how to write a speech for competition

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How to write a script for a speech contest or a talent competition

Winning a talent show speech or a speaking contest begins with good writing. So does any speech where you hope to change attitudes, entertain or lead people to action. Here is how to write a winning speech competition script.

Are you planning to vie for the coveted Miss Universe title? Perhaps not, but there is a lot to be learned from “talent competitions” and speech contests about being an effective speaker. A well-crafted speech can win speaking contests at Toastmasters. It can win a seat on the school board or town council. Or it can win people to your cause.

I will share two example speech competition scripts with you, along with some analysis. You might notice a few (or several) things that I don’t cover. Feel free to add them in the comments.

Then I will share a sample talent competition speech we wrote for a client, as an example of a good speech competition script.

Talent show speech contest examples

Here is a quick navigation to the two competition speech sample videos. These might even give you some good talent show speech ideas. Then follows the speech analysis, the client’s speech script and the advice I gave for the sample speech.

VIDEO: Sydney Park’s speech example, “Sit Like a Lady”, 100th Anniversary Miss America competition

Analysis of sydney park’s speech example, “sit like a lady”, 100th anniversary miss america competition, video: miss colorado kelley johnson, nurse speech example, 2016 miss america competition, analysis of kelley johnson’s nurse speech example, 2016 miss america competition, thgm’s unperformed sample script for a talent competition speech, advice for thgm’s unperformed sample script for a talent competition speech.

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Poet Sydney Park made great use of the stage, flowing on and off her chair fluidly. She was in command. She was in control. She did not have to physically go to every corner of the stage to own it all. Follow her gestures, follower her eyes. Wow!

She also excelled with her speaking pace. Sometimes slow. Sometimes fast. Pauses at the right moments to give the audience time to process what she says. Always in control, and the speed changes reflect the purpose of her words.

Of course, this is poetry. For some other types of speech, this might be overdone. In other words, pay attention, follow her style, but moderate as appropriate for your material and your venue.

The topic was safe. In today’s world, a woman speaking up for equal treatment is a “world peace” topic. Everybody can agree on it, nothing controversial or original there. The delivery was original, but not the topic.

Kelley Johnson delivered a strong speech, a safe speech for a talent show. It wasn’t poetry, so she did not have as much opportunity to change pace and volume and add variety to her voice as much as Sydney Park.

Although the speech clearly was solid and did her well, It could have been delivered better. She made good use of her pauses, but she spoke fast throughout. You can read below how I analysed that for our client. And her voice stayed even, almost monotonous.

Here, too, the topic was safe. Self-esteem and nurturing the infirm are both “world peace” topics. Everybody can agree on them, no controversies or originality there.

That being said, I found the self-congratulatory tone to be awkward. A good summary of the speech would be: “I discovered how awesome I am.” However, the crowd ate it up, so I might be an outlier on that point.

Is your mind brimming now with talent show speech ideas? Here is a short competition speech sample we wrote for a client. This example might help you learn how to write a speech for a competition, too.

This one was never used, because she came up with an even better idea. Note that the contestant is seated in a chair near the edge of the stage.

BELL RINGS OPENS BOOK Good morning, children. We have a lovely story to read today. OFF-STAGE: Miss Student Teacher, Jenny hit me yesterday, but mommy says I can’t hit her back. Is that fair? CLOSES BOOK, FIXES EYES ON THE CHILD AND LEANS FORWARD Is that fair? Oh my goodness – of course it’s not fair, dear. No, it’s not fair at all. Do you know what it is? It’s kind. PAUSES Kindness is better than fairness. Kindness is better than being right. LOOKS AROUND AT THE CHILDREN And children – do you know what my mommy told me when I was your age? She told me that kindness is even better than winning. PAUSES You can’t always be fair. You can’t always be right. And you can’t always win. But you can always be kind, because your heart is big enough for all the kindness in the world. STANDS UP, FIXES EYES SOMEWHERE ABOVE THE AUDIENCE Oh, children! Can you imagine a world full of kindness? FIXES EYES ON THE CHILD Maybe you could give Jenny a hug. Or a smile. And next time, instead of hitting you, maybe she will play with you. BENDING DOWN TO TALK WITH HANDS ON KNEES The world is yours. Will you help me fill it with all the kindness in your heart?

First, let me acknowledge that the staging – the chair, the off-stage recorded question and the imaginary children at “Student Teacher’s” feet – were the client’s suggestion. Clearly, she gets staging.

But this setup created some logistical limitations. For instance, she could not just stand up and step forward on all the imaginary children at her feet. She had to show intimacy with the kids at her feet, at the same time commanding the stage. Here is what I advised her:

You can’t do what Parks did. You can’t walk around without stepping on imaginary children. But you can’t just sit in the chair, either. You need to stand up to take control, and you can use your eyes to control the whole stage from where you stand. I’ve written those directions into the speech.

How to pace her speech was another concern. One does not talk to imaginary kids – obviously very young – as one would normally address the live audience of adults. And I especially did not want our client to be cornered into speaking too fast. For this, I turned to Kelley Johnson’s nurse speech, and said:

As for overall speed, I thought at first that Johnson was nervous, because she was speaking just a bit too fast the whole way through. But when she ran a couple seconds overtime, I realized she just had 20 too many words to say. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to you. I’ve already cut a lot of what I wrote on the first draft, but let me know your real-life timing after practicing a few times. We can always cut.

Speed is not the only consideration when speaking. Volume and pitch are, too. Here is some advice I gave on that, which might also be helpful when you speak:

You can speed up at a couple select moments when you get passionate – the audience should feel your heart beat faster as you speak faster, speak louder and if your voice is in a low to middle register, speak with a slightly higher pitch. If you have a high-pitched voice, best not to increase the pitch, as it could come across as squeaky. But you do need the audience to feel your passion.

I had some final words of advice that apply to any speech, even a best man speech or a maid of honor speech .

Since you’ll have a mike, no need to speak louder than natural, except when you raise your voice to convey passion. But I’ve seen mikes and speaker systems malfunction, so be prepared with a louder Plan B. Nothing impresses judges more than someone unfazed by a tech issue who goes on to perform smoothly anyway.

That last note applies to anything in life, whether it is a speech or a dance competition, or even a job interview. When the hall goes dark, light them up with your brilliance.

Are you ready to write your next speech for a talent show – or for any occasion? If you need help, our speech writers can script you up.

David Leonhardt is President of The Happy Guy Marketing, a published author, a "Distinguished Toastmaster", a former consumer advocate, a social media addict and experienced with media relations and government reports.

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How to Win a Public Speaking Competition

Last Updated: December 21, 2023 Approved

This article was co-authored by Gale McCreary and by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising . Gale McCreary is the Founder and Chief Coordinator of SpeechStory, a nonprofit organization focused on improving communication skills in youth. She was previously a Silicon Valley CEO and President of a Toastmasters International chapter. She has been recognized as Santa Barbara Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year and received Congressional recognition for providing a Family-Friendly work environment. She has a BS in Biology from Stanford University. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 83% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 81,816 times.

Public speaking competitions challenge people to perform both prepared and unprepared speeches on certain topics. Many competitions are judged on how organized your speeches are, how well you engage with the audience, and how you present yourself. If you enter a public speaking competition with hopes to win, make sure you prepare all of your materials and stay confident and you’ll be sure to nail it!

Writing a Prepared Speech

• Check with the competition you’re entering since they may have a list of prompts you need to choose from.
• Look at the guidelines for the competition to figure out how long to make your speech. How much information you include depends on if you need to give a 5-minute or 10-minute speech.

• For example, if you’re writing a speech about climate change, you may start with, “According to NASA, the last 136 years, 17 of the 18 warmest have occurred since 2001.” [3] X Research source
• Keep your introduction to 4-5 sentences so you have time to expand on your points in the body of your speech.

• For example, you may start with a personal story, talk about the issues of the point you’re discussing, and then offer recommendations or methods that could help.
• Breaking your speech into smaller parts helps your audience remember what you’re talking about.
• Make sure all the parts of your speech are related to the main topic. Otherwise, the judges and audience will get distracted by your tangents.

Tip: If you can, relate the final statement to the hook you used in your introduction. That way, your speech seems more cohesive and shows that you thought about the structure.

• Ask a teacher at school to look over your speech or listen to you present so you can get academic feedback.
• It’s okay to reference notecards while you’re presenting, but don’t rely on other visuals, such as slideshows or graphs.

Engaging Your Audience

• Avoid wearing clothes that are wrinkled or something that you would wear while you go out with your friends.
• Wear a red tie to show that you are business-oriented.

• Smaller public speaking competitions may not have a microphone, so be sure to practice what volume you use while you’re speaking.

• Use your hands while you speak so you avoid nervous fidgets, such as fiddling with your clothes or touching your hair.
• Move around while you’re presenting rather than staying in one place so you seem more engaging and confident.

• Only smile if it’s appropriate for your speech topic. For example, if your topic is about climate change, you may keep a more serious tone, but you may smile while talking about ways to prevent it.
• Try using humor in your speech if it’s an appropriate topic.

• Don’t focus on anyone for too long or they may start getting uncomfortable.
• Remember to make eye contact with the judges of the competition as well since they’ll be scoring your performance.

Tip: Aim to speak at 190 words per minute so you still get your point across without sounding bored or nervous. [12] X Research source

• For example, after you give your closing line, you may say something as simple as, “Thank you all for listening.”

Giving an Impromptu Speech

• Some competitions may let you split your time differently. For example, if you're given 7 minutes, you may use 1 minute to prepare and 6 to speak, or you can prepare for 3 minutes and present for 4.

• Use the PREP method to explain your Point, give a primary Reason for your point, share an Example, and reiterate your Point a final time.
• Talk about the pros and cons of the point you’re addressing before coming to your own conclusion about what would work best.

• For example, if your prompt is why manners are important, you may start off with, “Using manners shows how much you respect another person and establishes what you expect in return.”
• Since impromptu speeches tend to run for a shorter time than prepared speeches, keep your intro short and too the point.

• For example, if you’re arguing why manners are important, you may make the argument that treating someone rudely will make others lose respect for you and that you don’t care about their time.
• Avoid rambling about your point since you’ll have a strict time limit.

• Make sure to thank the audience when you’re finished.

Community Q&A

• Even if you don’t win your first public speaking competition, it’s good practice for writing and presenting speeches in the future. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• If there's somebody you trust in the audience, look directly at them often. You should try to make eye contact with everyone in the audience at least once, but returning to the person you trust can help you keep up your confidence.
• Changing the tone in your voice can help people stay engaged with what you're saying.
• Stand up straight while you're speaking. People will notice if you slouch.
• When you are speaking, have the next sentence prepared in your mind.

• Watch your time carefully since many competitions have limits for how long you can present. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.esu.org/stories/news/2017/10-tips-to-win-a-public-speaking-competition
• ↑ https://www.fastcompany.com/3049322/8-master-strategies-for-public-speaking
• ↑ https://climate.nasa.gov/
• ↑ https://writingcooperative.com/how-to-write-a-well-structured-speech-ec3851821526
• ↑ https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/how-to-win-in-impromptu-speaking/
• ↑ https://www.oxfordsd.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=7732&dataid=14337&FileName=What_to_Wear_to_a_Tournament_2016-17.pdf
• ↑ https://www.fastcompany.com/3048748/10-secrets-to-sounding-confident
• ↑ https://sixminutes.dlugan.com/how-to-impromptu-speech/
• ↑ https://www.speechanddebate.org/how-to-judge-impromptu/

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Speech Preparation #10: Prepare to Win a Toastmasters Speech Contest

Imagine yourself speaking at the World Championship of Public Speaking . You’ve written a speech from your heart, and you deliver the best performance of your life. When the winner is announced, it’s you!

Possible? Yes . You can win.

That which separates those who win from those who do not win is not lifetime speaking experience nor contest experience. Not gestures. Not vocal variety. Not rhetorical devices. Not overall delivery skills.

The most critical discriminator between those who win and those who do not is preparation .

• How to Prepare Your Presentation
• Select Your Speech Topic
• Plan Your Speech Outline
• Writing Your First Draft
• Editing Your Speech
• Add Speech Impact with Rhetorical Devices
• Staging, Gestures, and Vocal Variety
• Practicing Your Presentation
• Self-Critique: Preparation for Next Time
• Winning a Toastmasters Speech Contest

Believing You Can Win

Henry Ford observed:

Whether you think you can or think you can’t – you are right.

If you believe you can win a Toastmasters Speech Contest, then you can win. Believing you can win will motivate you to give it the proverbial 110% (even though that is a mathematical absurdity).

There are no shortcuts. The lessons contained in the previous nine articles of the Speech Preparation Series apply to speeches of all types, including Toastmasters speech contests. So, a necessary first step to preparing a great contest speech is to prepare a great speech. Period.

However, a Toastmaster speech contest is a unique speaking situation, just as pitching a business proposal to angel investors is a unique speaking situation. Both require additional preparation steps which are customized to the situation.

Toastmasters Speech Contest Criteria

To see what makes a Toastmasters speech contest unique, look no further than the Judging Guide set forth by Toastmasters International.

The Judging Guide consists of seven categories totalling 100 points as follows:

• 20 points: Speech Development
• 15 points: Speech Effectiveness
• 15 points: Speech Value
• 10 points: Physical
• 10 points: Voice
• 10 points: Manner
• 10 points: Appropriateness
• 10 points: Correctness

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that your goal is to attain maximum points in as many categories as you can. Study these criteria and check them against your speech iteratively.

10 Tips for Winning a Toastmasters Speech Contest

Here are the top ten lessons I learned through years of competing in Toastmaster speech contests.

1. Craft Compelling Content

Content counts for one half of the judging points. i.e. content is king. Still, many inexperienced speech contestants sacrifice content in the pursuit of perfect delivery. Don’t make this mistake. Delivery is important, but content is more important.

2. Make it Universal

Once you move beyond the club level, your audience in general (and the judges in particular) almost certainly comprise a broad demographic cross-section. Highly technical topics or those which appeal to only a subset of the audience must be avoided. Winning topics are those which have universal appeal . e.g. life lessons, love, family, personal development, beating the odds, adherence to a code of conduct

3. Include Humor

You won’t see humor anywhere on the judge’s guide (there is a separate Toastmasters Humorous Speech Contest). Nonetheless, humor is an essential element . Humorous anecdotes or phrases should be used to support your core message.

4. Ask Probing Questions

Because you know your topic so well, it can be difficult for you to analyze speech development and speech effectiveness from the perspective of your audience . When you rehearse, ask your practice audience specific probing questions such as:

• What was the key message ? If they respond with something that doesn’t match the message you intended, you have a problem.
• Was the message clear ?
• Were there any confusing words, phrases, or parts?
• Did it connect with you? [There is no speech which will connect with every person, but if your test audience is bored, then there’s a good chance your real audience will be as well.]

5. Avoid Forcing Unnatural Gestures

With a full ten points for gestures (i.e. “Physical”), it is tempting to force gestures into a speech where they might not belong. To avoid doing this, practice the speech out loud before you deliberately script any gestures. Notice the gestures your body naturally makes , and then work on perfecting the delivery of those gestures.

6. Avoid Forcing Unnatural Vocal Variety

Don’t write a speech, and then say “ I need to insert loud elements, soft elements, high pitch, low pitch, fast pace, and slow pace using the words I’ve written. ” Rather, apply vocal variety naturally to enhance the words . If the resulting speech is still vocally flat, then perhaps you need to rewrite sections.

7. Improve at Every Level

As you progress up through the Toastmasters speech contest levels, competition becomes increasingly stronger . While good speeches may win at the club level, they may not win at area or division. Don’t relax and think that your victory at one level will earn you victory at the next. Solicit feedback and improve your speech at every level.

8. Seek Magic Moments

Assuming your competition is as prepared as you are, the judges will be faced with a difficult decision: how to distinguish between two comparable speeches? The best way to distinguish yourself is to incorporate at least one utterly unforgettable moment . It might be a prop. It might be a gesture. You might sing. You might have a particularly effective method of interacting with the audience. Your speech needs some quality that no other competing speech has.

It may not be enough for you to leave the impression “ That was a great speech. ” Instead, your goal should be to have the judges thinking “ Wow, did you see that? ”

9. End Positive and End Strong

You can take your audience for a ride on an emotional trampoline, but always end with a positive emotion or a feeling of hope. Judges are human. Humans like to feel good. The last impression you leave before the judge marks the ballot should put them in a positive frame of mind.

Your conclusion is always an important speech element, but its importance is heightened in speech contests because it is the last thing spoken before the judges switch their attention to the score sheet. Equally important, a strong conclusion will increase applause from the audience. In turn, this will have a positive effect on judges.

10. Don’t “Try” to Win

As you stand ready to deliver your first words, the right frame of mind is critical. For example:

• “ I have seven minutes to deliver an important message to the audience .” The focus is on the audience and the message .
• “ I have seven minutes to impress the judges and win the contest. ” The focus is on you and your ego .

Adopt the former frame of mind. Your passionate performance will propel you to victory.

Conclusion of the Speech Preparation Series

This concludes the Speech Preparation Series . I hope you found it interesting and valuable. I welcome any feedback you have on individual articles, or on the series as a whole. Please share your own advice for speech preparation.

Remember: Proper preparation prevents presentation predicaments!

Prepare well. Speak well.

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This is one of a number of articles related to Toastmasters featured on Six Minutes . Subscribe to Six Minutes for free to receive future articles. Note: Six Minutes is not affiliated with or endorsed by Toastmasters International. Click here for more information about the relationship between the two.

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17 comments.

Great points. I like the point about trying to win. It does not work.

At the start of March I competed in the Division International. I had a technically perfect speech (so I thought), but there was no heart in it. I had written it to win; it was not a speech that I wanted to give because I felt it was a powerful message. My friend Ron Watts (from my club) had a heart felt message, but an average delivery. But he walked away with the Gold.

You have to have a message that you want to give and then give it. Otherwise you are wasting your time!

Wasting your time and the audience’s time.

The division contest Darren refers to is chronicled on his blog .

Very nice. There are about a dozen other things to remember. But this is an excellent brief summary.

–Dave Ross 1991 WCPS

Those advices are very good even when you do not go for a contest, for the next speech of TM’s I’ll try to add a special moment. And read again the different advices you give us.

I am still not rehearsing enough, relying too much on spontaneity. So often, I ran out of time…

This is a very useful article. I knew nothing about speech preparation and having read this article I feel like I’m ready to begin working my way up on that stage. Thank you for writing such a helpful and free piece of information!!!

With Toastmaster Contest season in full swing, I found this information both timely and informative. Thank you.

Hey Andrew, These tips are great! Keep up the good work. You are truly making a difference to diffident speakers. Cheers!

Thanks for a great article, Andrew. I stumbled upon it while looking for a way to start writing my international speech for a contest next week. I’ve entered 6 times, but not made it out of club level yet. I think this is my year! I’ll keep you posted. Thanks, Linda

This stuff is worth GOLD! Unimaginably useful. Thank you very much!

Wonderful article shared by Andrew. Today i am so happy that i ready this article and makes me confident and gave me strength. You are awesome.

Hi, I’m from Brazil and now I’ve decided to be a professional speaker. Your website and knowledge is great! Thanks for sharing your time. Fabrício

I have been in Toastmasters for 1 yr and have just got my CC I am always looking for ways to improve I found your article and was really impressed

Hi Andrew: I was wondering if you do speaking coaching. I’m a Toastmaster and would like to compete in the Inspirational Speech competition.

I would like to join the competition

Forget it Margaret! I’m going to win this year! Me! Me! All Me! MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Er… I mean…. Madam Toastmaster, fellow members, and distinguished blog readers… I join Margaret in saying thank you for this wonderful information. May we all find joy, success, and satisfaction in the pursuit of personal growth.

Dear Sir, Your article is very informative. Please include me in your list and enable me to learn more.

Best regards,

Great Stuff!

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Speech Preparation #10: Prepare to Win a Toastmasters Speech Contest… http://t.co/cDYcp4aA — Diane Neff Jul 19th, 2012

A few years old, but still good advice! http://t.co/mQVjXaq2 — Toastmaster Donni Oct 21st, 2012

@IFSToastmasters http://t.co/EWQ1qgYkWi Tips for crafting & delivering a winning Toastmasters speech! — @ChathKSA Feb 16th, 2014

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Anchoring Script: Speech Competition

Anchoring a speech competition is akin to conducting an orchestra; the anchor is the maestro ensuring every part of the event flows in harmony. The key to a successful anchoring script is to balance formality with engagement, providing a structure that enhances the experience for participants and the audience alike. Here’s a step-by-step guide to crafting a script that will resonate and keep the event moving smoothly.

Table of Contents

Know Your Event

Before you draft the script, gather all the necessary information about the competition:

• Theme : What is the central idea or topic of the competition?
• Participants : How many speakers are there, and what are their backgrounds?
• Judges : Who are they, and what credentials do they bring to the event?
• Schedule : What is the timeline for the event, including breaks and intermissions?
• Audience : Who will be attending, and what is their interest in the competition?

Armed with this information, you can tailor your script to the specifics of the event.

Crafting the Opening

The opening of your script should be welcoming and set the tone for the event.

“Good evening, and welcome to the [Event Name], a showcase of talent where words become the bridge between minds and hearts. I am [Your Name], and I have the pleasure of guiding you through this journey of oratory excellence.”

Introducing the Competition

Provide a brief overview of the competition, highlighting its importance and the skills it celebrates.

“Tonight, we come together to celebrate the power of speech. Our speakers are ready to take the stage, their words a testament to the profound impact of articulate expression. They have been carefully selected and are poised to share their insights on [Topic/Theme].”

Acknowledging the Judges

Introduce the judges, noting their expertise and importance to the event.

“Our esteemed judges for the evening are individuals of notable repute in the realm of public speaking. [Introduce Judges]. Their discerning eyes and ears will guide us in recognizing the prowess our speakers exhibit tonight.”

Participant Introductions

Before each speaker, offer a brief and neutral introduction. Avoid commentary that could influence the audience or judges.

“Taking the stage is [Speaker’s Name], who will be enlightening us with their perspective on [Speech Topic].”

Transition and Engagement

Use transitions to keep the event flowing and engage the audience between speeches.

“As we ponder the insights from that powerful presentation, let us reflect on the impact such ideas can have on our world.”

Incorporating Humor

Appropriate humor can help maintain a relaxed atmosphere but should be used sparingly.

“They say a good speech should be like a comet: dazzling, eye-opening, and over before you know it. Let’s see which of our speakers tonight will shoot for the stars.”

Pacing the Event

Your script should include notes on timing, allowing for pauses and audience reactions.

“Let’s take a brief moment to collect our thoughts before we proceed to the next speaker.”

Announcing Breaks

Clearly communicate any intermissions or breaks, providing directions as necessary.

“We will take a short 10-minute break. Please feel free to stretch your legs and enjoy the refreshments provided in the lobby.”

Closing Remarks

Offer a reflective closing statement before the winners are announced.

“As the judges deliberate, let’s applaud the bravery and eloquence of all our speakers. Each has shared a part of themselves with us, and for that, they are all champions.”

Announcing the Winners

Build anticipation but remain considerate of all participants when announcing the results.

“The wait is over, and the results are in. But before we unveil our winners, let’s give one more round of applause for all our speakers tonight.”

Concluding the Event

End on a high note, celebrating the event’s success and thanking everyone involved.

“What a remarkable evening it has been! We have witnessed the transformative power of speech, and our spirits have been uplifted by the passion and dedication of our participants. Thank you to everyone who made this event a resounding success. Good night, and let the power of words continue to inspire us all.”

Speech Competition Anchoring Script Example

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the grand finale of the [Name of Speech Competition], where eloquence and flair meet the fierce spirit of competition. I am [Your Name], your host for this evening, and together we’ll embark on a journey through the power of words.

Without further ado, let’s commence an evening of articulate expression and intellectual stimulation.

Welcoming the Audience

“Ladies and gentlemen, I extend a warm welcome to each one of you who has gathered here to witness the power of words. Your presence is a testimony to the timeless art of oration.”

Introducing the Event

“Today, we stand on the precipice of discovery, as young minds come forth to challenge themselves and each other in the noble pursuit of excellence in speech. The [Name of Speech Competition] is not just a contest but a celebration of the persuasive power of language.”

Acknowledging Dignitaries and Judges

“Before we dive into the heart of the competition, let us acknowledge the esteemed presence of our distinguished judges, [Judge 1 Name], [Judge 2 Name], and [Judge 3 Name], who bring with them wisdom and insight to the formidable task of adjudication.”

Rules and Criteria

“As we stand on the cusp of the competition, let me apprise you of the rules. Each speaker will be given [Time Limit] minutes to present their speech on [Topic/Theme]. Judges will evaluate based on clarity, delivery, content, and engagement.”

Introducing the First Speaker

“Kicking off the event, please join me in welcoming our first speaker, [Speaker 1 Name], who will delve into the intricacies of [Speech Topic]. Let’s give a round of applause as they take the stage.”

After the speech

“Thank you, [Speaker 1 Name], for that insightful presentation. As we let those profound words sink in, let’s gear up for our next speaker.”

Transition Between Speakers

After each speech

“Ladies and gentlemen, that was [Previous Speaker Name] with a compelling take on [Previous Speech Topic]. Moving forward, let’s invite [Next Speaker Name] to the stage to share their perspective on [Next Speech Topic]. Please give them a warm welcome!”

Audience Engagement

“As our judges jot down their invaluable insights, let’s turn to our audience. What are your thoughts so far? The power of speech is in not just the speaking, but also the listening and reflecting.”

Humorous Interlude

“It’s said that after a good speech, you should feel enlightened, and after a great speech, you should feel entertained. Well, I hope we’re ticking both boxes tonight!”

“Ladies and gentlemen, let’s take a brief intermission. Stretch your legs, grab a refreshment, and we’ll reconvene in [Break Time] minutes for the continuation of this oratory feast.”

Preparing for the Results

“As our judges retire to deliberate, let’s acknowledge the hard work and dedication of all our speakers. Each word spoken tonight was a thread in the beautiful tapestry of dialogue and debate.”

Building Anticipation

“The moment of truth approaches. The air is thick with anticipation. Remember, in the realm of speech, there are no losers; every speaker has triumphed over silence.”

“And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The winners of the [Name of Speech Competition] are ready to be unveiled. But first, a resounding round of applause for all our participants!”

Closing the Event

“As the evening draws to a close, we reflect on the eloquence and passion we’ve witnessed. Congratulations to the winners, and heartfelt thanks to the participants, judges, and you, our wonderful audience. Until next time, keep speaking, keep inspiring!”

Final Words

“Good night, everyone! May the power of words continue to be the catalyst for change and understanding in our world. Drive safely, and take care of each other.”

Remember, the script should serve as a guideline and you must be prepared to adjust based on the flow of the event. Engage with the audience, maintain a lively pace, and above all, ensure that every participant feels valued and appreciated for their effort.

• Clarity : Ensure your script is clear and concise, avoiding overly complex language.
• Tone : The tone should be formal but warm, creating a welcoming atmosphere.
• Flexibility : Be prepared to adapt your script on the fly if there are any changes or delays.
• Rehearsal : Practice delivering your script to familiarize yourself with the flow and timing.
• Respect : Always show respect for the time and effort of the participants, judges, and audience.

A well-crafted anchoring script is the backbone of a successfulspeech competition. By being prepared and personable, you can elevate the experience for all involved and ensure the event is remembered for its professionalism and positive atmosphere. Remember, the goal is to keep the audience engaged and the event moving smoothly, all while honoring the hard work and talent of the speakers.

About Mr. Greg

Mr. Greg is an English teacher from Edinburgh, Scotland, currently based in Hong Kong. He has over 5 years teaching experience and recently completed his PGCE at the University of Essex Online. In 2013, he graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a BEng(Hons) in Computing, with a focus on social media.

Mr. Greg’s English Cloud was created in 2020 during the pandemic, aiming to provide students and parents with resources to help facilitate their learning at home.

Whatsapp: +85259609792

[email protected]

• Toastmasters →

How to Write a Tall Tale (and Tell it Well) for Toastmasters Speech Contest

I joined a Toastmasters Tall Tale Speech Contest a couple of months ago and during my research, I realized there’s not a lot of resources on how to write a tall tale speech.

I scoured the internet looking at (very short) articles, Youtube videos and even sat down with a mentor to break down my script sentence by sentence to prepare for my contest .

In this post, I will share all I’ve learnt on what makes a good tall tale speech and break down my contest speech and share what could have been better.

What is a Tall Tale Speech?

A tall tale is a story that is greatly exaggerated with unbelievable elements. The ‘tall’ is used to describe an ‘obvious extension’ from the usual meaning.

A tall tale should have some believability and not be a complete fantasy i.e dragons and Wizards.

I like to use the cartoon Popeye the Sailorman as an example.

When he eats a can of spinach, he becomes super strong and beat up all his enemies. Spinach is known as a healthy food, common among bodybuilders (believability). Him becoming exaggeratedly strong is the ‘tall’ part of the story.

Tips for Writing a Good Tall Tale Speech

Character and goal.

Like all good stories , a tall tale should include a character with a specific goal. Like all great stories, there needs to be a conflict or a climax.

The tale would be about how the character overcome the conflict and achieve his goal.

Unlike in a traditional story, the character in a tall tale can have some extraordinary abilities that help him achieve his goal for eg, a can of spinach that makes him extraordinarily strong.

The goal does not need to be complicated. In my speech, the goal is literally me getting to the contest venue (and being met with some challenges along the way).

Overcoming the Conflict

In a typical Hero’s Journey, the main character gets into the lowest point, meets a saviour, then overcomes his darkness and emerge victorious. Typical drama, heroism, good-over-evil.

In a tall tale, you’d want the character to solve the problem in a humorous or unexpected way.

In my speech, I was going to be late for the contest, and instead of getting a cab or taking a bus, I “distracted” a delivery driver with a piece of chicken wing, and “borrowed” his e-scooter and rode to the contest venue.

Unexpected, funny (in my opinion), and problem-solved.

Lots of Exaggeration

This goes without saying:

In a tall tale speech, there should be an exaggerated amount of exaggeration.

What makes a tall tale speech, tall, is the exaggeration.

Use it in the narration.

Use it in the dialogues.

Heck, use it in the exaggeration!

It rained heavily while going to work (normally said).

It was raining cats and dogs as I was going to work (with rhetorical devices).

It rained so much that I had to swim to work! (exaggeration).

Take something normal that is already included in your speech, then exaggerate it. 

Think: swam to Antarctica, sailed to the South Pole, walk up to the 96th floor of a building, living till 189 years old.

Humour Helps

Although a tall tale speech contest is not a humorous speech contest, humour plays a huge part in the judging process.

In the contest I took part in, I was the first speaker. It was a combination of the audience not being warmed up and me not funny enough that lost me my first place trophy.

The first place winner had huge laughs throughout his speech.

A judge I talked to told me that they do consider the audience reaction and humour is the best way to get the audience to react.

In fact, the Tall Tale Speech Contest often replaces the Humourous Speech Contest in many Districts.

Twists and Turns

A good Tall Tale speech should have lots of unexpected twists that brings the audience members in one direction, then land the punchline in another direction.

Like a good humourous speech, the best way is to use the Rule of Three: build up a predictable sequence of events or logic in step one and two, then a twist in the third step.

Example: “Being a good speaker will get you admiration, respect… and lots of girls.”

In a tall tale, the twist can, and should, be exaggerated.

For example, “I boarded the bus, closed my eyes, and woke up in... another country.”

Add Surprise Elements

One thing the first place winner did well was adding surprises throughout his speech.

He took out a fly swatter and used it as a prop.

He used his mobile phone as a remote and played music on the stage.

Then, he danced. Cha-cha-cha-ing on stage for a good 30 seconds. This made the audience burst out laughing.

No surprises why he won.

Irony and Puns

Together with exaggeration, irony and puns are great rhetorical devices to use in a tall tales speech.

Examples of ironies:

The fire station burned down.

The police station got robbed.

The fish drowned.

Examples of puns:

This entire winning Tall Tales Speech by Linda Evans is crafted with clever puns.

On her speech about vegetables and raw food:

• Follow the Jello Slick Road.
• The path seems fruitless.
• Beware the one bad apple… who is as cool as a cucumber. 
• Made friends with 2 peas in a pod.
• Carrot and stick punishing baby carrots for downloading corn.

You get the idea.

More Rhetorical Devices

A tall tale speech is the best time to include and practice alliterations, triads, homonyms.

In his Tall Tale speech, Dave Wheeler said: “As an evaluator of other speakers he is always PRECISE, CONCISE, and, simply put, oh so NICE.”

Clarence Featherson : “That day, Jesse CAPTIVATED, ELEVATED and ILLUMINATED everyone…”

Stefano Cossalter : “It was a CONSTANT CIRCLE of CRITICISM that I couldn’t escape.”

Even more so if the words sound kiddish, like Big Billy Bittermen - Robert Cravalho .

Not too Childish, not too Adult

Speaking of kiddish, you do not want your speech to be a children’s fantasy book with princesses, unicorns and Dragons.

The basic elements of crafting a speech still counts and that includes knowing your audience - who are probably working adults.

You do not want the speech to swing the other extreme and talk about sex and drugs as well. Tall tales work best if there is a wholesomeness to it. 

Bragging and 3rd Person

The sure-fire way to lose your audience’s connection is to brag about how great and almighty you are. 

Which is why in all great stories, there is almost always a savior or mentor figure who helps the protagonist. 

Sure, being almighty is funny, but it would be even funnier if it is someone you met instead.

“Everyone I speak to tells me how much they love me.” Sounds arrogant.

“Everyone Sam speaks to worships the ground he walks on.” Sounds funnier and less arrogant.

Add Accents

A tall tale speech, in its most basic essence, is about embellishment . 

One of the best ways to do that is to add different accents when using dialogues in your speech. 

It demonstrates your vocal prowess, adds variety and provides distinctions between characters.

Be careful not to sound too racist though.

Using Repetitions

Repetition is a great way to induce callback humour in a speech and make it livelier. 

In a tall tale speech, since exaggeration is expected, repeat the exaggeration that you know will get the biggest laughs, once or twice.

You’d want to cap it at 3 times, max, because… Rule of Three . Anything more will be overdone. 

For instance, in my speech, I repeated the nonsensical timing ‘6min 83s’ three times at different parts of my speech. 

Don’t forget to include lots of pauses !

Pauses to let people laugh.

Pauses to let that exaggeration sink in.

Pauses to get that pun in.

And all the other common uses of pauses: to get attention, to build suspense, to control the stage.

Breaking Down my Tall Tale Speech

This is my speech with highlights of tall tale elements.

Here’s a little context:

The contest is held among 4 clubs in the west of Singapore, so the audience members are mainly from the west. I live 5 minutes away from the contest venue.

Imagine the contest chair introducing me and my speech title , then read on.

Speech title: I Will be Late

I am a little confused. I sent Hakim - the contest chair - a text message earlier saying I will be late for the contest but I have no idea why he read it out as my speech title. (That is not true, obviously, but it immediately piques the audiences’ curiosity)

You see, I live just 5min away, literally across the street from GP Shopping Center (contest venue) . There is no reason for me to be late. (Conflict in story)

In fact, I wanted to get here early to prepare myself for the contest. So at 11 o’clock, after spending 3 hours getting my hair to stay in place, I left the house. (First exaggeration)

I entered the lift, pressed 1, and the doors closed. 

A few seconds later, the lift started shaking violently. It went up and down, left and right, front and back, turn one round. I was holding on to my dear life. (Exaggeration, impossible)

At exactly 6min 83s later (Nonsensical number) , the doors finally opened. I walked out of the lift, dazed and dizzy, with my hair *cry* all messed up.

The place looked different *sniff* and it smelled different as well. It smelled... *sniff*

Fragrant, familiar, and… crispy?

I followed the smell and it brought me to the staircase landing of the 96th floor (Exaggeration) and to my surprise, there was a makeshift kitchen; complete with gas canisters, frying pans and... a row of chickens hanging upside down. (Almost impossible but it actually happened in Singapore ) 

A handwritten sign above says: KFC - Korner Fried Chicken. (Weak attempt at a colloquial joke)

“Eh Abang, you want some ayam goreng?” 

And I thought these kinds of things only happen at Yishun (another colloquial joke) . 

But still, I bought a chicken wing from Colonel Sanders, or should I say Korner Sanders (Pun) , in case the refreshments later... You know... 

I walked down the stairs. That was when I noticed this white, giant, balloon airship-looking thing in the sky.

If you live in the west, you probably have seen it. If not, after the event, go outside and you will see it. (This would be unusual normally but there IS a blimp at the west of Singapore for the past 2 years and it is in sight of the contest venue. This would only be effective for a west-side audience.)

I still had some time, so I decided to check it out. I walked to the balloon and it turned out to be an actual working blimp that was put there by some researchers from NTU.

Guess what? They offered me a ride on the airship. 

Now, I am an explorer at heart. Of course I had to say yes! 

Inside, there were lots of buttons, LCD lights and control panels but what I was most interested in was the view from the window.

I could see my house on 1 side, GPV CC on the other and (Korner Sanders frying his chicken at one corner/refer to previous contestants). So off we went, on a joyride around Singapore. (Believable but almost impossible)

We’re going low and slow when all of a sudden, bam! Something crashed into us. I turned around and saw a red, a black and a yellow bird staring at us. They looked exactly like the angry birds from the mobile game. (Touching on pop culture - Angry Birds) And up above is a hole in the balloon. 

Just like a balloon releasing air, our airship lost control. We went up and down, left and right, front and back, turn one round. (repetition and call back)

All I could do was to brace myself for a crash landing. 

It was exactly 6min and 83s later (Repetition of nonsensical number) , when I opened my eyes. We have landed safely.

But to my horror, there was a sign that says: ‘Selemat Datang ke Johor Bahru (Played on accents with some malay language) .’ Welcome to Johor Bahru. Somehow I have landed in Malaysia! (Twist - huge laughs)

Today is a Saturday and there was a jam at the causeway, so I did what any rational person would do: (Used pauses to build suspense before revealing what I did) I ran across the causeway.

I ran and ran and ran.

I sneaked through the immigration (Exaggeration, bordering impossible) and once I arrived in Singapore, I texted Hakim: I will be late. (Links story back to speech title)

To make matters worse, I couldn’t get a Grab car. But exactly 6min83s later (third and final nonsensical repetition) , my saviour appeared.

A panda. (pause) In pink. (pause) A food panda... (pause) delivery man. (Another unexpected twist)

I looked at him and I looked at the KFC chicken I bought. (moves head and pause twice) And I had a plan.

I offered the panda my chicken (callback) and while he is eating, I “borrowed” his e-scooter and rode all the way here, with chinese ah-beng (gangster) music blasting out loud. (Play on current affairs and also the ‘humorous’ way of solving the conflict)

I made it right before Hakim introduced my name. (Relate back to the present moment for some believability)

My hair is *cry* all messed up, but here I am, ready to start my contest speech. 

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Contest Chair.

Even though this is the script, you have to understand that a lot of the delivery techniques can't be shown on paper - such as vocal variety , facial expressions, stage movement, pauses, accents etc.

This was my first attempt at a tall tale speech and admittedly, it could be better. But I hope it has helped you in your preparation for your own Tall Tale Speech Contest.

Some ways to prepare for a Tall Tale contest:

• Read memes about Chuck Norris, The Most Interesting Man in the World, Bad Luck Brian etc. The oldies are gold.
• Watch movies like Big Fish, The Secret of Roan Inish and Chuck Norris
• Have a Tall Tale-themed table topics session in the club where everyone is tasked to exaggerate his or her answer with an almost-impossible story
• To come up with a topic, just take any everyday ordinary problem, like being late for a meeting, getting stuck in traffic, horrible date that went wrong, and see how you can exaggerate it until it’s funny.
• Watch Youtube videos of past Tall Tales Contestant for inspiration. I have linked to a few of them above (under 'Rhetorical Device').

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How to Write a Winning Expository Speech

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The skills required to win a speech contest are multifaceted. You’ll need to be a strong thinker, writer, and speaker. You’ll need calm confidence and sound reasoning skills. And these skills are not unique to speech writing; they will be useful almost any time, especially when you orally deliver information, be it during the science fair, an interview, or a class presentation. 

As such, developing the skills necessary to write and deliver a winning speech is a beneficial process for any high school student, regardless of whether or not you intend to actually participate in a formal speech contest or Speech and Debate Club.

If you’re interested in participating in the Expository Speech event at National Speech & Debate Association contests, and in developing your speaking skills along the way, read on.

What is Speech and Debate?

Speech and Debate Clubs generally participate in formal oratorical contests consisting of the delivery of arguments, performances, and other speeches. Most of these contests are governed by the National Speech & Debate Association , in coordination with the National Forensic League.

These organizations seek to provide competitive speech and debate activities, support for participants in the form of high quality resources and training, and scholarships and recognition for participants. They estimate that more than 150,000 students and coaches participate each year.

Usually, speech and debate teams are formal school clubs that function as an extracurricular group, meeting during elective periods or after school. These clubs generally participate in informal inter-team debates and in formal local, regional, and even national competitions.

What Is the Format of a Formal Speech and Debate Competition?

The format of speech and debate competitions varies. Each competition can choose the specific elements it wishes to include. Common components are policy debates, congressional debates, original oratory, and expository speeches. The components of a competition are released when the competition is announced, and competitions that are held annually usually are comprised of the same elements each year. Check out the National Speech & Debate Association’s list of Competition Events to learn more.    

What Is An Expository Speech?

Expository speeches fall under the supplemental category of formal speech and debate competitions, so they are usually offered in addition to other forms of competition. Unlike some of the other elements in a speech and debate competition, expository speeches are an individual event, meaning that you are solely responsible for the writing and delivery of your speech, and you compete directly against other individual students who have done the same.

Expository speeches are informational in nature, and the exact topic of the speech is chosen by you, the student. According to the National Forensic League guidelines , expository speeches “describe, clarify, illustrate, or define an object, idea, concept, or process,” leaving the specific content very open for you to decide.

Expository speeches necessitate background research, and their informational nature excludes personal opinions. Their goal, simply put, is to educate others rather than convince anyone of your viewpoint.

In a formal competition, expository speeches are limited to five minutes in length, with a 30-second grace period. No visual aids are permitted during expository speeches at formal speech and debate competitions governed by the rules of the National Forensics League. This means that you must memorize your speech in its entirety, since you will not be allowed to use notes or other prompts.

Some local or smaller scale competitions may use different rules to govern their contests, so be sure to check the rules specific to any contest you enter. Specifically, time and visual aid restrictions may vary.

How to Prepare for an Expository Speech at a Speech and Debate Competition

If you’re interested in participating in a National Forensic League expository speech competition, there are some ways that you can prepare in advance, even before writing your speech.

Background Research

First, once you’ve chosen a general content area, do some background research to fine-tune your thinking. Rather than going into your research with a thesis in mind, try to keep an open mind and allow the facts to guide you to a logical and well-founded thesis.    

As you research, keep in mind that the National Forensic League rules have strict guidelines surrounding the use of evidence in expository speeches. Specifically:

Debaters are responsible for the validity of all evidence they introduce in the debate. Evidence includes, but is not limited to: facts, statistics, or examples attributable to a specific, identifiable, authoritative source used to support a claim. Unattributed ideas are the opinion of the student competitor and are not evidence.

In other words, you are responsible for fact-checking any evidence you include in your speech and for attributing it appropriately. This means including an orally delivered citation with the primary author’s name and the date of publication in your speech. If you do not include an attribution, judges will assume that the evidence you’ve presented is actually just your opinion and not a demonstrable fact.

Perfect Your Word Choice

Another way to set yourself up for success is to get comfortable using a thesaurus. It will become your best friend as you refine your writing and practice your speeches.

You’ll want to find the strongest synonyms possible for key words in your speech, so get used to identifying words that you tend to overuse and finding strong alternatives to replace them. Sometimes you might even need to source synonyms that seem to flow off the tongue better, whether by alliteration or simply syllabic pace.

At the same time, be sure to strike a balance between relying too heavily on a dictionary and maintaining your own voice. In order to win a speech contest, you must sound natural and confident. This is difficult if you’re using words that you normally wouldn’t use in conversation or presentation, so tread carefully. Don’t overuse the thesaurus at the expense of your own voice.

That said, we all have words that we commonly overuse or rely on in casual conversations, so using a thesaurus to fine-tune the tone, meaning, and flow of your speech is a smart choice.

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The format of speech and debate competitions varies. Each competition can choose the specific elements it wishes to include. Common components are policy debates, congressional debates, original oratory, and expository speeches. The components of a competition are released when the competition is announced, and competitions that are held annually usually are comprised of the same elements each year. Check out the National Speech & Debate Association’s list of Competition Events to learn more.

Consider National Forensic League Time Limits

In a formal competition, time limits are no joke. In fact, if you exceed the 30-second grace period, you will be excluded from winning the competition.

The time limit for expository speeches at speech and debate competitions is five minutes. You can set yourself up for success by practicing speeches in this time range. Become familiar with the pace of your introduction and know when it’s time to move on to your conclusion.

Get to know what five minutes of speaking feels like so that you can be comfortable and natural on stage, without the additional anxiety of time keeping.

Understand How Your Speech Is Judged

There is no prescribed rubric for scoring expository speeches at the National Forensic League’s speech and debate competitions. Instead, judges award points at their own discretion by casting votes for their own perceived winner.

Just because a rubric is not available for your review, though, that does not mean that judging your speech is a mysterious process. Become familiar with the general categories that judges often consider when casting their votes.

One valuable resource is the Informative Speech Rubric from the University of Pittsburgh . Although there are some nuances that differentiate informative speeches from expository ones (including different time limits and rules regarding visual aids), the judging criteria are often very similar, and this gives you some insight into that thought process.

In general, the following categories will be considered in the scoring of your expository speech:

Topic Choice

You will need to be able to succinctly and clearly communicate to the audience why you are taking the time to deliver a speech on this topic. The topic should be something of personal importance and you should make it relevant to the audience by imparting new or unique information. Current events or other timely topics are especially good choices.

One of your very first tasks as a speaker is to convince the audience that what you are about to say is worth listening to, and this will be much easier to do if you choose your topic carefully.

Introduction

Your introduction goes hand in hand with your topic choice. You’ll have only a brief window of time to present your topic in a way that captures the audience’s attention while making your purpose clear. The introduction should also lead smoothly into the rest of the speech.

Organization

The organization of your speech includes its overall structure, the transitions that you use, and the way that your ideas and evidence build on one another. The organization should feel natural to the listener, as though they can anticipate what is coming next. If this isn’t the case, your use of surprise should be incorporated purposefully and used to your advantage.

You can write an amazing introduction and seamlessly organized speech, but if your content is horrible, you’re not going to do well. Instead, you need to do your research carefully and choose evidence for inclusion that is both strong and interesting. Your speech should also include strong use of rhetoric and word choice.

Content is a huge consideration for most judges. When you review your speech, make sure that you have considered the precision and strength of every word choice along the way.

This is another major consideration. In order to win a speech contest, you need to appear confident and comfortable on the stage. Make eye contact with the judges, keep a steady pace while speaking, and employ the effective use of pauses. Monitor your own volume and the nonverbal cues you display. You should appear at ease and command attention without seeming forced or overbearing.

Because no visual aids are allowed, you will need to memorize your speech in its entirety. Practice this again and again. To win an expository speech contest, there can be no stumbling when it comes to remembering your lines.

Valuable Resources to Prepare an Expository Speech for Speech and Debate Competitions

Before you begin writing your speech, be sure to check out these valuable resources to further guide your work:

• Read the official description of Expository Speeches from the National Forensic League on page 51 of the High School Unified Manual: Chapter, Rules, and Tournament Operations .      
• Review the in-depth overview of Expository Speeches available beginning on page one of the National Speech & Debate Association’s Supplemental and Consolation Events Guide . 
• Watch an example of a champion Expository Speech delivered by Ohio State student Anthony English. 
• See a video of National Expository Speech Champion Sam Geiger talking about why he pursues speech. 

For more guidance about extracurriculars, college applications, and how to choose activities that best suit you, download our free guide for 9th graders  and our  free guide for 10th graders . Our guides go in-depth about subjects ranging from  academics ,  choosing courses ,  standardized tests ,  extracurricular activities ,  and much more !

Also, be sure to check out these CollegeVine posts to learn more about extracurriculars and academics for students interested in Speech and Debate:

• A Guide to Excelling at Speech and Debate
• Guide to the American Legion Oratorical Contest
• How to Use Rhetorical Devices in Your College Essay
• A High School Student’s Guide to Mock Trial
• Summer Activities for the Hopeful Future Lawyer
• How to Spend Your Summer as a Prospective Poli Sci Major
• How to Write Mock Trial Opening and Closing Statements

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15 Ways to Start a Speech + Bonus Tips

You have heard the saying “First impressions are lasting; you never get a second chance to create a good first impression.”

The same is true when talking about how to start a speech…

The truth is, when you start your speech, you must focus everything on making a positive first impression on your audience members (especially if you are doing the presentation virtually ). The introduction is basically the formal greetings for speeches, so let’s be sure to get this right to really hook the audience.

Here are 15 different ways to start a speech as well as 2 extra BONUS tips at the end.

1) Thank the Organizers and Audience

You can start by thanking the audience for coming and thanking the organization for inviting you to speak.

Refer to the person who introduced you or to one or more of the senior people in the organization in the audience.

This compliments them, makes them feel proud and happy about your presence, and connects you to the audience like an electrical plug in a socket.

2) Start With a Positive Statement

A presentation tip at the start is to tell the audience members how much they will like and enjoy what you have to say.

For example, you might say:

“You’re really going to enjoy the time we spend together this evening. I’m going to share with you some of the most important ideas that have ever been discovered in this area.”

Remember that  speaking is an art,  so be an artist and take complete control of your performance,

3) Compliment the Audience

You can begin by complimenting the audience members sincerely and with great respect.

Smile as if you are really glad to see them as if they are all old friends of yours that you have not seen for quite a while.

You can tell them that it is a great honor for you to be here, that they are some of the most important people in this business or industry, and that you are looking forward to sharing some key ideas with them.

You could say something like:

“It is an honor to be here with you today. You are the elite, the top 10 percent of people in this industry. Only the very best people in any field will take the time and make the sacrifice to come so far for a conference like this.”

4) Start Your Speech By Referring to Current Events

Use a current event front-page news story to transition into your subject and to illustrate or prove your point. You can bring a copy of the newspaper and hold it up as you refer to it in your introduction.

This visual image of you holding the paper and reciting or reading a key point rivets the audience’s attention and causes people to lean forward to hear what you have to say.

5) Refer to a Historical Event

For many years, I studied military history…

Especially the lives and campaigns of the great generals and the decisive battles they won. One of my favorites was Alexander the Great.

One day, I was asked to give a talk on leadership principles to a roomful of managers for a Fortune 500 company.

I decided that the campaign of Alexander the Great against Darius of Persia would make an excellent story that would illustrate the leadership qualities of one of the great commanders in history.

I opened my talk with these words:

“Once upon a time there was a young man named Alex who grew up in a poor country. But Alex was a little bit ambitious. From an early age, he decided that he wanted to conquer the entire known world. But there was a small problem. Most of the known world was under the control of a huge multinational called the Persian Empire, headed by King Darius II. To fulfill his ambition, Alex was going to have to take the market share away from the market leader, who was very determined to hold on to it.

This is the same situation that exists between you and your major competitors in the market today. You are going to have to use all your leadership skills to win the great marketing battles of the future.”

6) Refer to a Well Known Person

You can start by quoting a well-known person or publication that recently made an important statement.

One of the subjects I touch upon regularly is the importance of continual personal development.

I will say something like:

“In the twenty-first century, knowledge and know-how are the keys to success. As basketball coach Pat Riley said, ‘If you are not getting better, you are getting worse.’”

7) Refer to a Recent Conversation

Start by telling a story about a recent conversation with someone in attendance.

For instance, I might say:

“A few minutes ago, I was talking with Tom Robinson in the lobby. He told me that this is one of the very best times to be working in this industry, and I agree.”

8) Make a Shocking Statement

You can start your talk by making a shocking statement of some kind.

For example, you might say something like:

“According to a recent study, there will be more change, more competition, and more opportunities in this industry in the next year than ever before. And 72 percent of the people in this room will be doing something different within two years if they do not rapidly adapt top these changes.”

Click here If you want to learn more techniques to wow your audience.

9) Quote From Recent Research

You can start by quoting a recent research report.

One example is:

“According to a story in a recent issue of Businessweek, there were almost 11 million millionaires in America in 2018, most of them self-made.”

10) Start Your Speech By Giving Them Hope

The French philosopher Gustav Le Bon once wrote, “The only religion of mankind is, and always has been hope.”

When you speak effectively, you give people hope of some kind.

Remember, the ultimate purpose of speaking is to inspire people to do things that they would not have done in the absence of your comments.

Everything you say should relate to the actions you want people to take and the reasons that they should take those actions.

11) Be Entertaining

Bill Gove used to walk onto the stage after his introduction if he had just finished talking to someone on the side and was breaking off to give his talk to the group.

The audience got the feeling that his entire talk was one continuous conversation, devoid of meaningless filler words .

Bill would often go to the edge of the stage and then drop his voice in a conspiratorial way, open his arms, and beckon the audience members to come a little closer.

He would say, “Come here, let me tell you something,” and then he would wave them forward as though he was about to tell a secret to the entire room.

The amazing thing was that everyone in the room would lean forward to hear this “secret” that he was about to share. People would all suddenly realize what they were doing and break out in laughter. It was a wonderful device to get the audience into the palm of his hands.

12) Ask a Question

You can open by making a positive statement and then ask a question requiring a show of hands.

Try something like this:

“This is a great time to be alive and in business in America. By the way how many people here are self-employed?”

Raise your hand to indicate what you want people to do. I have used this line, and after a number of hands go up, I then say to someone who raised their hand in the front, “How many people here are really self-employed?”

Invariably, someone will say, “We all are!”

I then compliment and affirm the answer:  “You’re right! We are all self-employed, from the time we take our first jobs to the day that we retire; we all work for ourselves, no matter who signs our paychecks.”

13) Open With a Problem

You can start with a problem that must be solved. If it is a problem that almost everyone has in common, you will immediately have the audience’s complete and undivided attention.

For example, you could say:

“Fully 63 percent of baby boomers are moving toward retirement without enough money put aside to provide for themselves for as long as they are going to live. We must address this problem and take action immediately to ensure that each person who retires will be able to live comfortably for the rest of his or her natural life.”

14) Make a Strong Statement, Then Ask a Question

You can start by making a strong statement and then ask a question. You then follow with an answer and ask another question. This gets people immediately involved and listening to your every word.

Here’s an example:

“Twenty percent of the people in our society make 80 percent of the money. Are you a member of the top 20 percent? If not, would you like to join the top 20 percent or even the top 10 percent? Well, in the next few minutes, I am going to give you some ideas to help you become some of the highest-paid people in our society. Would that be a good goal for our time together today?”

15) Tell a Story

You can start your talk with a story. Some of the most powerful words grab the complete attention of the audience are, “Once upon a time…”

From infancy and early childhood, people love stories of any kind. When you start off with the words, “Once upon a time…” you tell the audience that a story is coming. People immediately settle down, become quiet, and lean forward like kids around a campfire.

When I conduct full-day seminars and I want to bring people back to their seats after a break, I will say loudly, “Once upon a time there was a man, right here in this city…”

As soon as I say these words, people hurry back to their seats and begin to listen attentively to the rest of the story.

The story technique is very effective.

In fact, its probably one of the best public speaking tips I’ve learned to this day.

Bonus Tip: Tell Them About Yourself

Very often, I will start a speech to a business, sales, or entrepreneurial group by saying:

“I started off without graduating from high school. My family had no money. Everything I accomplished in life I had to do on my own with very little help from anyone else.”

It is amazing how many people come up to me after a talk that began with those words and tells me that was their experience as well.

They tell me that they could immediately identify with me because they too had started with poor grades and limited funds, as most people do. As a result, they were open to the rest of my talk, even a full-day seminar, and felt that everything I said was more valid and authentic than if I had been a person who started off with a successful background.

Building a bridge like this is very helpful in bringing the audience onto your side.

Bonus Tip: Get Them Talking to One Another

You can ask people to turn to the person next to them to discuss a particular point.

For instance, you could say:

“Tell the person next to you what you would like to learn from this seminar.”

Whatever you ask your audience members to do, within reason, they will do it for you. Your commands and your thought leadership will easily influence them, as long as you ask them with confidence.

By following any one of these tips for starting your speech, you are sure to grab your audience’s attention every time. How do you start a speech? Let me know in the comments.

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About Brian Tracy — Brian is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today. He has authored more than 60 books and has produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on sales, management, business success and personal development, including worldwide bestseller The Psychology of Achievement. Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined. You can follow him on Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest , Linkedin and Youtube .

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Competition Events

Competition Events Guide

Speech  involves a presentation by one or two students that is judged against a similar type of presentation by others in a round of competition. There are two general categories of speech events, public address events and interpretive events.  Public address events  feature a speech written by the student, either in advance or with limited prep, that can answer a question, share a belief, persuade an audience, or educate the listener on a variety of topics.  Interpretation events center upon a student selecting and performing published material and appeal to many who enjoy acting and theatre. 

Debate involves an individual or a team of students working to effectively convince a judge that their side of a resolution or topic is, as a general principle, more valid. Students in debate come to thoroughly understand both sides of an issue, having researched each extensively, and learn to think critically about every argument that could be made on each side.

To learn more about each event, click on the event name.

Interp events.

• Dramatic Interpretation (DI)
• Duo Interpretation (DUO)
• Humorous Interpretation (HI)
• Poetry (POE)
• Program Oral Interpretation (POI)
• Prose (PRO)
• Storytelling (STO)

Public Address Events

• Commentary (EXC)
• Declamation (DEC)
• Expository (EXP)
• Impromptu (IMP)
• Informative Speaking (INF)
• International Extemporaneous Speaking (IX)
• Mixed Extemporaneous Speaking (MX)
• Original Oratory (OO)
• Original Spoken Word Poetry (SW)
• Pro Con Challenge (PCC)
• United States Extemporaneous Speaking (USX)

Debate Events

• Big Questions (BQ)
• Congressional Debate (House & Senate) (CON)
• Extemporaneous Debate (XDB)
• Lincoln-Douglas Debate (LD)
• Policy Debate (CX)
• Public Forum Debate (PF)
• World Schools Debate (WS)

Students are presented with prompts related to societal, political, historic or popular culture and, in 20 minutes, prepare a five-minute speech responding to the prompt. Students may consult articles and evidence they gather prior to the contest. At the National Tournament, students may use internet during preparation. Some other tournaments may not. The speech is delivered from memory and no notes are allowed.

About Declamation

About Dramatic Interpretation

About Duo Interpretation

About Expository

About Humorous Interpretation

About Impromptu

Impromptu is a public speaking event where students have seven minutes to select a topic, brainstorm their ideas, outline and deliver a speech. The speech is given without notes and uses an introduction, body, and conclusion. The speech can be light-hearted or serious. It can be based upon prompts that range from nursery rhymes, current events, celebrities, organizations, and more.

An adapted version of Impromptu, Prepared Prompt Speaking, has been used at online tournaments. In Prepared Prompt, students will be given a list of topics prior to the tournament, select one prompt from the official list, prepare a speech, and submit it through the recording process.

Impromptu is a public speaking event that tests a student’s ability to analyze a prompt, process their thoughts, organize the points of the speech, and deliver them in a clear, coherent manner. Students’ logic is extremely important. They must be able to take an abstract idea, such as a fortune from a fortune cookie, and put together a speech that has a thesis and supporting information.

About Informative Speaking

Informative is a speech written by the student with the intent to inform the audience on a topic of significance. Students in informative may use a visual aid. Informative gives students the unique opportunity to showcase their personality while educating the audience. An Informative is not simply an essay about the topic—it is a well researched and organized presentation with evidence, logic, and sometimes humor to convey a message. Topics are varied and interesting. Whether it be a new technological advance the audience is unaware of or a new take on a concept that everyone is familiar with, Informative is the students opportunity to teach the audience. Types of topics and structure vary greatly.

About International Extemp

International Extemporaneous Speaking, typically called International Extemp, is a speech on current International events with limited preparation time. A student’s understanding of important political, economic, and cultural issues is assessed along with critical thinking and analytical skills. Students report to a draw room (often referred to as Extemp prep) where all of the Extempers gather at tables, set out their files, and await their turn to draw topics. Students may access research brought with them to the tournament during the 30-minute preparation period. Some tournaments, including the NSDA National Tournament, will permit students to use the internet to research during preparation time. When prep time is up, the student reports to the competition room to deliver a 7 minute speech. Students have a lot to do in 30 minutes—they must select a question, review research, outline arguments with supporting materials, and practice at least part of the speech before time expires. Many tournaments prohibit the consultation of notes during the speech in which case speech structure and evidence need to be memorized during prep time as well.

Mixed Extemp

Mixed Extemp combines international and domestic issues (as opposed to two separate events like high school). Mixed Extemp is an event at the NSDA Middle School National Tournament. Students are presented with a choice of three questions related to national and international current events. The student has 30 minutes to prepare a seven-minute speech answering the selected question. Students may consult articles and evidence to help with their preparation. The internet may be used during preparation time at the NSDA Middle School National Tournament, though local events may not allow use of internet.

About Original Oratory

About Original Spoken Word Poetry

The maximum time limit is 5 minutes with a 30-second grace period. The delivery must be memorized, and no book or script may be used. No more than 150 words of the original poetry may be direct quotation from any other speech or writing. A successful performer will craft a piece that elicits critical thought, reflection, or emotion. As opposed to traditional Poetry, Spoken Word Poetry is created to be performed aloud and may feature rhythmic flow, vivid imagery, word play, gestures, lyrical elements, and repetition. Use the Getting Started with Original Spoken Word Poetry guide as a helpful tool to explore ways to express thoughts and experiences through poetry.

About Poetry

Poetry is characterized by writing that conveys ideas, experiences, and emotions through language and expression. Often Poetry is very creative in terms of vocabulary and composition. While Poetry may tell a story or develop a character, more often Poetry’s focus on language and form are designed to elicit critical thought, reflection, or emotion. Students may choose what the National Speech & Debate Association refers to as traditional Poetry, which often has a formal meter or rhyme scheme, or nontraditional Poetry, which often has a rhythmic flow but lacks formal rhyme or meter. Poetry is different than Original Spoken Word Poetry in that students in Poetry will perform works written by others. In Poetry, students may chose to perform one long poem or create a program of poetry from one source or multiple sources.

Pro Con Challenge

Students select the National Tournament topic for CX, LD, or PF or a piece of legislation in the Congressional Debate Docket and write a 3-5 minute affirmative speech and a 3-5 minute negative speech on that topic. This event allows students to explore debate topics in a new and exciting way while showing off their writing, research, and delivery skills.

About Progam Oral Interpretation

About Prose

About Storytelling

Storytelling consists of sharing a story with an audience, performed as if the audience were a group of young children. Some tournaments have themes that the story selection must fit in; the National Tournament does not have a theme, and any story selection is acceptable. The story must not exceed five minutes. Students may use a full range of movement to express themselves and may incorporate a chair in a variety of different ways, though the chair may not be used as a prop during the performance. Students may be seated but most commonly performers use a full range of stage space available to them. As there are so many different types of stories that can be performed, it is important to observe rounds to see what other students and teams are using. The Association has final rounds of Storytelling from both the high school and middle school level to review. Local and regional tournaments may vary in the selection of stories performed.

About United States Extemp

About Big Questions Debate

Time limits.

*Each team is entitled to three minutes of prep time during the round.

About Congressional Debate

About Extemporaneous Debate

About Lincoln-Douglas Debate

Lincoln-Douglas Debate typically appeals to individuals who like to debate, but prefer a one-on-one format as opposed to a team or group setting. Additionally, individuals who enjoy LD like exploring questions of how society ought to be. Many people refer to LD Debate as a “values” debate, as questions of morality and justice are commonly examined. Students prepare cases and then engage in an exchange of cross-examinations and rebuttals in an attempt to convince a judge that they are the better debater in the round.

About Policy Debate

About Public Forum Debate

About World Schools Debate

How to Write a Winning Debate Speech

What is a Debate?

A classroom debate involves students delivering persuasive speeches to present and support their opinions on a given subject. This activity helps develop critical thinking and communication skills, enabling students to gain a more comprehensive grasp of various topics.

Debate speeches are written according to a set of rules so a moderator can assess their effectiveness and allow others to question or challenge their statements within a formal debate.

A classroom debate is not an unruly fight or pointless argument but a structured formal conversation on a chosen topic in which two teams argue for or against it to convince the neutral moderator that they hold the stronger position.

Debating is a form of persuasive communication, and while we will be sticking to the fundamentals of how to write a debating speech, we also have a great guide to persuasive essay writing that elaborates on specific persuasive techniques.

Complete Teaching Unit on Class Debating

This unit will guide your students to write excellent DEBATE SPEECHES and craft well-researched, constructed ARGU MENTS ready for critique from their classmates.

Furthermore, this EDITABLE UNIT will provide the TOOLS and STRATEGIES for running highly engaging CLASSROOM DEBATES.

How To Run A Classroom Debate

Before jumping in headfirst to write your debating speech, ensure you understand how a debate is run to maximise your strategy and impact when it counts.

Debates occur in many different contexts, such as public meetings, election campaigns, legislative assemblies, and as entertainment on television shows. These contexts determine the specific structure the debate will follow.

This guide provides a basic step-by-step debate structure we can comfortably run with students in a classroom. By familiarizing students with this structure, they will effortlessly transition to other debate frameworks.

Running a classroom debate can be an engaging and educational activity that helps students develop critical thinking, communication, and research skills. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to organize and facilitate a successful classroom debate:

1. Choose a Topic For Your Debate.

Also called a resolution or a motion , the topic is sometimes chosen to debate. This is usually the case in a school activity to practice debating skills. 

The resolution or motion is usually centered around a true or false statement or a proposal to change the current situation. Often, the motion starts, ”This House believes that….”

Select a topic relevant to your curriculum and the students’ interests. Ensure that it is debatable and has multiple perspectives. Further down this article, you can find a list of popular classroom debating topics.

2. Form Two Debating Teams

Two teams of three speakers each are formed. These are referred to as ‘ The House for the Motion ’ or the ‘ Affirmative ’ team and ‘The House Against the Motion ’ or the ‘ Negative ’ team.

Preparation is an essential aspect of debating. The speech and debate team members will need time to research their arguments, collaborate, and organize themselves and their respective roles in the upcoming debate.

They’ll also need time to write and rehearse their speeches. The better prepared and coordinated they are as a team, the greater their chances of success in the debate.

3. Assign Roles to Students.

Each team member should have a specific role, such as speaker, researcher , or rebuttal specialist . This encourages teamwork and ensures that each student is actively involved.

4. Research and Preparation:

• Allocate time for teams to research and prepare their arguments. Encourage students to use multiple sources, including books, articles, and reputable websites. Make sure you read our complete guide to powerful student research strategies.

5. Set Debate Format:

• Define the debate format, including the structure of each round. Common formats include opening statements, cross-examination, rebuttals, and closing statements.

6. Establish Rules:

• Set ground rules for the debate, such as time limits for each speaker, etiquette, guidelines for respectful communication, and consequences for rule violations.

7. Conduct a Practice Debate:

• Before the actual debate, conduct a practice round. This helps students become familiar with the format and allows you to provide feedback on their arguments and presentation skills.
• On the day of the debate, set up the classroom to accommodate the format. Ensure that each round has a clear structure, and designate a timekeeper to keep the debate on schedule.

9. Facilitate Q&A Sessions:

• After each team presents their arguments, allow time for questions and cross-examination. This encourages critical thinking and engagement among the students.

10. Evaluate and Debrief:

• After the debate, provide constructive feedback to each team. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments, presentation skills, and teamwork. Also, please encourage students to reflect on what they learned from the experience.
• Have a class discussion about the debate, exploring different perspectives and opinions. This can deepen students’ understanding of the topic and enhance their critical thinking skills.

Consider integrating the debate topic into future lessons or assignments. This reinforces the learning experience and allows students to delve deeper into the subject matter.

Remember to create a supportive and respectful environment throughout the debate, emphasizing the importance of listening to opposing views and engaging in constructive dialogue.

Each speaker takes a turn making their speech, alternating between the House for the Motion, who goes first, and the House Against the Motion. Each speaker speaks for a pre-agreed amount of time.

Ensure your debate is held in front of an audience (in this case, the class), and occasionally, the audience is given time to ask questions after all the speeches have been made.

Finally, the debate is judged either by moderators or by an audience vote. 

Download our Debate Organizer

Stay fousssed with this handy template to keep all your ideas organized.

How To Write A Debate

How to start a debate speech.

In highly competitive speech and debate tournaments, students are only provided the topic on the day, and limited time is allowed for preparation, but this is not recommended for beginners.

Regardless of the stakes of your classroom debate, the speechwriting process always begins with research. Thorough research will provide students with both the arguments and the supporting evidence for their position on a topic and generate forward-thinking about what their opponents might use against them.

Writing Your Introduction

The purpose of the introduction in a debate speech is to achieve several things:

• Grab the attention of the audience,
• Introduce the topic
• Provide a thesis statement
• Preview some of the main arguments.

Grab The Attention Of Your Audience With Strong Hooks

Securing the audience’s attention is crucial, and failure to do this will have a strong, negative impact on how the team’s efforts will be scored as a whole. Let’s explore three proven strategies to hook your audience and align their thinking to yours.

Introduce Your Topic With Efficiency and Effectiveness

Once the audience’s attention has been firmly grasped, it’s time to introduce the topic or the motion. This should be done straightforwardly and transparently to ensure the audience understands the topic of the debate and the position you are approaching it from.

For example, if the topic of the debate was school uniforms, the topic may be introduced with:

Provide Your Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a concise declaration summarizing the points and arguments of your debating speech.

• It presents a clear stance on a topic and guides the reader on what to expect in the content.
• A good thesis statement is debatable and allows for opposing viewpoints and discussion.
• It serves as a roadmap for the writer, ensuring coherence and focus in the piece.
• It helps the audience understand the purpose and direction of the work from the beginning.

The thesis statement should express the student’s or the team’s position on the motion. Clearly explaining the speaker’s side of the debate. An example can be seen here.

Provide A Preview Of Your Arguments

The final part of the introduction section of a debate speech involves previewing the main points of the speech for the audience.

There is no need to go into detail with each argument here; that’s what the body of the speech is for. It is enough to provide a general thesis statement for each argument or ‘claims’ – (more on this to follow).

Previewing the arguments in a speech is especially important as the audience and judges only get one listen to a speech – unlike a text, which can be reread as frequently as the reader likes.

debate introduction examples for students

Attention grabbers task.

After explaining the different types of attention grabbers and the format for the rest of the introduction to your students, challenge them to write an example of each type of opening for a specific debate topic. 

When they’ve finished writing these speech openings, discuss with the students which one best fits their chosen topic. Then, they can continue by completing the rest of the introduction for their speech using the format described above.

You might like to try a simple topic like “Homework should be banned.” you can choose from our collection further in this article.

Writing T he Body of the Speech

The body paragraphs are the real meat of the speech. They contain the in-depth arguments that make up the substance of the debate, and How well these arguments are made will determine how the judges will assess each speaker’s performance, so it’s essential to get the structure of these arguments just right.

Let’s take a look at how to do that.

How to structure an Argument

With the introduction out of the way, it’s time for the student to get down to the nitty-gritty of the debate – that is, making compelling arguments to support their case.

There are three main aspects to an argument in a debate speech. They are:

• The Warrant

Following this structure carefully enables our students to build coherent and robust arguments. Ttake a look at these elements in action in the example below.

Brainstorming Arguments

Present your students with a topic and, as a class, brainstorm some arguments for and against the motion.

Then, ask students to choose one argument and, using the Claim-Warrant-Impact format, take a few moments to write down a well-structured argument that’s up to debate standard.

Students can then present their arguments to the class. 

Or, you could also divide the class along pro/con lines and host a mini-debate!

Concluding a Debate Speech

The conclusion of a speech or a debate is the final chance for the speaker to convey their message to the audience. In a formal debate that has a set time limit, the conclusion is crucial as it demonstrates the speaker’s ability to cover all their material within the given time frame.

Avoid introducing new information and focus on reinforcing the strength of your position for a compelling and memorable conclusion.

A good conclusion should refer back to the introduction and restate the main position of the speaker, followed by a summary of the key arguments presented. Finally, the speaker should end the speech with a powerful image that will leave a lasting impression on the audience and judges.

Examples of strong debate Conclusions

The Burden of the Rejoinder

In formal debates, the burden of the rejoinder means that any time an opponent makes a point for their side, it’s incumbent upon the student/team to address that point directly.

Failing to do so will automatically be seen as accepting the truth of the point made by the opponent.

For example, if the opposing side argues that all grass is pink, despite how ridiculous that statement is, failing to refute that point directly means that, for the debate, all grass is pink.

Our students must understand the burden of the rejoinder and ensure that any points the opposing team makes are fully addressed during the debate.

The Devils Advocate

When preparing to write their speech, students should spend a significant proportion of their team collaborating as a team. 

One good way to practice the burden of the rejoinder concept is to use the concept of Devil’s Advocate, whereby one team member acts as a member of the opposing team, posing arguments from the other side for the speaker to counter, sharpening up their refutation skills in the process.

20 Great Debating Topics for Students

• Should cell phones be allowed in schools?
• Is climate change primarily caused by human activities?
• Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
• Is social media more harmful than beneficial to society?
• Should genetically modified organisms (GMOs) be embraced or rejected?
• Is the death penalty an effective crime deterrent?
• Should schools implement mandatory drug testing for students?
• Is animal testing necessary for scientific and medical advancements?
• Should school uniforms be mandatory?
• Is censorship justified in certain circumstances?
• Should the use of performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in sports?
• Is homeschooling more beneficial than traditional schooling?
• Should the use of plastic bags be banned?
• Is nuclear energy a viable solution to the world’s energy needs?
• Should the government regulate the fast food industry?
• Is social inequality a result of systemic factors or individual choices?
• Should the consumption of meat be reduced for environmental reasons?
• Is online learning more effective than traditional classroom learning?
• Should the use of drones in warfare be banned?
• Is the legalization of marijuana beneficial for society?

These topics cover a range of subjects and offer students the opportunity to engage in thought-provoking debates on relevant and impactful issues.

OTHER GREAT ARTICLES RELATED TO DEBATING

The Ultimate Guide to Opinion Writing for Students and Teachers

Top 5 Persuasive Writing Techniques for Students

5 Top Persuasive Writing Lesson Plans for Students and Teachers

23 Persuasive writing Topics for High School students

How to Write Perfect Persuasive Essays in 5 Simple Steps

Debating strategies for students.

Research and preparation are essential to ensure good performance in a debate. Students should spend as much time as possible drafting and redrafting their speeches to maximize their chances of winning. However, a debate is a dynamic activity, and victory cannot be assured by pre-writing alone.

Students must understand that the key to securing victory lies in also being able to think, write (often in the form of notes), and respond instantly amid the turmoil of the verbal battle. To do this, students must understand the following keys to victory.

When we think of winning a debate, we often think of blinding the enemy with the brilliance of our verbal eloquence. We think of impressing the audience and the judges alike with our outstanding oratory.

What we don’t often picture when we imagine what a debate winner looks like is a quiet figure sitting and listening intently. But being a good listener is one of our students’ most critical debating skills.

If students don’t listen to the other side, whether by researching opposing arguments or during the thrust of the actual debate, they won’t know the arguments the other side is making. Without this knowledge, they cannot effectively refute the opposition’s claims.

Read the Audience

In terms of the writing that happens before the debate takes place, this means knowing your audience. 

Students should learn that how they present their arguments may change according to the demographics of the audience and/or judges to whom they will be making their speech. 

An audience of retired school teachers and an audience of teen students may have very different responses to the same arguments.

This applies during the actual debate itself too. If the student making their speech reads resistance in the faces of the listeners, they should be prepared to adapt their approach accordingly in mid-speech.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The student must practice their speech before the debate. There’s no need to learn it entirely by heart. There isn’t usually an expectation to memorize a speech entirely, and doing so can lead to the speaker losing some of their spontaneity and power in their delivery. At the same time, students shouldn’t spend the whole speech bent over a sheet of paper reading word by word.

Ideally, students should familiarize themselves with the content and be prepared to deliver their speech using flashcards as prompts when necessary.

Another important element for students to focus on when practising their speech is making their body language, facial expressions, and hand gestures coherent with the verbal content of their speech. One excellent way to achieve this is for the student to practice delivering their speech in a mirror.

And Finally…

Debating is a lot of fun to teach and partake in, but it also offers students a valuable opportunity to pick up some powerful life skills.

It helps students develop a knack for distinguishing fact from opinion and an ability to assess whether a source is credible or not. It also helps to encourage them to think about the other side of the argument. 

Debating helps our students understand others, even when disagreeing with them. An important skill in these challenging times, without a doubt.

Debating Teaching Strategies

Clearly Define Debate Roles and Structure when running speech and debate events: Clearly define the roles of speakers, timekeepers, moderators, and audience members. Establish a structured format with specific time limits for speeches, rebuttals, and audience participation. This ensures a well-organized and engaging debate.

• Provide Topic Selection and Preparation Time: Offer students a range of debate topics, allowing them to select a subject they are passionate about. Allocate ample time for research and preparation, encouraging students to gather evidence, develop strong arguments, and anticipate counterarguments.
• Incorporate Scaffolded Debating Skills Practice: Before the actual debate, engage students in scaffolded activities that build their debating skills. This can include small group discussions, mock debates, or persuasive writing exercises. Provide feedback and guidance to help students refine their arguments and delivery.
• Encourage Active Listening and Note-taking during speech and debate competitions: Emphasize the importance of active listening during the debate. Encourage students to take notes on key points, supporting evidence, and persuasive techniques used by speakers. This cultivates critical thinking skills and prepares them for thoughtful responses during rebuttals.
• Facilitate Post-Debate Reflection and Discussion: After the debate, facilitate a reflection session where students can share their thoughts, lessons learned, and insights gained. Encourage them to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments and engage in constructive dialogue. This promotes metacognitive skills and encourages continuous improvement.

By following these tips, teachers can create a vibrant and educational debate experience for their students. Through structured preparation, active engagement, and reflective discussions, students develop valuable literacy and critical thinking skills that extend beyond the boundaries of the debate itself.

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15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Powerful speech opening lines set the tone and mood of your speech. It’s what grips the audience to want to know more about the rest of your talk.

The first few seconds are critical. It’s when you have maximum attention of the audience. And you must capitalize on that!

Instead of starting off with something plain and obvious such as a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good Morning’, there’s so much more you can do for a powerful speech opening (here’s a great article we wrote a while ago on how you should NOT start your speech ).

To help you with this, I’ve compiled some of my favourite openings from various speakers. These speakers have gone on to deliver TED talks , win international Toastmaster competitions or are just noteworthy people who have mastered the art of communication.

After each speaker’s opening line, I have added how you can include their style of opening into your own speech. Understanding how these great speakers do it will certainly give you an idea to create your own speech opening line which will grip the audience from the outset!

Alright! Let’s dive into the 15 powerful speech openings…

Note: Want to take your communications skills to the next level? Book a complimentary consultation with one of our expert communication coaches. We’ll look under the hood of your hurdles and pick two to three growth opportunities so you can speak with impact!

1. Ric Elias

Opening: “Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.”

How to use the power of imagination to open your speech?

Putting your audience in a state of imagination can work extremely well to captivate them for the remainder of your talk.

It really helps to bring your audience in a certain mood that preps them for what’s about to come next. Speakers have used this with high effectiveness by transporting their audience into an imaginary land to help prove their point.

When Ric Elias opened his speech, the detail he used (3000 ft, sound of the engine going clack-clack-clack) made me feel that I too was in the plane. He was trying to make the audience experience what he was feeling – and, at least in my opinion, he did.

When using the imagination opening for speeches, the key is – detail. While we want the audience to wander into imagination, we want them to wander off to the image that we want to create for them. So, detail out your scenario if you’re going to use this technique.

Make your audience feel like they too are in the same circumstance as you were when you were in that particular situation.

2. Barack Obama

Opening: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

3. Seth MacFarlane

Opening: “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electoral equipment.” (It was raining)

How to use humour to open your speech?

When you use humour in a manner that suits your personality, it can set you up for a great speech. Why? Because getting a laugh in the first 30 seconds or so is a great way to quickly get the audience to like you.

And when they like you, they are much more likely to listen to and believe in your ideas.

Obama effortlessly uses his opening line to entice laughter among the audience. He brilliantly used the setting (the context of Trump becoming President) and said a line that completely matched his style of speaking.

Saying a joke without really saying a joke and getting people to laugh requires you to be completely comfortable in your own skin. And that’s not easy for many people (me being one of them).

If the joke doesn’t land as expected, it could lead to a rocky start.

Keep in mind the following when attempting to deliver a funny introduction:

• Know your audience: Make sure your audience gets the context of the joke (if it’s an inside joke among the members you’re speaking to, that’s even better!). You can read this article we wrote where we give you tips on how you can actually get to know your audience better to ensure maximum impact with your speech openings
• The joke should suit your natural personality. Don’t make it look forced or it won’t elicit the desired response
• Test the opening out on a few people who match your real audience. Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary
• Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you

4. Mohammed Qahtani

Opening: Puts a cigarette on his lips, lights a lighter, stops just before lighting the cigarette. Looks at audience, “What?”

5. Darren Tay

Opening: Puts a white pair of briefs over his pants.

How to use props to begin your speech?

The reason props work so well in a talk is because in most cases the audience is not expecting anything more than just talking. So when a speaker pulls out an object that is unusual, everyone’s attention goes right to it.

It makes you wonder why that prop is being used in this particular speech.

The key word here is unusual . To grip the audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech, the prop being used should be something that the audience would never expect. Otherwise, it just becomes something that is common. And common = boring!

What Mohammed Qahtani and Darren Tay did superbly well in their talks was that they used props that nobody expected them to.

By pulling out a cigarette and lighter or a white pair of underwear, the audience can’t help but be gripped by what the speaker is about to do next. And that makes for a powerful speech opening.

6. Simon Sinek

Opening: “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

7. Julian Treasure

Opening: “The human voice. It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world. Probably the only one that can start a war or say “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak people don’t listen to them. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”

How to use questions to open a speech?

I use this method often. Starting off with a question is the simplest way to start your speech in a manner that immediately engages the audience.

But we should keep our questions compelling as opposed to something that is fairly obvious.

I’ve heard many speakers start their speeches with questions like “How many of us want to be successful?”

No one is going to say ‘no’ to that and frankly, I just feel silly raising my hand at such questions.

Simon Sinek and Jullian Treasure used questions in a manner that really made the audience think and make them curious to find out what the answer to that question is.

What Jullian Treasure did even better was the use of a few statements which built up to his question. This made the question even more compelling and set the theme for what the rest of his talk would be about.

So think of what question you can ask in your speech that will:

• Set the theme for the remainder of your speech
• Not be something that is fairly obvious
• Be compelling enough so that the audience will actually want to know what the answer to that question will be

8. Aaron Beverley

Opening: Long pause (after an absurdly long introduction of a 57-word speech title). “Be honest. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

How to use silence for speech openings?

The reason this speech opening stands out is because of the fact that the title itself is 57 words long. The audience was already hilariously intrigued by what was going to come next.

But what’s so gripping here is the way Aaron holds the crowd’s suspense by…doing nothing. For about 10 to 12 seconds he did nothing but stand and look at the audience. Everyone quietened down. He then broke this silence by a humorous remark that brought the audience laughing down again.

When going on to open your speech, besides focusing on building a killer opening sentence, how about just being silent?

It’s important to keep in mind that the point of having a strong opening is so that the audience’s attention is all on you and are intrigued enough to want to listen to the rest of your speech.

Silence is a great way to do that. When you get on the stage, just pause for a few seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) and just look at the crowd. Let the audience and yourself settle in to the fact that the spotlight is now on you.

I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something about starting the speech off with a pure pause that just makes the beginning so much more powerful. It adds credibility to you as a speaker as well, making you look more comfortable and confident on stage. 

If you want to know more about the power of pausing in public speaking , check out this post we wrote. It will give you a deeper insight into the importance of pausing and how you can harness it for your own speeches. You can also check out this video to know more about Pausing for Public Speaking:

9. Dan Pink

Opening: “I need to make a confession at the outset here. Little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I’m not particularly proud of. Something that in many ways I wish no one would ever know but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal.”

10. Kelly McGonigal

Opening: “I have a confession to make. But first I want you to make a little confession to me.”

How to use a build-up to open your speech?

When there are so many amazing ways to start a speech and grip an audience from the outset, why would you ever choose to begin your speech with a ‘Good morning?’.

That’s what I love about build-ups. They set the mood for something awesome that’s about to come in that the audience will feel like they just have to know about.

Instead of starting a speech as it is, see if you can add some build-up to your beginning itself. For instance, in Kelly McGonigal’s speech, she could have started off with the question of stress itself (which she eventually moves on to in her speech). It’s not a bad way to start the speech.

But by adding the statement of “I have a confession to make” and then not revealing the confession for a little bit, the audience is gripped to know what she’s about to do next and find out what indeed is her confession.

11. Tim Urban

Opening: “So in college, I was a government major. Which means that I had to write a lot of papers. Now when a normal student writes a paper, they might spread the work out a little like this.”

12. Scott Dinsmore

Opening: “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

How to use storytelling as a speech opening?

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs

Storytelling is the foundation of good speeches. Starting your speech with a story is a great way to grip the audience’s attention. It makes them yearn to want to know how the rest of the story is going to pan out.

Tim Urban starts off his speech with a story dating back to his college days. His use of slides is masterful and something we all can learn from. But while his story sounds simple, it does the job of intriguing the audience to want to know more.

As soon as I heard the opening lines, I thought to myself “If normal students write their paper in a certain manner, how does Tim write his papers?”

Combine such a simple yet intriguing opening with comedic slides, and you’ve got yourself a pretty gripping speech.

Scott Dismore’s statement has a similar impact. However, just a side note, Scott Dismore actually started his speech with “Wow, what an honour.”

I would advise to not start your talk with something such as that. It’s way too common and does not do the job an opening must, which is to grip your audience and set the tone for what’s coming.

13. Larry Smith

Opening: “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.”

14. Jane McGonigal

Opening: “You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

How to use provocative statements to start your speech?

Making a provocative statement creates a keen desire among the audience to want to know more about what you have to say. It immediately brings everyone into attention.

Larry Smith did just that by making his opening statement surprising, lightly humorous, and above all – fearful. These elements lead to an opening statement which creates so much curiosity among the audience that they need to know how your speech pans out.

This one time, I remember seeing a speaker start a speech with, “Last week, my best friend committed suicide.” The entire crowd was gripped. Everyone could feel the tension in the room.

They were just waiting for the speaker to continue to know where this speech will go.

That’s what a hard-hitting statement does, it intrigues your audience so much that they can’t wait to hear more! Just a tip, if you do start off with a provocative, hard-hitting statement, make sure you pause for a moment after saying it.

Silence after an impactful statement will allow your message to really sink in with the audience.

Related article: 5 Ways to Grab Your Audience’s Attention When You’re Losing it!

15. Ramona J Smith

Opening: In a boxing stance, “Life would sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs and hooks will come in the form of challenges, obstacles and failures. Yet if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights, at the end of each round, you’ll be still standing.”

How to use your full body to grip the audience at the beginning of your speech?

In a talk, the audience is expecting you to do just that – talk. But when you enter the stage and start putting your full body into use in a way that the audience does not expect, it grabs their attention.

Body language is critical when it comes to public speaking. Hand gestures, stage movement, facial expressions are all things that need to be paid attention to while you’re speaking on stage. But that’s not I’m talking about here.

Here, I’m referring to a unique use of the body that grips the audience, like how Ramona did. By using her body to get into a boxing stance, imitating punches, jabs and hooks with her arms while talking – that’s what got the audience’s attention.

The reason I say this is so powerful is because if you take Ramona’s speech and remove the body usage from her opening, the entire magic of the opening falls flat.

While the content is definitely strong, without those movements, she would not have captured the audience’s attention as beautifully as she did with the use of her body.

So if you have a speech opening that seems slightly dull, see if you can add some body movement to it.

If your speech starts with a story of someone running, actually act out the running. If your speech starts with a story of someone reading, actually act out the reading.

It will make your speech opening that much more impactful.

Related article: 5 Body Language Tips to Command the Stage

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Final Words

So there it is! 15 speech openings from some of my favourite speeches. Hopefully, these will act as a guide for you to create your own opening which is super impactful and sets you off on the path to becoming a powerful public speaker!

But remember, while a speech opening is super important, it’s just part of an overall structure.

If you’re serious about not just creating a great speech opening but to improve your public speaking at an overall level, I would highly recommend you to check out this course: Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking on Udemy. Not only does it have specific lectures on starting and ending a speech, but it also offers an in-depth guide into all the nuances of public speaking. 

Being the founder of TED Talks, Chris Anderson provides numerous examples of the best TED speakers to give us a very practical way of overcoming stage fear and delivering a speech that people will remember. His course has helped me personally and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn public speaking. 

No one is ever “done” learning public speaking. It’s a continuous process and you can always get better. Keep learning, keep conquering and keep being awesome!

Lastly, if you want to know how you should NOT open your speech, we’ve got a video for you:

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