Plain English Speaking

This annual public speaking competition gives students over 15 and under 18 years of age the opportunity to give an 8 minute speech on any topic they like for the chance to win a prize and a trip to Nationals. (Note: given the circumstances surrounding covid19, there may be no national competition in 2020. More information to follow closer to the date.)  The national winner wins a trip to compete in London.
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Students will also be expected to perform an impromptu speech of 3 minutes and, should they reach the finals, a 3 minute interview. 
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The ACT Competition for 2020 will be held online. Please submit speeches via email to pesa.canberra@gmail.com by June 30th. Include your full name and the name of your school in the email subject. 

Registrations are open. Email Kate Johnston at pesa.canberra@gmail.com with any questions. 
1st Place:  $75 Paperchain Voucher
2nd Place: $50 Paperchain Voucher
3rd Place:  $25 Paperchain Voucher

The Speech

You will give an 8 minute speech on any topic you choose but which should in some way concern a social issue.

​Adjudicators will look for plain english, clear structure, strong analysis and persuasive and engaging presentation. 

Remember: this is a competition about Plain English Speaking so try to be concise and precise, and try not to inflate your vocabulary. ​

The 2020 competition will require that this speech be submitted in video format by June 30th. Include your full name and the name of your school in the email subject when submitting. 

The Impromptu

You will be given 4 minutes to prepare an impromptu speech based on a topic that will be set by the adjudicators. You will be expected to speak for 3 minutes. Adjudicators will look for an engaging speech with clear direction and structure and a clear point that it is making. 

The set topic will be broad and open ended and you can explore it in any way you choose but responding to it with reference to current social and political issues will be looked upon favourably by the adjudication panel. ​

2020 impromptu speeches will be organised via Zoom for those students who progress to the finals. 

The Interview

The panel of adjudicators will interview you for 3 minutes, asking questions about the content of your prepared speech and related social and political issues. Adjudicators will be looking for confidence, a strong grasp of your speech content, and a strong grasp of current affairs. 

Before the finals, you will be asked to fill in a form with the topic of your speech and a list of three things that you have an interest in. This form will be what the interviewer looks at when preparing questions for your interview, so make sure you are ready to answer questions about your speech and listed interests! 

2020 interviews will be held via Zoom for those students who progress to the finals. 

We thank the Australia Britain Society for their sponsorship.