Suggestions
for Coaching the Speech Events
The
ability to express oneself in a public forum is one of our most cherished
rights. In fact, the right to express one’s ideas in public is so
revered that it is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of
the United States--not the third or the tenth, but the first.
Public speaking helps us to shape the world around us and enables
us to preserve and give voice to the long-standing traditions and values
we hold dear. In addition to
its philosophical and cultural value, public speaking has pragmatic value.
Employers seek workers with strong communication skills and, once
employed, workers who communicate effectively often rise to higher levels
in organizations. Clearly,
the ability to speak in a public setting is one that students should
master and one that they will use in the future.
Nature of the
Event
At
GCIAAD the speech competition requires that students deliver two speeches:
a prepared speech and an impromptu speech.
Please be sure that the students are aware of the time limits on
the speeches and that they are comfortable with being timed.
In addition, it is important that the students know they will be
asked to give two speeches. In some
cases, students have come in and delivered their prepared address, but
have appeared surprised when the judges indicated they would follow up
with an impromptu speech. Both
speeches should be viewed as an opportunity for the students to express
themselves, a chance for them to be seen and heard as individuals. Toward
that end, there are several things that coaches can and should do to help
students feel at ease in this event.
For ease of organization, we will divide the process into three
dimensions: Preparation, Practice, and Conquering Stage Fright.
Preparing for the Speech Competition
Early
and adequate preparation will go a long way toward helping students feel
confident and achieve success in the speech events.
That said, it is important to recognize that public speaking is
generally evaluated on the basis of three interconnected dimensions:
Content, Organization, and Delivery.
While the specific elements that may be on the evaluation form at
Academic Decathlon may be slightly different, these three elements are
still the hallmark of an effective presentation.
Content
The selection and development of an appropriate topic is
the first step to developing sound content.
For the prepared speech, students should select a topic that is
appropriate to the occasion and the requirements of the competition.
It is also helpful if students select a topic in which they are
genuinely interested—this will help them feel more confident.
Once a topic is selected, the student should engage in research,
thought, and reflection on the topic.
In addition, they should work to revise the manuscript several
times before it ready for competition.
Because organization is an important criterion in the
evaluation of the Speeches, students are advised to build speeches around
outlines. Each speech should have:
Language of the speech should be free of colloquialism and
should be precise, interesting and appropriate to an adult audience. All
words must be pronounced correctly, and the speech must be grammatically
sound.
Topic
Selection
In
choosing a speech topic, the student should consider audience analysis. A
panel of adult professionals will be judging the speech; therefore, the
contestant is well-advised to reject topics that primarily appeal to
adolescents. This is not to suggest that the student avoid topics that
concern a young person. Certainly, the best speech topics will spring from
the student’s strong feelings about subjects of interest. The ideas
simply should be presented in a manner appropriate to an adult audience.
The
topic should be one marked by originality, or, if a universal theme, it
should be unique in analysis and approach.
Developing Self Confidence
To
help develop self-confidence, the student should be encouraged to prepare
the speech early, rehearse it thoroughly, and give it to a variety of
audiences before the contest. Only by repetitive performance does one
learn to control nervousness and to channel the energy into a vibrant
delivery style. Urge the student to seek feedback from the audiences and
to remain flexible until near the contest date. Too often the students
compose the speech, then resist changes suggested by others because of an
attachment to the original content. Advise them to address particularly
any given criticism that occurs several times from several different
listeners. The chances are good the judging panel may have the same
observations. Advise them, too, that alterations in the content are not
bad; minor adjustments will help prevent the speech from becoming stale.
Help Your Student to Understand Stage
Fright
The Book of Lists identifies
the fear of public speaking as ranking second only to fear of death.
Not surprisingly, many GCIAAD competitors report more apprehension
about the speaking events than about other dimensions of the contest.
One possible reason for this increased level of fear is that
students may feel they have more control over mental recall than they do
over the stage fright that so often accompanies the speech contest.
At the same time, however, a fear of public speaking is perfectly
normal, may be expected, and can be controlled and even diminished with
preparation and practice.
Helping students to better understand stage fright will enable them
to feel more confident with this dimension of the Decathlon.
Some
of the world’s best known actors and entertainers experience stage
fright every time they face an audience.
Singers like Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, and Cher have confessed
that stage fright has affected their lives as performers.
Actors like Tom Selleck, and even the great Sir Laurence Olivier,
have also expressed drastic feelings of stage fright when facing an
audience. Fortunately,
these performers came to understand that their feelings of fear were
actually helpful to the performance.
The
sense of stage fright and most people experience is a “fight or
flight” response to a challenging situation.
The mind and body gear up for the challenge with a boost of
adrenaline. This may cause an
increased heart rate, cotton mouth, perspiration, “butterflies” in the
stomach, as well as many other symptoms common for so many speakers. These symptoms should not be viewed as abnormal.
They are an indication that the mind and body are preparing for a
challenge. As many
instructors of public speaking have said, the key to effective public
speaking is teaching your “butterflies” to fly in formation!
If students are able to recognize the symptoms associated with
stage fright and come to see them as a sign of physical and mental energy
for the speech, the symptoms will not be debilitating.
Laurence Olivier once admitted that the worst performance of his
life was one where he did not
experience stage fright. Olivier
came to understand that stage fright is simply the physical and
psychological manifestation of one’s fear of being in front of an
audience. It is natural, and
may be controlled and even used effectively.
The
Prepared Speech
Many
GCI AAD competitors report more apprehension about the speaking contest
than about other contests. Students feel they have more control over
mental recall than they do over the stage fright that so often accompanies
the speech contest.
To
help the student develop self-confidence, you should encourage him/her to
prepare the speech early, rehearse it thoroughly, and give it to a variety
of audiences before the contest. Only by repetitive performance does one
learn to control nervousness and to channel the energy into a vibrant
delivery style. Urge the student to seek feedback from the audiences and
to remain flexible until near the contest date. Too often the students
compose the speech, then resist changes suggested by others because of an
attachment to the original content. Advise them to address particularly
any given criticism that occurs several times from several different
listeners. The chances are good the judging panel may have the same
observations. Advise them, too, that alterations in the content are not
bad; minor adjustments will help prevent the speech from becoming stale.
Topic
Selection
In
choosing a speech topic, the student should consider audience analysis. A
panel of adult professionals will be judging the speech; therefore, the
contestant is well advised to reject topics that primarily appeal to
adolescents. This is not to suggest that the student avoid topics that
concern a young person. Certainly, the best speech topics will spring from
the student’s strong feelings about subjects of interest. The ideas
simply should be presented in a manner appropriate to an adult audience.
The
topic should be one marked by originality, or, if a universal theme, it
should be unique in analysis and approach.
Content
Because
organization is an important criterion in the evaluation of the Speeches,
students are advised to build speeches around outlines. Each speech should
have:
