There are many public speaking formats available for students in both competitive and non-competitive settings.
There are many public speaking formats available for students in both competitive and non-competitive settings. There are a few public speaking events that are particularly relevant to the LearningLeaders community. These include: Impromptu Speaking, Original Oratory, Persuasive Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking, After Dinner Speaking, and Interpretive Reading.
Impromptu Speaking
Each LearningLeaders practice session typically begins with an impromptu speech. Students are given a topic, prepare for a few minutes, and then stand to deliver a short speech on the topic. Impromptu is also a well-known competitive category. Most US-based competitions have impromptu speaking competition categories. In the competition students are presented with three prompts. As soon as a student views the three prompts, they have two minutes to prepare by selecting ONE prompt to present on. After two minutes they will deliver a speech on the topic for no more than five minutes. Students are judged on the sophistication of their content, organization, and adherence to the topic. Some competitions allow students to use a notecard during their speech and others do not. The three prompts for impromptu speaking often represent different categories such as a place, quote, or something random.Examples that students might choose from could be the following:
The Laundry-Mat
“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” -Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895, Act I
“Snakes on a...”
or
Mumbai, India
Glee
“Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand.” -Kurt Vonnegut
Training Opportunities: Advanced Public Speaking: Impromptu
Original Oratory & Persuasive Speaking
An Original Oratory is a 10-minute speech written by students. The speech explores a guiding question and typically seeks to offer a counter-intuitive view on a particular topic. The process of writing an Original Oratory involves in-depth research and special attention to advanced organizational techniques. Special attention is also paid to rhetoric and delivery. Students must memorize their Original Oratory and deliver it without notes. Original Oratory as a competitive event is offered in most US-based competitions as well as in NSDA-China events. At the World Individual Debate and Public Speaking Championships (WIDPSC) one event that most students compete inis Persuasive Speaking. The stricture of this event is similar to the competitive category of Original Oratory. At WIDPSC students must defend a particular call-to-action or solution to the problem they present. It is common to do this in an Original Oratory but it is not a requirement.
Training Opportunities: Intermediate Public Speaking: Persuasive
Extemporaneous Speaking
Extemporaneous Speaking (often referred to as “Extemp” for short) is a particularly challenging form of Public Speaking. In this competitive category students are presented with three prompts. The prompts ask about specific controversies related to current events. There is often a Domestic Extemp category and an International Extemp category. After reading the three prompts the students have 30 minutes to prepare a seven-minute speech. During the preparation time students are allowed to reference and consult printed material. The process of preparing for an extemporaneous speech typically involves preparing an “Extemp file” which is a collection of news articles on relevant topics. Unlike an Impromptu Speech, Extemporaneous Speeches are expected to draw upon evidence and very specifically answer the question. Most US-based public speaking and debate competitions havean Extemporaneous Speaking event. Examples of Extemp prompts are the following:
How will a Trump presidency affect Sino-U.S. relations?
What will be the first priority of the new Congress?
Would financial sanctions for outsourcing hurt the American economy?How safe is the U.S. financial system from another 2008-style meltdown?
Training Opportunities: Distinguished Public Speaking: Extemporaneous
After Dinner Speaking
After Dinner Speaking (or ADS for short) is entertaining and fun public speaking category in which students pretend that they are giving a keynote or address to a fictional audience. The students define the fictional audience and deliver remarks to them in the form of a keynote or another specific address.The main goal of an ADS is to be funny and original. An ADS often resembles a stand-up comedy routine though it should have a cohesive message or theme! ADS is one competitive category that students can choose at the World Individual Debate and Public Speaking Championships. The length of the speech varies from competition to competition but at WIDPSC the speeches should be no shorter than five minutes and no longer than seven minutes.
Interpretive Reading
Interpretive Reading is another public speaking event that is unique to the World Individual Debate and Public Speaking Championships (WIDPSC). In this event, students choose a piece of literature and read, or interpret, this literature in a dramatic fashion. The piece does not have to be a continuous piece but rather can be “cut” and spliced together so long as it is from the same piece of literature. One requirement of this category is that students read the piece rather than reciting it from memory. The piece should be no shorter than five minutes and no longer than eleven minutes. Students are judged on their dramatic portrayal, transition between characters, and emotional range.