Categories, ballots and judging information
Students participate in three events, each one selected from three of the four categories.
Click on the >category titles below to access the PDF ballots for each category.
No student may present a piece that they have presented prior to 1st September, 2023.
Category 1 (click on event titles for rules and ballot)
>Impromptu Speaking
Sample set of an Impromptu Speaking topic sheet:
1. A man in armour is the armour's slave
2. One today is worth two tomorrows
3. Freedom
>Extemporaneous Speaking
Sample set of Extemporaneous Topics:
Category 2 (click on event titles for rules and ballot)
>News Podcast
>Parliamentary debate*
Prime Minister - 5 minutes
First Opposition Speaker - 8 minutes
Minister of the Crown - 8 minutes
Leader of the Opposition - 8 minutes
Prime Minister’s Rebuttal - 3 minutes
*This debate event is impromptu and students will be matched up with a student from another school to debate.
Sample Parliamentary Debate Topics:
Category 3 (click on event titles for rules and ballot)
>After dinner speaking
Persona examples:
>Persuasive speaking
Category 4 (click on event titles for rules and ballot)
>Dramatic interpretation
>Interpretive reading
>Cross examination debate**
Speaking times:
Constructive - 6mins
Cross-examination - 3mins
Rebuttal - 3mins
** Two students from this school must register as a team.
Students participate in three events, each one selected from three of the four categories.
Click on the >category titles below to access the PDF ballots for each category.
No student may present a piece that they have presented prior to 1st September, 2023.
Category 1 (click on event titles for rules and ballot)
>Impromptu Speaking
Sample set of an Impromptu Speaking topic sheet:
1. A man in armour is the armour's slave
2. One today is worth two tomorrows
3. Freedom
>Extemporaneous Speaking
Sample set of Extemporaneous Topics:
- Are we too concerned with sports?
- Will the US continue to suffer from legislative paralysis?
- Should Scotland have voted "yes"?
Category 2 (click on event titles for rules and ballot)
>News Podcast
>Parliamentary debate*
Prime Minister - 5 minutes
First Opposition Speaker - 8 minutes
Minister of the Crown - 8 minutes
Leader of the Opposition - 8 minutes
Prime Minister’s Rebuttal - 3 minutes
*This debate event is impromptu and students will be matched up with a student from another school to debate.
Sample Parliamentary Debate Topics:
- BIRT This house would not use referenda.
- BIRT on balacne, social media is bad for soceity.
- THW support stable regimes regardless of their human rights record.
- EXAMPLE FINALS DEBATE - www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLDtlBpFRpk
- MOCK SPEECHES TO HELP DEMONSTRATE DIFFERENT SPEAKING STYLES (The third speech is the goal): youtu.be/7IiO2qMtQGc
Category 3 (click on event titles for rules and ballot)
>After dinner speaking
Persona examples:
- Snowman presenting to snowman convention about climate change.
- Vampire convention about genetically modified food affecting the taste of their food (aka human blood).
- Octogenarians against modern slang.
- EXAMPLE SPEECH- www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjAys0kAKBQ
>Persuasive speaking
- EXAMPLE SPEECHES FROM WORLDS - www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXgx7e7EebQ
Category 4 (click on event titles for rules and ballot)
>Dramatic interpretation
>Interpretive reading
- EXAMPLE SPEECH: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNk0eJlpOug
>Cross examination debate**
Speaking times:
Constructive - 6mins
Cross-examination - 3mins
Rebuttal - 3mins
** Two students from this school must register as a team.
Trigger Warning Statement
In the prepared categories, usually Dramatic Interpretation and Interpretive Reading, there maybe content that is potentially distressing for certain audience members. If this is the case, the student should deliver a brief trigger warning statement prior to the delivery or during the introduction to the piece that alerts the audience to the nature of the potentially distressing material. For example,
"Please note that the following piece deals with a frank account of physical violence and some members of the audience may find this upsetting." Or "For the following piece, I would like to share a trigger warning as sexual assault discussed very bluntly."
Mature Language and Content Statement
Students should communicate a warning to audience members about presentations containing mature language and content. Students don't have to avoid using such content but they should alert the audience of its nature, especially if there are younger audience members. For example,
"The following piece contains mature language."
In the prepared categories, usually Dramatic Interpretation and Interpretive Reading, there maybe content that is potentially distressing for certain audience members. If this is the case, the student should deliver a brief trigger warning statement prior to the delivery or during the introduction to the piece that alerts the audience to the nature of the potentially distressing material. For example,
"Please note that the following piece deals with a frank account of physical violence and some members of the audience may find this upsetting." Or "For the following piece, I would like to share a trigger warning as sexual assault discussed very bluntly."
Mature Language and Content Statement
Students should communicate a warning to audience members about presentations containing mature language and content. Students don't have to avoid using such content but they should alert the audience of its nature, especially if there are younger audience members. For example,
"The following piece contains mature language."
