The High School/Middle School Speech JudgesGuide

I found myself with this same reoccurring problem at Speech Tournaments. Most, if not all tournaments, ever have enough judges. So we ask, tell, and beg parents to judge our events. Problem is most parents have never judged a speech event before. All want to do a great job, but always ask for some form of guidance. After many years, I decided to make a simple guide that a lay-person could quickly read and apply at a tournament. 

The following is just one of the 11 events offered at most tournaments. 

The whole set is available for downloading.

Any question, please contact me, Joe Sindicich  joesindicich@yahoo.com 

In impromptu speaking, the speaker receives a prompt in the form of quotations, proverbs, single words, saying, or objects. These prompts are provided in groups of three, with a separate group distributed to each competitor. The speaker will choose only one of the quotations, proverbs, etc. to create and deliver their speech. The speaker should analyze the topic and provide general-knowledge evidence. Generally, the speaker will have three main points (evidence) within the body of the speech which can be found in popular culture, books, stories, historical events, and noteworthy people. Personal stories should not be used as they tend to be too much of a coincidence. The speech consists of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The total time for the speech is seven minutes long, generally separated into two minutes of preparation and five minutes for delivery, although the speaker can divide the time as they choose. The judging should be primarily based on content, analysis, and delivery. 

During the round 

Begin by taking roll-call. If any speaker is double-entered, please allow them to go first. This is one of the two events where you will give time signals. You should set your timer to seven minutes. Give the first speaker their prompts and give them a moment to look over the prompts and then start the timer. You will begin by giving oral time signals. After the first 30-seconds, you will announce 30-seconds used. At one minute, you will announce one minute used and so forth until the speaker starts to speak and then you will switch to hand time signals. Use one hand to hold up five fingers to show five minutes left, four fingers for four minutes left, etc. until one minute left. Then at 30 seconds, hold your hand in the form of the letter “C” to signify the 30-second mark. Using both hands, countdown the last ten seconds. If they stop sooner, stop your timer. Some speakers may stop short of the total time or they may speak longer. Note the time on the ballot. Wait for applause and then thank them. Finish writing some initial comments before asking the next speaker to come up. In other words, include some immediate reaction that is fresh in your memory before calling up the next speaker. Remember that you can add additional comments after the round is completed. After the last speaker has spoken, wish all competitors good luck and send them to their next round. 

Judging and completing the ballot 

Remember to give the speakers as much feedback as possible. The next few sections include additional descriptions of the impromptu speeches that are generally normative and expected (though exceptions can always exist). The handbook also lists questions to ask yourself and comments to assist the ballot-writing process of judging this event.  

The structure of an impromptu speech: 

• Attention getter 
• Reading of the prompt 
• Interpretation/thesis statement 
• Statement of agreement or disagreement with the prompt 
• Preview 
• Main point 1 
• Main point 2 
• Main point 3 
• Repeat/summarize the prompt 
• Repeat the interpretation/thesis statement 
• Conclusion/review of main points 
• Memorable final statement/connection to attention getter 

This structure can serve as a starting point for judging each speaker. A successful impromptu should generally contain all of these parts, although there may also be some variation from speaker to speaker. You are responsible for providing appropriate, usable feedback, that the speaker can use to improve and give the coach and speaker a recap of what occurred during the round.  

When you are judging, comment on as much as you can. The three key parts that you should consider during your evaluation are the organization, analysis, and delivery. Consider asking yourself the following set of questions when judging this event. If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, tell them “how” or “why’ they did well. If you answer “no” to any of the following questions, tell them what they did wrong and how they can improve. 

These are possible questions you should consider for the organization of the speech. 

• Did the speaker follow the impromptu structure? 
• Did the attention-getter grab your attention? Did you want to hear more? 
• Did the speaker use transitions from section to section or was it choppy? 
• Was there a clear preview statement and did the speaker follow the preview? 
• Were there three main points or an alternative? 
• Did the speaker include a conclusion?  
• Did you feel the speaker accomplished their original goal of the speech? 
• Did the speaker remind you of the prompt and how each example supported it? 

These are possible questions you should consider for the analysis section. 

• Did the speaker provide an interpretation or make a claim using their prompt? 
• Did the speaker explain their examples? 
• Did the examples (e.g., books, art, science, famous people, historical anecdotes, and pop culture references) vary? (Note: Popular culture references are acceptable, but should vary.)  
• Did the examples support their interpretation/claim of the prompt? 
• Did the speaker include a conclusion that was supported by the rest of the speech? Explain. 

These are possible questions you should consider for the delivery section. 

• Did the speaker make eye contact? 
• Was the vocal delivery effective or did it need improvement? How so?  
• Did the speaker use a consistent speed during the speech or did it vary? If any, what could improve it? 
• Did the volume of the speech vary or was it monotone?  What could improve it? 
• Was the delivery clear and easy to understand? 
• Did the speaker use verbal fillers (“umms” and “ahs”) in the speech? 
• Did the speaker use appropriate nonverbal gestures? 
• Was the speaker fidgeting or rocking back-and-forth or showing other unnecessary movements?  

Other considerations. 

• Time management. Were the three main points about equal in length? Was the attention-getter and introduction of the speech the right size or too long? Was there time for the conclusion? 
• Was the speech enthusiastic or boring? 
• Did the speaker portray a sense of confidence when communicating the subject matter? 

You can use the previous list as a guide, but you can also add items not mentioned.  

Below is a list of some possible comments you can make if applicable. Adjust accordingly and personalize to each speaker.  

• I identified with your introduction. 
• Your introduction was too long and that did not give you enough time to develop your main points. 
• Good preview. I knew what examples to expect in your speech. 
• I liked points one and two. They were well thought out. Point three seemed a little short and did not seem to match your thesis. 
• You have a conversational speaking style. Very easy to follow. 
• Your conclusion was strong. You recapped all your main points. 
• Try to have a transition between all your points. It makes it easier to follow. 
• Some of your hand gestures seemed out of place. You do not have to gesture throughout the speech. Make the ones you do use really count. 
• Your interpretation of the prompt seemed forced. 
• Great job! I enjoyed listening to your speech. 

Remember that this is just a small sample of the possible feedback you can write on your ballot.