With our amazing script and excellent performance, this was without a doubt another great success in my English teaching career
For the first time in the ten years since the Education Bureau initiated this competition, our team secured first place. Upon hearing the announcement, we were all overjoyed, shouting and screaming with excitement. This feeling was difficult to describe in words, but I knew I wanted to cherish the ecstasy for a very long time.
This glorious victory holds significant
meaning for me. First, a decade ago, when the competition was initially
established, we regrettably placed second. Therefore, when it was our turn to
coach this year, we consistently aimed for the championship. Notably, this also
marked the very first grand prize in KMJH's history. Second, the story itself
was meticulously structured with twists and surprises, specifically designed to
allow vocal expressions to bring the characters to life. I took particular
pride when a judge commented that it was one of the very few perfect scripts he
had ever seen. Finally, my daughter took on the leading role of Aladdin, and
together we dedicated significant time to refining her performance. It was
wonderful to see father and daughter work towards a common goal and share the
same passion.
So, how exactly did we achieve this success?
While I'll save the in-depth details for my future workshop presentations, I
can outline four major key elements:
1. Story Structure
I watched dozens of YouTube videos on this
topic and finally absorbed the fundamental principles of story structure. I
then proceeded to work on the script, ensuring each scene had its own distinct
goal. For example, for the big revelation to work, Aladdin had to suffer the
most but still ignored the price he had paid until Jasmine decided to give him
a second chance but then rejected him.
I truly felt like a director when writing the
screenplay for the Reader's Theater (RT) competition. I had vivid mental images
of how each character should use their voice to perfectly illustrate their
emotions.
2. Pronunciation and Intonation
This cannot be overemphasized. It's the first
impression your audience will have about the whole show. While elaborate body
language or eye-catching props may be appealing, they will not
significantly enhance story delivery if students lack proficiency in connected
speech, rising and falling intonation, or mispronounce specific words.
3. Vocal Expression
The primary goal is to bring the story to
life. Students may have perfect English pronunciation, but the audience will
struggle to connect with the story if it's delivered in an emotionless
monotone. For example, when Aladdin was about to make his last wish, it was so
sentimental because he already knew he would lose Genie immediately. Performers
must convey that Aladdin was determined yet profoundly sad to make this
decision.
4. Character Interaction
As the story builds to a crucial moment, all
characters must collaborate to help the audience grasp the underlying meaning.
During our countless rehearsals, I consistently reminded the performers that
passive participation, appearing disengaged from the narrative, was
unacceptable. Instead, we utilized body language, expressive facial
cues, chants, and other techniques to powerfully highlight these
pivotal moments.
Of course, not everything proceeds as
planned. I had to eliminate certain subplots due to the six-minute time
constraint for script delivery. Some students were unable to meet our
expectations, necessitating difficult decisions regarding their roles. In challenging
situations, which are inevitable, one must take a deep breath, remain calm, and
strategize a solution.
This success could not have been achieved by
me alone. Alex and I formed an excellent team. Our shared drive and dedication
to the contest enabled us to quickly address all challenges. Additionally, the
Director of the Academic Office and her staff provided invaluable
support with the logistical arrangements.
All in all, as a public speaker at workshops
myself, I am very invested in presentation skills. While I'm not a speaking
guru, I genuinely appreciate every English contest that requires writing and
speaking skills for improved content and delivery. It takes significantly more
time and energy to help students master these skills, but the effort is
entirely worthwhile when they excel in those competitions.
No comments:
Post a Comment