If all my talents and powers were to be taken from me by some inscrutable providence, and I had my choice of keeping but one, I would unhesitatingly ask for be allowed to keep the Power of Speaking, for through it I would quickly recover all the rest.
------ Daniel Webster, American politician
Being able to speak persuasively is a vital skill, and not just for politicians, business leaders and teachers. It is important for everyone because almost everyone will, at some point in their lives, have to persuade others.
Speech and debate offer students the opportunity to not only improve speaking ability, but also develop the ability to use vocal inflections and intonations to emphasize important points and concepts. Public speaking is a very common fear. One of the best ways to overcome glossophobia is to develop confidence, which only comes through practice.
As a great opportunity for students to improve speaking ability, Shenzhen International Foundation College not only held a speech contest on campus, but led students to participate in competitions in Shenzhen. We took part in two speech and debate competition held by Shenzhen Reading Month and 21 Century Daily. Although both competitors and teachers were apprehensive, they accepted the challenge and had success.
“Young Voice”
Shenzhen English Speaking and Debate Competition
“Young Voice” Shenzhen English Speaking and Debate Competition for Middle School Students
Top 100 contestants:
Eunice, Rebecca
Third prize of speech competition:
Susie
Second prize for Great Writing:
Sherry
Excellent Reading Award:
Jerry,Katie,Jacky,Susie,Eunice,Rebecca,Sherry,Blanche,Genevieve
Excellent Coach Award:
Afra, Amy
“21 Century Cup”
National English Speaking Cometition
“21 Century Cup” National English Speaking Competition held by China Daily, Shenzhen HSBC Division.
Middle School
1st Prize:
Jerry
2nd Prize:
Alison, Effie
High School
1st Prize:
Hildy
2nd Prize:
Susie, Rebecca,Angel
3rd Prize:
Aaron, Arthur
Congratulations to Hildy and Rebecca were invited by the judge of speech competition, Prof. Liu to perform on the 4th Teenagers English Speaking Show of Shenzhen on December 15th in Luohu Book City.
Congratulations to Jerry who has the chance to compete to advance to the national competition on December 22nd .
► Earnest preparation and consistent practice of competitors
There was only 1 to 2 weeks for participators to prepare, but all of them concentrated on details from brainstorming to rehearsal.
What makes a speech?
Introduction + Body + Conclusion
What makes a GOOD speech?
A “wow” introduction
+
A logical body
+
An effective conclusion
Thoughts from contestants
Alison( Grade 7)
When I spoke, I often got nervous, which made me forget my words. But still I think this speech competition is a good exercise for me, because it can help me speak more fluently, although I don’t like speech very much.
Hildy(Grade 9)
I feel the charm of public speaking during the contest. I did not realize that there were so many skills and tactics in speech before the competition. I build up confidence and improved my oratory skills. I appreciate the teachers’ guidance and help.
Arthur(Grade 10)
This is the first time I have the chance to take part in speech contest. I overcame my stage fright and practiced speaking skills.
► Guidance from teachers
In addition to the contestants, the coaches also worked hard for the contests. All of the teachers in English department joined in to help students in speech writing, and rehearsal guidance.
Let’s see what teachers say
Mavis
Some of our students feel uncomfortable to speak in public because they are shy. This speech competition served as a way to help students get out of their comfort zone to take challenges. And when they have done it, they were amazed to find out how well they can do.
Afra Li
A good speech can only be conveyed by a speaker with strong confidence. But our kids were too consumed with stage fright, so I could only use a behavior therapy called "systematic desensitization" to train them overcome this. I let them to give a speech while standing on a chair in the classroom so they can feel the tension and adrenaline rising... it is actually a lot of fun but they did overcome a lot anxiety.
Sarah
I thought this was such a great opportunity to introduce my 9th grade middle schoolers to the world of public speaking. So the focus of our training was on building their confidence. I am glad that they really made some progress in vocal projection, eye contact and so forth. It’s an unforgettable experience for me and my students. Hopefully this experience will make giving a presentation feel less like a nightmare to our students.
Amy Wu
It is my pleasure to lead students to the interscholastic speech and debate competition. What teachers can do are to push students who have huge potential forward and show their confidence with their strength. I wish more students can participate in the competitions next year.
Address:No. 8 Yizhan 4th Road, International Art Exhibition Center, Baoan District, Shenzhen
Tel1:400-926-1666
Tel2:86-755-26534780
E-mail:admission@sifc.net.cn