Korean Job Discussion Forums

Easter Clark · Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong

I want to train / send some students to a speech contest. I think it would help improve the morale of my students, and a few of them may even see some scholarship opportunities from this. The problem is, I don't even know where to start, and neither do my co-teachers.

Does anyone have experience with this kind of thing or can you offer some advice as to where to start or begin looking?

Ramen · Joined: 15 Apr 2008

hossenfeffer · Joined: 07 Oct 2006

Eastern Clark--

I judged an English contest last semester for the elementary school I work at and you're right, there are a lot of things to consider.

One simple piece of advice that I encourage you to pass on to your students is: make eye contact with the judges and audience.

If you want to talk more about the contest, pm me.

Hoss.

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

Ask for a copy of the script beforehand. Make out comprehention questions so you can determine which students are parroting a script as opposed to submiting a proper speech that they have both written themselves and understand.

Those who have obviously downloaded something off the internet will get a chance to either withdraw of resubmit another application.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

I have a lot of experience doing this, both for contests at my school and at a district and regional level. What type of contest would you be prepping them for?

Easter Clark · Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong

Actually I just want to know how to go about finding contests in the first place, since I don't know of any in our area. How do you find out about these? Does your admin come to you with the idea?

I asked my co-teacher and he's clueless as to how to enter our students in such contests, since our school has never participated in them before. This would be the first time for everyone.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Aussiekimchi · Joined: 21 Apr 2006 Location: SYDNEY

Most speech contests run by govt organisations in coordination with private companies are usually rigged.
A bunch of kids get up and crap on about kimchi or Dokdo and look like performing seals.
I judged a major contest a few years ago at one of the universities in Seoul.
The clear winner on the day came in 3rd and the actual winner would have been lucky to be top 10.
I know I am an old cynic who has been here too long, but...meh...a cynic is what an idealist calls a realist in Korea!

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

BreakfastInBed · Joined: 16 Oct 2007 Location: Gyeonggi do

I don't know how it works with older students, but I've been involved in a few elementary level contests and cute and corny win the day nine times out of ten. The contests are insanely boring and apart from any clear and obvious front runner, usually a student returned from abroad with near native ability, the lion's share of the prizes go to those students who have managed to make an impression, for reasons that have little to do with the quality of their speech or their English speaking. If your students are making exaggerated cutesy gestures in a way that makes you cringe, chances are they're golden.