EF Challenge
Toolkit for participants Lesson one Speech overview WHO: Identify your audience—Who will be listening to your speech? WHAT: Identify your topic and main points—What is your speech going to be about? What are the main points going to be? HOW: Identify its length—How long does the speech need to be? Speech structure Introduction—Tell the audience what the speech is about. Body—The main points expressed in detail, with evidence to back them up. Conclusion—A summary of the speech. Targeting your audience When beginning to write your speech, the first thing to consider is your audience. Not only WHO they are, but HOW they are likely to think. The speech should be written from the target audience’s point of view in order for them to be captivated by it. In order to write from your audience’s point of view, consider the following: Think of a real person, or a type of person, who would most likely be listening to the speech. Think of someone who represents the majority of that type of person Imagine they are a friend who is sitting by your side, eagerly awaiting to hear your wise ideas Give this person a name, for example, Tom, to make them more real Tips:
Write down exactly what you intend to say is if talking directly to your audience. (Note: Even though professionally, it’s not customary to read from anything more than cue cards with bullet pointed notes, sometimes having everything written down, rather than just an outline, can act as a safety net, especially if it’s your first ever speech. It will also make it easier to recover from nerves with a full set of notes to fall back on.) Illustrate your point with proof to back it up. Ask yourself: How should I shape my information to meet Tom’s needs? Should I provide anecdotes to illustrate my main points? What level of language would suit my topic that Tom will relate to most?
Language checklist: Tone of language (Is it right for the occasion?) Sentence length (Are your sentences too long and complicated? Shorten them and don’t use unnecessarily difficult vocabulary) Vocabulary (Are there any words used that your audience may not understand? Remove them.) Voice (Does it sound right?) Tips:
Say everything aloud after writing it down. You could also record yourself speaking on your mobile phone so you can listen back to it. Keep in mind that sentence flow will be fairly different than, for example, writing in an essay. You use whole sentences and part sentences, and you insert asides like you do in casual conversation. The only difference is, you are the only one speaking.
Linking points So, you have all your main points written and fleshed out. Now you need to start thinking about how to join them together so that they transition from one to the other in a natural flow. Imagine a puzzle. Each piece of a puzzle should slot together smoothly to create a complete picture. If the pieces aren’t joined together correctly, the resulting picture isn’t going to be clear. The same idea applies to speeches. Listeners need to be given clear links between ideas. If a speech contains more than three main points, each point needs to add to the last. For example: * We've talked about one benefit of getting enough sleep, but let's consider another. I believe ... What follows is the second main point. * We've talked about two benefits of getting enough sleep at night. One: While we’re asleep, the brain stores new memories, which makes it easier to learn new things. Two: Sleep helps our immune system to fight off diseases. So, what might be a third? How about metabolism and weight gain? This third advantage ... What follows are details and proof supporting the third main point.
Lesson two The conclusion The ideal conclusion should be highly memorable for the audience. A great conclusion will linger in their minds long after the speech is over, and will include a call-to-action accompanied by a summary of the main points made during the speech. What is a call-to-action? If you were a politician, a call-to-action might be to vote for you in the next election. If you were selling a product, a call-to-action might be to invite the audience to take advantage of a limited-time discount. How do you think of a great call-to-action? Ask yourself the following: What is my motive for giving the speech? Was it to motivate the audience? Was it to persuade the audience to have a specific opinion about something? Was it to offer interesting information? The introduction In order to write a great introduction, you must know the content of your speech back to front. This is why it should be the final step in writing your speech. A great introduction will make every single ‘Tom’ in the audience want to listen to your speech. It will make Tom forget about his hectic morning, or the chores that need to be done when he gets home. In short, it will get Tom’s attention and keep it until the very end.
In order to achieve this, you need to begin with a ‘hook’. A hook can come in many forms, and it all depends on the content of your speech. The idea is to work out what that one thing is that is going to hook Tom’s attention, and hone in on that immediately. How do you think of a great hook? Ask yourself: Why am I giving this speech? What do I want the audience to do after listening to my speech? If I were Tom, what would appeal to me? Humor? Shock attack? Academic tone? A quick outline of what you are going to cover so Tom knows it’s worth staying? Maybe even a question and the promise to deliver the answer in your speech?
Reviewing your speech You’ve completed your speech. Not so fast! You haven’t quite finished yet. You need to thoroughly check that everything is in order, and to do this you need to read it through several times, each time focusing on different aspects.
Checklist: Check that the main points are in the correct order, that each point has supporting examples Check that the introduction and conclusion are as effective as possible. Check that the transitions are clear and can be followed easily. Check tone and language. Read it aloud, slowly, and time it. If it’s too long, make amendments. Start by cutting supporting information, rather than main points, especially if more than one supporting example is used. Make sure nothing has been repeated. If there has, then cut it out. Presenting your speech The key to the perfect delivery relies on the following skills: Posture Eye Contact Hand Gestures Voice What is Posture and why is it important? Posture is the way in which we hold our bodies. If someone is slouching and/or looking at the ground, it shows they are not confident. If they are standing straight, head facing forward, feet slightly parted, it shows that they are confident and ready to speak. What is Eye Contact and why is it important? It is important to look at the audience when giving a speech. It shows confidence, enthusiasm and a belief in the topic. If we are looking away from the audience, it shows nerves and/or boredom. What are Hand Gestures and why are they important? Using hand gestures is the way in which we move our hands to show what we mean to say. Hand gestures can emphasize the message of a speech. They can highlight key words, and various other details. Gestures should not be overused, however, as it can become confusing and draw the focus away from what we are trying to say.
What is Voice and why is it important? This is the way in which we use our voice and it is important for emphasizing specific information, and also for showing emotion. Practicing intonation, articulation, pitch, speed, effective pauses, and volume, will ensure great delivery. It will make the speech more interesting and help the audience to understand exactly what is being said. Tips:
Practise delivering your speech in the mirror, or record yourself on your phone. Watch it back and make sure you posture, eye contact, hand gestures, and voice are all professional and appealing. Watch a few speeches on TED.com as research.
Lesson three The video Your speech has to be video recorded meaning you can use graphic elements and music to enhance the impact of their entry. Here are a few tips to consider:
Location: Find a location where your voice is clearly audible. Avoid noisy environments and consider using a microphone to boost sound quality.
Music: Music is a powerful tool that can add extra emotion to your speech. However, be careful that the music doesn’t overpower your vocals. After all, it’s you we want to hear.
Images: Animated visuals can support your arguments in a variety of ways. However, you should keep in mind that EF Challenge is a speech competition so the focus should be on your spoken message.
Examples Get inspired by watching a selection of last year’s entries that tackled the issue of what it means to be a global citizen.
Mikołaj Niczyj from Wroclaw, Poland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53TI7JVCnXo
Hortense Ibled-Michelot from Paris, France https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XZOZH_DVmc&feature=youtu.be
Yuka Fukusima from Tokyo, Japan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1PavNHzaoE&feature=youtu.be
Khanh Quynh Ly from An Giang Province, Vietnam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5kzr0W3woM
If you need an extra boost of motivation, check out the great experience that awaits the winners at the EF Youth Leadership Forum in New York.
Your Perfect Speech – A Checklist for Students Before you go to record your speech, make sure you can check off everything on our list. That way, winning over the hearts and ears of the jury will almost be like a walk in the park:
Answer the question “What does sustainable development mean to you? Write a speech with a clear structure Write like you talk Practice. A lot. Practice in a big space with a microphone Memorize the speech Breathe Speak for at least three but no longer than five minutes Have cue cards as a backup - they will be your safety net Be creative, inspiring and entertaining Avoid jargon and unpronounceable words Speak loudly and proudly Make eye contact. Smile. Relax.
Good luck!