RULES
Junior Speaking Contest 2011-2012
1. Who can join in?
All second- and third-year students of Dutch bilingual schools can participate. The contest is open to
native as well as non-native speakers.
2. The procedure/time frame
As opposed to last year, there is a difference in length of the speech in the
regional round and the Final
Regional Round:
A speech should last around 3 minutes. It can only be 30 seconds shorter or longer.
After 2,5 minutes a flag will be raised by the time-keeper, which means that a speaker has 60
seconds left. If the contestant has not finished after 3,5 minutes, the time-keeper will make a sound
to indicate that the time is over.
After the speech a contestant will have to answer 3 questions relating to his or her speech. The first
question is always asked by one of the members of the jury (in school & regional rounds) or by
members of the questions panel (in the final round). The people in the audience play an active role.
Remember: you should not underestimate the handling of the questions. The quality/extent of the
answers of the speaker will show how well he/she controls his/her subject.
The Grand Finale:
A speech should last around 4 minutes. It can only be 30 seconds shorter or longer.
After 3,5 minutes a flag will be raised by the time-keeper, which means that a speaker has 60
seconds left. If the contestant has not finished after 4,5 minutes, the time-keeper will make a sound
to indicate that the time is over.
After the speech a contestant will have to answer 3 questions relating to his or her speech. The first
question is always asked by one of the members of the jury (in school & regional rounds) or by
members of the questions panel (in the final round). The people in the audience play an active role.
Remember: you should not underestimate the handling of the questions. The quality/extent of the
answers of the speaker will show how well he/she controls his/her subject.
3. Theme of the contest
There is only one theme this year: Future
Suggestions for speeches can be found in the flyer.
4. Application procedure and time schedule
In September the co-ordinators of the bilingual streams receive an invitation to apply for the contest.
At the same time schools are asked whether they would like to host a regional round.
2011
31 October
Deadline for submitting the applications to the European Platform (EP).
Contact: EP
11 November
Schools are divided into regions, regional coordinators are appointed, PR
materials (posters, folders) are sent to schools.
Schools receive an invitation to attend a workshop for teachers’.
Contact : EP
November
(11/18/(25))
Workshop for teachers
Contact: EP
November-December
Regional coordinators contact participating schools to agree upon a date
for regional rounds. ONE candidate per year, per school is admitted to the
regional rounds.
Contact: regional coordinators.
Till the end of December Schools hold internal rounds, select representatives for regional rounds
and send the name of their participants to regional coordinators.
(NB: the forms for regional rounds are to be sent to regional coordinators
and not to the European Platform)
Contact: regional coordinators.
2012
January-February-March Regional rounds. ONE finalist per year per regional round is admitted to
the finals.
Contact: regional coordinators.
9 March
Finalists known, regional coordinators send their application forms to the
European Platform. Invitations for the workshop for finalists sent to
finalists. Invitation to attend the finals sent to all participating schools.
Contact: EP.
30 March
(provisional date)
Workshop for finalists in Utrecht.
Contact: EP.
11 April
finals in Amersfoort
Contact: EP.
5. Workshops
Each year we organise workshop for teachers, which helps them prepare their pupils for participation
in the contest. This year Stephen McLaughlin of Sondervick College is hosting the workshop. There is
going to be one on 11 November at Wolfert Tweetalig in Rotterdam and one on 18 November at
location to be determined And if there is enough interest there will be an extra workshop on 25
November. It is going to be a hands-on workshop in which all aspects of the speaking contest are
dealt with.
After the regional rounds, there is a workshop for the finalists of the contest. Participation in this
workshop is voluntary and free of charge. The workshop is hosted by Stephen as well and will take
place on 30 March 2012. (provisional date)
6. Fee
Each participating school will receive an invoice of €120 (ex. VAT) from the European Platform.
7. Jury and judging
School rounds
It is up to schools to decide upon the selection criteria/ the judging procedure. But it would be best
not to do it too differently from the way it is done in the regional round and final. Tips/hints for the
jury / QP are available. Contact: EP
Regional rounds
In each regional round, the jury consists of three members. The decision of the jury is final and
cannot be revoked. The jury may not choose more than one winner per year per round. The jury also
handles the asking of the questions. It is not allowed to have jury members on the panel that are
linked to the host school. The selected jury members have to be approved by the European Platform.
The chairman of the jury should be a native speaker.
Please contact the European Platform for suggestions of jury members.
Finals
During the finals the jury consists of three members. The difference with school rounds and regional
rounds is that the jury does not ask any questions. The first question is asked by one of the members
of the questions’ panel. The jury chooses one winner and a runner up per year.
During both regional rounds and the finals the jury will judge speakers on the following criteria:
speech (content, originality, structure, grammatical correctness, idiomatic range), presentation
(tempo, clarity/enunciation, contact with the audience), and handling of questions (interaction,
politeness, relevance of answers, originality).
8. Supporting materials
Participants are not allowed to read their speeches from paper. However, they are allowed to use
index cards with key words from the speech on them. No other aids or props are allowed. So, no
technical devices, musical instruments or notebooks.
9. Maximum number of supporters for finals
Because of the size of the theatre each finalist can bring a maximum of 11 supporters.
There will not be a prize for best supporters’ act as was the case last year.
ENJOY THE FUN OF SPEAKING!