Public Speaking Students Embrace Competition

The Junior Secondary Speaking Award is an annual competition open to students in Year 7 – Year 9 from across New South Wales. Participants are required to deliver a six-minute prepared speech and a two-minute impromptu speech.

Adjudicators assess contestants on their mastery of content, delivery, and structure. They seek confident and engaging speakers whose addresses progress logically toward a compelling conclusion within the allotted time. Criteria include a thorough understanding of the subject, effective theme development, and the proficient use of clear and accessible English. Successful participants demonstrate an appropriate balance between personal opinion and factual information, as well as between humour and sincerity. The adjudicators assign equal weight to both the prepared and impromptu speeches in their final decision. High-quality speeches typically feature a well-defined perspective and a purposeful direction, underscoring the importance of having a clear message before drafting a speech.

Following the prepared speeches, competitors must deliver an impromptu address. Participants are guided to a quiet room where they receive a randomly selected topic and have five minutes to compose a brief speech. While impromptu speaking can be challenging, proficiency improves with practice.

This year, Year 9 Oratory students Natalia Gardiner and Caydence Sumantri represented MLC School at the local finals of the competition. Accompanied by their oratory coach Brendan Winters, I accompanied the students to Newington last Thursday. Despite initial nerves, both Natalia and Caydence approached the event with determination. Their performances in the prepared segment were commendable, and although the impromptu section posed greater difficulty, both demonstrated resilience. Although they did not advance to the next round, their commitment to expressing their views on topics that mattered to them is deserving of recognition and congratulations.

– Andrea Rowe
Oratory Coordinator