JUDGING SPEECH EVENTS

GOALS

1. The Speech Events
2. How to Rank Students
3. How to Fill out a Ballot

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1. The wide world of speech events

The basics of each speech event

In the following slides, different judging criteria for all events will be listed.

HOWEVER, each event has the same basic system. The best speaker is ranked #1

Second Best #2, and so on until all competitors are ranked.

Basics of IMPROMPTU

Impromptu is a spontaneous speaking event; each student creates his/her speech during the round. It is different from all other speech events in that the judge supervises the speech preparation period. Students get two timed minutes to prepare the speech, and speak for up to five minutes with a 15 second grace period; there is no minimum speech time. Students come in one at a time; they are expected to remain in the room after speaking to listen to subsequent speakers. �You should rank the speakers from 1 to 7, with 1 being the highest/best rank.

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On the top of the ballot you have been given holds the topics for this round. Give the first student prompts under Speaker 1. Second student is Speaker 2. Do not give students their prompts at the same time. Start their prep time as soon as they draw, and say, “Time," when two minutes have eIapsed. �

Some important things to know about impromptu:

• Judges are the official timekeeper of the round and are responsible for keeping time throughout.
• Students are permitted to use their own devices (including holding a phone) to pace themselves and should not be penalized for doing so.
• If a phone is used, it must be on airplane mode and cannot be used as a prop
• Students may make notes during their prep time but must speak without notes.
• There is no prescribed approach or structure for an Impromptu speech. However, the speech should have some sort of structure or organization, and the content must be at least loosely related to the selected topic. �

Crucial measures of a strong performance:

• Is the speech organized and easy to follow?
• Are the ideas in the speech supported/expanded on with relevant examples and information?
• Does the speaker effectively use voice, gesture, movement, facial expression. and eye contact to communicate meaning?

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Basics of Original Oratory

Original Oratory is an event in which the competitor chooses to highlight a problem of concern in the world (e.g. materialism, laziness, refusal to live in the moment, sexism, racism, etc.). The competitor’s job is to convince the audience that this problem is really a significant and important one to deal with, that it a widespread problem, and also provides the listener with some sort of solution or alternative to this destructive pattern. The solution of alternative could be AN ACTION, OR a change in attitude, or agreeing that we all have the wrong idea about something.

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Here are some important things to pay attention to, when listening/judging:

In the first part of the speech, the student should provide a wide variety of evidence to convince the listener of the seriousness of the problem. This can include statistics, expert opinion, and individual stories from real life. In the “solution“ section, the speaker does not have to provide a concrete specific solution or plan (as he/she would have to do in an Original Advocacy). The solution might involve promoting a change in attitude or behavior and provide a method for making those changes.

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Here, too, it would be important to provide some sort of evidence that the changes proposed

might work to make things better. This evidence again might involve statistics, expert opinion, and/or real life examples of people employing this solution successful.

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When you judge, think about these three crucial measures of a strong performance:

1. The quality and amount of convincing evidence employed to convince you of the seriousness of the problem and the efficacy of the solution.

2. How efiectively the competitor conveys the material. Things to look for here would be the

speaker’s poise, fluency, effective use of gestures, and effective use of humor as they aid in

conveying the speaker‘s ideas.

3. The quality of the writing in the speech.

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Taking all three of these criteria into account, you then should rank the speakers from 1 to 7, with 1 being the highest/best rank.

Speeches are 10 minutes in length with a 30 second grace period; there is no minimum.

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Basics of Extemp (Domestic and Foreign)

The Extemp events are spontaneous speeches. The students meet in a prep room to draw 3 questions. The students draw 7 minutes apart ensuring that each student has equal preparation time regardless of speaking order. They choose one question and then spend 30 minutes outlining and practicing a speech that answers it. The speeches are 7 minutes maximum with no minimum. There is a 15 second grace period and notes may not be used.

You should rank the speakers fium 1 to 7, with 1 being the highest/best rank.

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Some important things to know about Extemp:

• National Extemp will focus on domestic issues and US foreign policy while International Extemp will focus on worldwide current events.
• Judges are the official timekeeper of the round and are responsible for keeping time throughout.
• Students are permitted to use their own devices (including holding a phone) to pace themselves and should not be penalized for doing so.
• If a phone is used, it must be on airplane mode and cannot be used as a prop
• As they prepare their speeches, the students will utilize large bodies of research done prior to the tournament.
• The final round includes cross-examination.
• You may not agree with the student's answer to the question, but the speech may still be superior quality. It is essential that a judge not let personal bias/preference influence rankings.
• Sample Question: Who is the most likely Democratic nominee for the upcoming Presidential election? (see bullet point above}

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Crucial measures of a strong performance:

• The speaker offers a valid answer to the question she/he drew.
• The speaker is organized so that the speech and analysis offered is easy to show.
• The speaker cites factual and analytical information to support ideas/arguments offered in the speech.
• The speaker’s cited information comes from a variety of sources.
• The speaker presents with effective use of voice, gestures, movement, facial expression and eye contact to convey meaning.

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Basics of Informative

An Informative Speech is written by the speaker and its purpose is to inform the audience about a particular object, concept, idea, or process.

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This is a brief highlight of some very important things to judge this event, but please look at your written judge's instructions for InformativeSpeaking or Expos as we it used to be called.

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Here are some important things to pay attention to when listening/judging:

• Informative Speech is based upon researched information and not upon fabricated material.
• The speech is based upon research - like “cookies” or an intangible topic — like “sadness.” Unlike interpretive speeches, Expos is not a performance. Informative Speech is the only speech that uses visual audio and/or audio aids. These aids should be used to support the speech, but they are not as important as the composition of the speech itself.

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�When you judge, think about these crucial measures of a strong performance:

1. A particularly strong Informative will leave the audience knowing more than when the speech began — even if a seemingly ordinary topic is the subject of the speech. If you find yourself saying “Wow! I didn‘t know that!" at one or several points during the speech, consider it a first-rate Expos.
2. Good visuals will help support the Informative Speech, and cleverness should be rewarded, but remember, this is not an art project. This is an innovative speech and the speech is more important than the aides. The speaker can use props and costumes providing that no props or costumes are on the speaker’s body before the speech begins or at the end of the speech.
3. A strong Informative speaker will make the most of the time allotted to inform you, the audience about his or her topic. Please remember that this is a maximum 10 minute speech with a 30 second grace period; there is no minimum. That extra grace period can be especially important to Informative speakers who need to move their easels with their visual aids in front of the audience as well as remove them within that time period. You should rank the speakers from 1 to 7, with 1 being the highest/best rank.

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Basics of Humorous Interp

HI is where a single student interprets a piece of literature (book, play, musical, etc.) which is

humorous in nature.

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The student will portray one or more characters in the piece.

The length of the performance is a maximum of I0 minutes with a 30 second grace period; there is no minimum.

You should rank the speakers from 1 to 7, with 1 being the highest/best rank.

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Some important things to know about Humorous Interpretation:

• The piece may be a monologue, or the student may portray two or more characters.
• For pieces with multiple characters, each should he clearly differentiated, using qualities such as different voices, facial expressions, and body postures. Transitions between characters should be clear, making it easy for you to understand who is speaking.

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Please try to judge the competitors based on their performance/talent as opposed to how

humorous you find the material. Everyone has a different sense of humor, and these pieces aren’t written by the students themselves so it is unfair to solely judge them based on the selection.

�Crucial measures of a strong performance.

• Did you understand the story?
• Were the characters the student portrayed clear/effective/original/funny?
• Could you tell the differences between all the characters?

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Basics of Dramatic Interp

Dramatic Interpretation is an event where students convey the meaning of a dramatic work

through characterization, voice(s), gestures, emotions, and facial expressions. The selections

come from stories plays, poems or literary material. The speech should he no longer than 10

minutes with a 30 second grace period; there is no minimum time.

You should rank the speakers from 1 to 7, with 1 being the highest/best rank.

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Some important things to know about DI:

• Dramatic presentations will overall be serious but may contain lighter, more humorous moments
• Students may play one or multiple characters; if there are characters, they should be well developed, and if more than one character, they should be easily distinguishable
• You should be able to follow the development of the selection, its theme and story.

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Crucial Measures of a Strong Performance:

• Did the speaker use effective oral presentation skills?
• Did the speaker convey an understanding of mood and emotion?
• Was the portrayal of characters clear and consistent?
• Was the narrative easy to follow?

Basics of Declamation [Oratorical Interp]

In Oratorical Interpretation, the student delivers a public address that was originally delivered by a real person. Public address is defined as a formal spoken communication to an audience but it is not a stand-up comedy performance, a poetry slam, or storytelling.

The student may deliver the Oratorical Interpretation as it was delivered by the original speaker or the student may use his/her own interpretation ideas.

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At the start of the speech or somewhat near the beginning. the student will give an original

introduction to the speech citing the author, title if given, the occasion, place, and date of the

original delivery of the speech.

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When judging the Oratorical Interpretation, the following should be considered:

1. Editing of the selection: Most original speeches are longer than the 10 minute time limit. Is the cutting of the speech effective and makes it clear and easy to follow?
2. Does the speaker use vocal variety, volume, diction and pace of delivery effectively?
3. Does the speaker’s physical delivery enhance the overall effect of the speech?
4. Consider the-emotional portrayal. How well does the speaker portray the moods of the speech and the author’s intent?

Speeches are 10 minutes in length with a 30 second grace period; there is no minimum.

You should rank the speakers from 1 to 7, with 1 being the highest/best rank.

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Basics of Duo Interp

DUO is an event where two students perform together.

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Unlike other events, for reasons of having 2 performers unmasked in a room, Duo will be judged by clicking on and watching the youtube link to the performance.

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Like other interpretation events the

students interpret a single piece of literary material, which may be a book, play, musical etc. The students act out one or more characters each to portray their story but they are not allowed to have direct eye contact or physically touch one another. Selections are a maximum of 10 minutes with a 30 second grace period; there is no minimum.

You should rank the speakers flour 1 to 7, with 1 being the highest/best rank.

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Some important things to know about DUO:

• Students will use a wide range of material and should be judged primarily on their performances, not their piece selection. In other words, if a pair of students is performing your favorite book of all time but you feel they did not perform the best, than you should not give them a higher score just because you love their taste in books. The quality of the writing may weigh into the judge‘s decision.
• Subject material will range from completely humorous, completely dramatic, or both and there is no correct type of piece.

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Please remind students there is no “stone-walling", which means students and audience members should be respectful of all performances and not purposely laugh or react for only their school’s performances.

Crucial measures of a strong performance:

• Did you understand what was going on?
• Did the students commit to their characters?
• Was the performance creative, engaging, and effective?

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Basics of Original Advocacy

Original Advocacy is a speech that introduces a very real state or national problem in the United States and offers a specific legislative solution to that problem (i.e. hunger, poor infrastructure, human trafficking.) Minimally, the problem should be clearly defined and shown to be widespread. Proof of the problem can be in the form of examples, statistics, studies, and experts. Then, the causes of the problem can be detailed (again using the same forms of proofs). Next, as important as it is to prove that the problem exists, the student must also show concrete evidence of serious impacts or bad results of the problem. Finally, a specific legislative solution (a law to be passed) that is proven to solve the problem and its harmful results should be offered.

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Here are some important things to pay attention to when listening/judging:

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Judges should consider both delivery and content in their decisions, When considering a student’s delivery, the judge may weigh the student‘s preparation, fluency, persuasive abilities

and techniques, facial/vocal expression, pacing, gesture, timing, and confidence.

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When considering a student‘s content, the judge may consider the clarity of the statement of the problem, the quality of the researched support and proof, the quality of the writing, the analysis and logic behind the student's argument, the choice of language, organization, and

timeliness/originality of topic. Broad generalizations do not illustrate quality of research and

good analysis, and are to be avoided.

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Given the controversial nature of the event, the judge is asked to remain objective and open-minded and not judge on what the judge him/herself already knows/believes about the topic. The maximum length of the speech is 10 minutes with a 30 second grace period; there is no minimum length.

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As the problem is “real world,” once the law is actually passed in the United States, the advocacy topic is no longer viable, as the student is asking for a law already on the books. And the student cannot advocate action by any government body outside of the United States.

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When you judge, think about these three crucial measures of a strong performance.

1. The quality and amount of convincing evidence employed to convince you of the seriousness of the problem and the efficacy of the solution.
2. How effectively the student conveys the material. Things to look for here would be the speaker’s poise, fluency, effective use of gesture and facial expression as they aid in conveying the speaker’s ideas.
3. The quality of the writing in the speech.

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Taking all three of these criteria into account, you then should rank the speakers from 1 to 7,

with 1 being the highest/best rank.

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Basics of Original Prose and Poetry

Original Prose and Poetry pieces are the original works of the students, and may be plays, stories, poetry, essays, or a combination of forms. The subject matter may be serious or humorous. Pieces are a maximum of 10 minutes long with a 30 second grace period; there is no minimum time. Students may use a script, but are not required to do so.

You should rank the speakers from 1 to 7, with 1 being the highest best rank.

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Some important things to know about OPP:

• The variety of pieces is greater than in any of the other speech events.
• The piece may have a single narrator, or the speaker may portray multiple characters;

neither approach is to be preferred. If the speaker portrays multiple characters, the characters should be well-developed and easily distinguishable from one another.

• You should be able to follow the development of the piece, either its theme or its story.

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Crucial measures of a strong performance:

• The composition shows a high degree of originality and creativity.
• The writing displays effective use of language.
• The delivery effectively uses voice, gestures or other movement, facial expression. And eye contact as appropriate, to convey meaning.
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BE A CREATOR OF COMMUNITY

• Facilitate introductions
• Greet speakers�throughout the day
• Listen actively
• Share your reactions to students’ work, performances and ideas on the ballot, not out loud
• Push students and celebrate growth

During �the Round

• Keep time
• Listen actively
• Take notes

After �the Round

• Congratulate students but DO NOT give verbal feedback
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• Rank the students and leave helpful feedback. Writing GOOD PERFORMANCE on a student you ranked sixth is not helpful

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YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A JUDGE

Head to the room number indicated on your text

Open your ballot and press “Start Round”

Before�the Round

4. HOW TO FILL OUT A BALLOT

HOW TO FILL OUT A BALLOT

• To see your current ballots, log-in and go to your account dashboard by clicking your username/email in the upper part of the page.
• Make sure to click "Start Round" to let the tournament know that you're aware you're judging.

HOW TO FILL OUT A BALLOT

• For each ballot, fill out the speaker points, choose a winner and the corresponding school, then click "Submit Ballot."

HOW TO FILL OUT A BALLOT

• During the round, before you submit your ballot, you should fill out a Reason for Decision (RFD) below the ballot.
• This will be saved and available to competitors and their coaches.
• A good RFD is specific. It is typically at least a paragraph, often longer.
• A good RFD describes either how the affirmative met their burden of proof or how the AFF was defeated by the NEG.
• A good RFD always explains to the losing side what they could have done to win the debate.

HOW TO FILL OUT A BALLOT

• After submitting your ballot the first time, you must confirm the ballot - you'll be shown the data you entered the first time, and then the option to confirm or re-enter if you made a mistake.

WRITING A REASON FOR DECISION (RFD)

Strong RFD

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• At least 2 sentences
• States strongest arguments
• Compares or weighs arguments
• Explains how enacting the plan would make the world a better place

Weak RFD

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• 1-2 sentences
• Vague, generic
• Doesn’t compare or weigh arguments
• Discusses superficial items (presentation, clarity)

POSITIVE FRAMING…

• “You could have been anywhere this Saturday, perhaps you wish you were in your bed sleeping. But you worked hard and came here to participate in the most venerable tradition of American democracy, the public debate. I salute you for it.”
• -- Fred Sternhagen
• Director of Debate, Concordia University