Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rapacious Mr. Batstove]

I assume that most public schools like my middle school have some sort of English speech competition where the winner competes against the district schools.

My school just had our competition, one girl was always going to win it. She had a cut and pasted speech on 'lookism' (discrimination based on appearance). For a third grade middle school student the speech was far too advanced and even the judges had no idea what she was talking about but she spoke clearly so she won.

At the hagwan I used to work at I helped many middle school students with their speeches on a range of depressing subjects ranging from suicide to the oppression of Korean students. Back in NZ, school speech contests were usually entertaining, delivery was important of course but entertainment was just as critical, the consensus what that speeches were to inform and entertain, not lecture.

So, for anyone with experience in such competitions what does it take to woo the Korean speech judges; big words, academia, complex issues?

Where has the humour gone? Or has humour, like prayer, no place in Korean public schools?

[Alyallen]

I've been to one.

It seemed like big words and really stupid hand gestures won the judges over. Oh! And I can't forget the pictures....

I went to see my students compete and I was glad they didn't act like raving loons up there....

One of my students took 3rd place, you can see her speech here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpiktIvAn08

[JJJ]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I've been through two in-school speech contests with my middle school, one with my HS, and prepped students for two school district contests, all of which had a mix of Korean and foreign judges. In the case of the Korean judges I think a lot depends on their own level of English. In all cases, though, lots and lots of voice coaching really does help. At my schoold district's competition for the past two years 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place all went to schools that had FTs and all of the entries from schools that didn't have an FT sucked. (Mine were 1st last year and 2nd the year before, I can't help but brag. )

[ddeubel]

Look in the Public Speaking folder on my site. Lots there for general classroom use, most importantly a nice template. Also peer evaluation forms, videos of great speeches and Discovery channel videos on presentation skills for High school students. Lots of blackline masters also.....my teachers love the materials there and have used extensively. I've had a great time teaching this course to them.

DD

[ShadowEdge]

At a school in my area, one Elementary School girl based her entire speech on how she was going to devote the rest her life to protect Dokdo from the Japanese. The judges ate it up.