

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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

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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?

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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?

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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?

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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."

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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!