Secondary 1-3 English : Speech Contest
24 October 2022,
‘Persuasive speech’ provides opportunities for students to practice their public speaking and creative and critical thinking. Students should pay attention to many things when they give a speech: the language they use, the way they deliver their address, their appearance, etc.
In the first and second week of October, S1-S3 students were given a chance to provide a 2 or 3-minute persuasive speech with a different topic at each level. S1 was given ‘environment’ as the topic to improve their awareness of taking care of the environment, especially the school environment. S2 dealt with ‘The Danger of Cyberspace’ since many students have spent most of their time in cyberspace. Therefore they need to know the danger of cyberspace (so that they can be careful with online predators or other cybercrimes). ‘Positive Behavior’ was given as the topic in S3 as it’s become a concern in our education.
First, students were given knowledge about the speech from the sample of students’ speeches and notes. In a class discussion, students learned how to deliver speech successfully using gestures, tone and speed, eye contact, and language.
Next, in preparation, students had to make a script, prepare the property, and practice the techniques for giving a speech. They researched the topic before making the script; they read related articles and observed what happened around them. In writing the script, they should focus on the language and diction to convince the audience. Here, they also practiced making effective sentences in the limited time given. Next, they practiced delivering the speech, making sure they had an audible voice, used tone and speed as tools, used the property to support their address, used appropriate gestures, etc. On the d-day, students gave a speech in front of their friends. They did it successfully. ***
