International Speech Contest

Podcast: Download

 

The International Speech Contest for District 55 will be held May 21st at the Spring 2011 Conference. 

 
The International Speech is a speech all your own. Make it personal, use picturesque discriptive vivid words as 93% of what the audience remembers is visual. Use gestures to make your point more visual. As David Henderson tells us “Do not be afraid to make a fool of yourself”. Speak from the heart – don’t be afraid to speak using personal stories. Let people into your world as the impact is more stronger than if you use other people’s experiences. Use humor as audiences want to be entertained and want to laugh. 

Build a rapport with your audience. Paint a picture. Make it personal. Entertain your audience – make them laugh and deliver a powerful close. 

For your listening pleasure I have attached David Henderson’s winning speech he presented at the Fall 2010 Conference Nov. 2010. 

  

(The following is taken from the Toastmasters International Speech Contest Rulebook)  

International Speech Contest Rules  

International speeches shall be from five to seven minutes. A contestant will be disqualified if the speech is less than four minutes 30 seconds or more than seven minutes 30 seconds.  

A contestant must have completed six (6) speeches towards their Competent Communicator in order to compete.  

The International Speech Contest, which must be conducted in English only, follows all rules outlined in the General Rules section of this rulebook. In addition, the following additions and exceptions apply.  

A. The International Speech Contest begins at the club level, and proceeds through the area, division (if applicable), district, semifinal, and International levels.  

  1. Semifinals are to be held at the International Convention, and will include all district winners randomly assigned to nine separate contests.
  2. All contestants’ briefings for the semifinal speech contests will be conducted simultaneously by World Headquarters staff.
  3. All judges’ briefings for the semifinal speech contests will also be conducted simultaneously by World Headquarters staff.

B. Every participant in the finals of the International Speech Contest must present an entirely new and different speech than given in any International speech contest since January 1 of that same year.  

  1. Up to and including the semifinal speech contest, International contestants are permitted to use the same speech, but are not required to do so.
  2. Winners of each semifinal contest at the International Convention will prepare and deliver to World Headquarters outlines of their semifinal winning speech, which will be given to qualifying judges before the judge’s briefing for the International Contest.
  3. Qualifying judges will also be given a Speaker Qualification Sheet (Item 1186). On this sheet, judges will indicate whether the speech being delivered at the finals of the International Speech Contest is entirely new and different from the speech given at the semifinal contest.
  4. As the judges are completing their ballots at the end of the contest, the qualifying judges complete the Speaker Qualification Sheet, sign it, place it in the provided envelope, and hold it up for the ballot counters to collect.
  5. In the ballot counting room, the chief judge will open and review all Speaker Qualification Sheets. If three of the five qualifying judges check (X) in the Disqualified column for a given speaker, that speaker is disqualified, and no protest may be made.
International Speech Contest Links: 
Blogs: 

 

How to Win a Speech Contest – Even if you lose! The London Speaker, September 01, 2008 

 

Six Minutes Public Speaking and Presentation Skills Blog  

http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/  

Toastmasters International Speech Contest: Practice, Posted by John Spaith  

http://my.spaith.com/blog/2008/02/16/toastmasters-international-speech-contest-practice/  

Podcasts: 
 

Toastcaster 13 Striving for the World Championship Pt. 1 

 

Toastcaster 14 Striving for the World Championship Pt. 2  

http://toastcaster.podbean.com/2008/10/16/toastcaster-14-striving-for-the-world-championship-pt-2/  

Videos: 
 

Donald Yee – Simply Irresistable, 2001 International Speech Contest, District 51 Champion 

 

Gopi Kallayil’s 2007 Award Winning International Toastmasters Speech  

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hN1RifUpi88  

Toastmasters – Collection of Speech  

http://presentrat.wordpress.com/2008/01/06/collection-of-toastmasters-speech/  

Wikis: 
 

Toastmasters Wiki 

 

Toastmasters International: 
 

Toastmasters International