The English-Speaking Union titleCentre for Speech and Debate ESU National Schools Competitions for Debating and Public Speaking 2006-2007 The ESU Public Speaking The ESU Schools Mace Competition for Schools The National Debating Championship • A Public Speaking competition for teams • A debating competition for teams of two of three students from Years 10 and 11 / students of any age (mostly 15-18). S3 and S4 only. What’s in this handbook? What’s in this handbook? • Welcome and Rules ......................... 22 • Welcome ............................................ 4 • How the competition is organised ... 24 • Rules .................................................. 4 • How a debate works ........................ 26 • Calendar for this year ........................ 4 • Defi nitions ........................................ 28 • Format ............................................... 5 • Rebuttal and summary speeches .... 29 • Guidelines for Chairpersons ............... 8 • Points of Information ....................... 30 • Guidelines for Speakers .................... 9 • Guidelines for debaters ................... 31 • Guidelines for Questioners .............. 12 • Guidelines for coaches .................... 35 • Guidelines for Coaches ................... 13 • Reporting competition ..................... 35 • Guidelines for Judges .......................14 • Guidelines for judges ....................... 36 • Judges’ mark sheet .......................... 16 • Hosting a round ............................... 44 • Timekeeper’s sheet .......................... 17 • Chairing and Timekeeping ............... 48 • Curriculum links ............................... 18 • Other debating formats ................... 52 • Winners ............................................ 19 • Cross-curricular debate ................... 54 • Meet the team .................................. 59 • Extra-curricular debate .................... 56 • Map of the competitions .......back page • Winners ............................................ 57 • About the ESU .................... back page • About the ESU / Map .......... back page Stay informed at www.britishdebate.com | © ESU, 2006 1956–2006The ESU Schools Mace is proud to be supported by the Department for Constitutional Affairs in our fi ftieth year ESU Public Speaking Competition for Schools Contents About the competition • Welcome ............................................ 4 What is it? • Rules .................................................. 4 • A competition featuring speeches on • Calendar for this year ........................ 4 topical themes chosen by competitors • Format ............................................... 5 from our lists of interesting topics. • Guidelines for Chairpersons ............... 8 • The Speaker is introduced by the • Guidelines for Speakers .................... 9 Chairperson and shows the ability to • Guidelines for Questioners .............. 12 think on their feet when interviewed by • Guidelines for Coaches ................... 13 the Questioner and the audience. • Guidelines for Judges .......................14 • In each 14-minute segment the • Judges’ mark sheet .......................... 16 Chairperson and Questioner come from • Timekeeper’s sheet .......................... 17 a different school from the Speaker. • Curriculum links ............................... 18 • Prizes and winners ........................... 19 Who’s it for? • Meet the team .................................. 49 • Teams of three students from Years 10 • Map of the competitions .......back page and 11 / S3 and S4 only. • About the ESU .................... back page • From England, Scotland and Wales ESU Public Speaking Competition for Schools Handbook 2006-7 | Introduction and Rules | Page 4 About the ESU Schools Public Speaking Competition Welcome from the National Organiser Rules about entry to the competition • The closing date for entry to the competition was 1 The ESU is delighted that you’ve chosen to take part in our Schools July, 2006. Late entries are at the discretion of the Public Speaking Competition for national, regional and branch organisers. 2006-7. • There is an entry fee of £30 which should be in the form of a cheque made payable to The English- The purpose of the competition is Speaking Union and sent to Dartmouth House. (A to give competitors the opportunity £10 discount is available for entries to both the to demonstrate and develop Public Speaking competition and the Schools Mace fundamental skills in public speaking. Competitors completed online at www.britishdebate.com). should be encouraged to believe that entering the • Entry fees are payable once a paper or online competition is an achievement in itself, and that application has been submitted to the ESU. Teams their public dialogue is a genuine contribution to the community and to free speech. that withdraw from the competition prior to the fi rst round are still required to pay the entry fee. The Schools Public Speaking Competition was • However, once a school has sent in an entry started by the Brighton & Hove Branch of the form, it should regard itself as fi rmly committed ESU in 1960, and has since grown to be a major to the contest. Last minute withdrawals cause stimulus of effective spoken English in British enormous diffi culties and schools are urged to schools. include a reserve in their team to minimise the It is intended to support the National Curriculum possibility of needing to withdraw. Inexperienced in English, which requires that students ‘speak teams have an excellent chance of success and and listen confi dently in a wide variety of contexts schools should not be discouraged because they ... adapting what they say and how they say it are new to the competition. Overpreparation is as to different situations and people’. The roles much of a danger as under-preparation. of Chairperson and Questioner in particular complement this demand, while all speakers are of course fulfi lling many other requirements of the Rules about eligibility of your team oral curriculum (see page 18 for more details on • Teams consist of three students, who must be how public speaking complements the curriculum preparing for GCSEs in years 10 or 11 (England in England, Wales and Scotland). and Wales) or for Standard Grades in S3 or S4 This handbook should answer most of your (Scotland). They must all be full-time students at questions about the competition. But if you the same school or college. have any questions or suggestions regarding the • Students cannot be changed between rounds competition, you can address them to me at: except in the case of illness or by written application to the Organiser of the round. Meriel Talbot National Organiser Public Speaking Competition for Schools Rules about the composition of teams The English-Speaking Union Dartmouth House • Teams consist of three speakers: 37 Charles Street - The Chairperson London W1J 5ED - The Speaker - The Questioner Telephone: 020 7529 1550 • In the competition, the Speaker contributes to the Fax: 020 7495 6108 presentation of the Chairperson and Questioner E-mail: [email protected] from another school, thus suggesting the reality I hope you enjoy the competition. that faces a visiting public speaker. • There is more information about the participants’ roles on page 6 and pages 8-12. Meriel Talbot National Organiser Stay informed at www.britishdebate.com | © ESU, 2006 ESU Public Speaking Competition for Schools Handbook 2006-7 | Introduction and Rules | Page 5 Rules about topics for the speeches • At Regional Finals and at the National Final the Chairperson and Questioner will be given the • In the branch and regional rounds of the competition, Speaker’s topic 30 minutes before the start of the speakers can choose a topic from a list issued by competition. the ESU. The speaker may speak for or against the topic as it is phrased in the programme. • For the national final, the ESU will assign a topic to About the structure of Branch, Regional and each school. The speaker may speak for or against National Organisers the topic as it is phrased by the ESU. • In the branch rounds, the Chairperson and • For administrative purposes, England, Wales Questioner may (at the Branch Organiser’s and Scotland are divided into regions which are discretion) be informed of the list of topics chosen subdivided and allocated to ESU branches. by all the participating teams. The actual topic for • Where possible, those schools outside existing ESU each presentation will be revealed by the Organiser branch areas will be allocated to an appropriate 30 minutes before the competition begins. This will ESU branch. of course depend on the cooperation of the schools taking part. A calendar for this year’s competition The competition consists of three or four rounds: • Regional Finals (normally involving no more than 8 schools) are organised by our Regional Public • One or two branch rounds are organised by your Speaking Organisers. local branch organiser who will contact you at • One team from each region goes to the UK Final, some point during the autumn term. organised by the ESU in London. 2006 2007 June to Continuation of 1 Deadline for entries to this September branch rounds. JUL year’s competition. Time for JAN your school to prepare a team for entry to the February to March competition. AUG FEB Regional Finals may Consider be held at any time having an during these months. in-school competition to select SEP September to your team MAR February (see p. 13). Branch rounds may