How to Win an English Speech Contest

English Stress and Intonation Notes

Seven tips for helping my students win first and second place for the KMJH and Taichung 2020 Junior High English speech contests

I love EVERYTHING about English learning, especially when it comes to expressing myself fluently in the language. Immersing in an English environment, such as listening to podcasts, reading Taipei Times, and speaking English one on one on Skype, has been a daily routine for over twelve years. Accordingly, being able to speak and write well gives me an edge over others on teaching my students how to excel in English competitions, too. Here are some tips for bringing out the best in our students:

1. Amusing Anecdotes

"Three years ago, when I was still an elementary school student, I attended an English storytelling contest. It turned out a TOTAL disaster. The judges were staring at me. My heart was beating like a drum. I didn't know where to put my hands. I got cold feet and completely forgot what I wanted to say."

Whether it's a heroic act or an embarrassing flop can both touch the audience. Through interviews with my students, I want to elicit touching stories that can make the judges relate to their personal experiences. It's also what makes the speech unique as well as authentic, adding a personal touch to the script. This anecdote can also serve as a hook that engages the judges right away.

2. Vivid Description

"I am riding a bike, paddling past golden rice paddies. The fragrant flowers and lush trees along the way are just a perfect combination for a good mood. Then, birds are chirping and singing. The wind is blowing gently on my face. This place has a magical power that it can make all your worries go away."

The purpose is to plant an idea in the audience's mind. It also helps to create a mental image that immediately sets the tone of the speech. Most important of all, it can effectively let the audience feel your passion for the topic.

3. Clear Transitions

It goes without saying that our brains love a clear roadmap to guide the flow of information. It helps the judges to process your arguments and creates an expectation about what will come next. Moreover, we can be more aware of the consistency of our content and always stay on topic. 

To put it in context, I am a big fan of the Rule of Three. It's everywhere in our greatest stories and fairy tales, such as the Three Little Pigs and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Try to come up with three steps to fulfill your goals or three reasons why you love English so much, and it'll be more concise and memorable to the judges.

4. Call for Action

"I've been to many other night markets in Taiwan, but this one in our lovely hometown is second to none. How long has it been since your last visit? Trust me. Fengjia Night Market will never stop to amaze you. What are you waiting for? Maybe you'll see me there savoring some octopus balls this weekend."

The idea is pretty self-explanatory. After all your three arguments, you really want to prompt your listeners to take action right away. It also helps your audience to make a meaningful connection to the opening of your speech, whether it's a personal story or a famous quote.

Don't just repeat or paraphrase what you already said in the end. It's boring. Instead, urge the audience to give it a try with whatever you proposed during your talk.

5. Pronunciation and Intonation

Nobody can stand a low and flat voice for a long time. Lacking inflection is very common with Taiwanese English learners. No matter how good the script is, without it, the whole speech would very likely end up a total disaster.

Through those English speech contests and Reader's Theater competitions, I've had lots of experience in tips and skills, as you can see from the videos, to get my students to speak better and sound more native-like.

6. Change of Pitch and Pace

This is a much more advanced skill. The idea is to leave the judges no chance at all to feel tired or even bored with your speech. They have to listen carefully up to twenty speakers at a time. It's easy for them to zone out if your pitch and pace remain the same throughout the entire speech. By varying them based on the tone or mood of each paragraph, your delivery will be much more engaging to the judges.

7. Confident Body Language

This includes smiling, eye contact, hand gestures, and body posture. You don't want to look stiff or appear flashy with too much movement. Just smile and be comfortable with making eye contact with the judges by pretending you're talking with one of your close friends at a time. Instead of regurgitating what you memorized from your script, you want to look confident and get your points across. 

All in all, as a public speaker at workshops myself, I've been very into presentation skills. I'm not a speaking guru or anything like that, but I do love every single English contest that requires writing and speaking skills for better content and delivery. It takes a whole lot more time and energy to help students master those skills, but it's totally worth the effort when they nail those competitions.