论文部分内容阅读
Hello！ My name is Meagan， I am from the USA， and I have been an English teacher in Changsha for five years. During my time in China， I have also been a judge at many English-speaking competitions. I would like to share some advice for students who join these competitions， based on my experience watching and listening to English speeches over the years.
Before the competition
1. Choose a subject you know well.
Some competitions will let you choose your own topic， while others give you a topic/s to prepare. If you can choose your topic， pick something that you know about already. When you talk about a subject you know， you will be more confident and it will be easier to remember your speech and answer questions from the judges about your topic.
2. Say things that are true for YOU， in YOUR words.
It may seem easy to go on the Internet and find a speech about your topic， then remember that speech. However， if you are saying someone else’s words， it is more difficult to seem like yourself. At some competitions I have judged， many students have prepared the exact same speech from the Internet， and all the students seem the same. When I am a judge， it is better to hear an original speech on a topic the student is excited about， not the same prepared speech fifty other students have said. I will remember the students who said something different， and may also score them higher for being unique （独特）.
3. If you can， try to write your own speech.
Try not to use lots of big words that you have not learned， because then you will not sound like yourself. For example， if I hear a seven-year-old student use a university-level English word， I am pretty sure they did not help prepare their own topic. You can ask your English teacher to help you check the speech after you have written it， and you can work together to make the best speech for you.
4. Learn about your topic.
This is very important， especially if you are given a topic that you do not know so well. Every English speech competition I have judged has at least two parts： you say your speech， and then you must answer some questions about what you said. Try to guess some questions people could ask about your topic. For example， if you give a speech about your hobbies， and one of your hobbies is reading， you should know how to say the name of your favorite author and book. The more you know about your own topic， the easier it will be to answer questions from the judges at the competition. 5. Practice your speech.
As a judge， it is easy for me to see which students have practiced their speeches before the competition， and which students have not. If you practice and learn the words in your speech before the big day， you can be more confident in front of the judges. Ask your English teacher if they can listen to you while you say your speech， as well as if they can ask some questions after you are finished. Say your speech to your parents and friends， so you will not be as nervous about speaking in front of other people. As the saying goes， practice makes perfect！
At the competition
1. Arrive on time （or even early）.
It is always important to be on time， and at a speech competition with many students， it is not good to make others wait for you by being late. Also， if you are early， you may be able to look at the room or area where you will be giving your speech， and even see who the judges will be. If you can see these things before your turn， you can focus on your speech and not worry about the other details， like what the room looks like or how many people are in there with you.
2. Breathe！
It is easy to get nervous when you are giving a speech in any language， especially one that is not your first.It is okay！Before you start talking， take a few breaths to relax you. Look at all the judges and smile. It is okay if you make a mistake—just smile and continue where you stopped. Keep breathing the whole time， and listen carefully if someone asks you a question. If you do not understand， it is okay to ask for the question to be repeated.
3. Be yourself.
You may be in a big room or a small room， but speak to the judges like they are normal people.You may have a microphone （麦克风） to help you be louder. Speak with confidence and strength， but try not to shout or yell. To help yourself speak more clearly， do not put your hands in front of your face or mouth. Do not speak too fast， or the judges may not be able to understand you. Be proud of yourself for all the hard work you have put into your speech！
I hope that these tips will help you if you prepare for an English-speaking competition in the future. Maybe I will see you in the judging room someday！ Good luck！
（Will you be more confident later at a speech competition？）
Before the competition
1. Choose a subject you know well.
Some competitions will let you choose your own topic， while others give you a topic/s to prepare. If you can choose your topic， pick something that you know about already. When you talk about a subject you know， you will be more confident and it will be easier to remember your speech and answer questions from the judges about your topic.
2. Say things that are true for YOU， in YOUR words.
It may seem easy to go on the Internet and find a speech about your topic， then remember that speech. However， if you are saying someone else’s words， it is more difficult to seem like yourself. At some competitions I have judged， many students have prepared the exact same speech from the Internet， and all the students seem the same. When I am a judge， it is better to hear an original speech on a topic the student is excited about， not the same prepared speech fifty other students have said. I will remember the students who said something different， and may also score them higher for being unique （独特）.
3. If you can， try to write your own speech.
Try not to use lots of big words that you have not learned， because then you will not sound like yourself. For example， if I hear a seven-year-old student use a university-level English word， I am pretty sure they did not help prepare their own topic. You can ask your English teacher to help you check the speech after you have written it， and you can work together to make the best speech for you.
4. Learn about your topic.
This is very important， especially if you are given a topic that you do not know so well. Every English speech competition I have judged has at least two parts： you say your speech， and then you must answer some questions about what you said. Try to guess some questions people could ask about your topic. For example， if you give a speech about your hobbies， and one of your hobbies is reading， you should know how to say the name of your favorite author and book. The more you know about your own topic， the easier it will be to answer questions from the judges at the competition. 5. Practice your speech.
As a judge， it is easy for me to see which students have practiced their speeches before the competition， and which students have not. If you practice and learn the words in your speech before the big day， you can be more confident in front of the judges. Ask your English teacher if they can listen to you while you say your speech， as well as if they can ask some questions after you are finished. Say your speech to your parents and friends， so you will not be as nervous about speaking in front of other people. As the saying goes， practice makes perfect！
At the competition
1. Arrive on time （or even early）.
It is always important to be on time， and at a speech competition with many students， it is not good to make others wait for you by being late. Also， if you are early， you may be able to look at the room or area where you will be giving your speech， and even see who the judges will be. If you can see these things before your turn， you can focus on your speech and not worry about the other details， like what the room looks like or how many people are in there with you.
2. Breathe！
It is easy to get nervous when you are giving a speech in any language， especially one that is not your first.It is okay！Before you start talking， take a few breaths to relax you. Look at all the judges and smile. It is okay if you make a mistake—just smile and continue where you stopped. Keep breathing the whole time， and listen carefully if someone asks you a question. If you do not understand， it is okay to ask for the question to be repeated.
3. Be yourself.
You may be in a big room or a small room， but speak to the judges like they are normal people.You may have a microphone （麦克风） to help you be louder. Speak with confidence and strength， but try not to shout or yell. To help yourself speak more clearly， do not put your hands in front of your face or mouth. Do not speak too fast， or the judges may not be able to understand you. Be proud of yourself for all the hard work you have put into your speech！
I hope that these tips will help you if you prepare for an English-speaking competition in the future. Maybe I will see you in the judging room someday！ Good luck！
（Will you be more confident later at a speech competition？）