Sneak peek to The World Individuals Debating and Public Speaking Championship

The World Individuals Debating and Public Speaking Championships (WIDPSC for short) is one of the most exclusive and challenging competitions that exist for teenagers who are passionate about debating and public speaking. In order to join, you have to first enter the HK trials, which are held by Hong Kong Schools Debating and Public Speaking Championships each year in November. If you’re one of the talented few that are to be selected to represent Hong Kong, you will then have to go through half a year of intense training before you enter the actual competition.

The WIDPSC is hosted by different countries each year, and those who go will be able to meet over 100 competitors from a variety of countries. It is mandatory for each competitor to compete in Debating, Impromptu Speaking, and Interpretive Reading. In addition to that, competitors are also expected to participate in a fourth round, in which they have to choose between performing an After Dinner Speech or a Persuasive Speech. Displayed below is a link for those who are interested in finding out more about the specific details of the competition:

http://www.widpsc.org/

So you might be wondering right now: If I’m interested in this competition, where should I start? Well, if that’s the case, you’re in the right place. Numerous HK representatives from the past two years have been kind enough to contribute to this article by giving us some tips and insights regarding their own experiences as a competitor in WIDPSC. Now, let’s see what they have to say!

Do you have any tips for the persuasive speaking round?

(Name: Karina Poon)

Practise, practise, practise! The persuasive speech is one of two categories in WIDPSC where you can prepare beforehand, so it is a wise idea to make use of all the time you have before the tournament. Otherwise, it would inevitably become a struggle trying to stay awake while cramming your speech on the plane. But in all seriousness, practising is important because the manner in which the speech is delivered is crucial - this means paying attention to eye contact, facial expressions, body language, tone and pace. These elements are what make the speech come alive and entice the audience. Practising your speech thoroughly is also a way to ensure you go into the round feeling more confident and prepared.

A top tip when practising your speech - focus on specific sentences of your speech that you feel are tricky when memorising. If you find that you are always forgetting that one pesky phrase in your speech, ask yourself if the phrase is key to understanding the speech - if not, then you may be better off rephrasing it in a different way that is clearer and easier to remember.

Choosing the right topic is also key to making the most of the persuasive speech. 13 minutes is an ample amount of time to explore a topic in detail, so it is important that the scope of the topic is sufficiently focused but still enough to really dig up and dissect. Don’t forget that the topic should be one that you’re interested in! This is definitely going to help in terms of motivation to write the speech and your passion when delivering the topic. Get the audience thinking about a new perspective or talk about a topic they may not know about - it will leave a lasting impression.

Finally, enjoy delivering the speech! It is going to be undoubtedly nerve-wracking, but everyone there is supportive and is eager to hear your ideas. If you worry that you may forget your speech when delivering, know the points you are trying to make very clearly so that you can still talk about it at ease before getting back on track. Often, we overworry about these situations; let your mind go and go into the round with a positive state of mind.

Do you have any tips for the debating round?

(Name: Alvin Cheung)

I guess the key to any impromptu debate is to stay focused but open-minded at the same time. Let your creative and analytical juices flow. There are certain fundamental questions you must ask yourself: firstly, what is the problem? Secondly, if there is a problem, to what extent can the solution fix it? Thirdly, do the negative consequences outweigh the positive ramifications? Given that you have limited time for preparation, it is best to answer these three simple questions and develop your arguments through them as this will ensure sound logic. Of course, there is nuance hidden in every motion and you have to be alert to them as well.

One of the good/bad things about a WIDSPC debate is that the tournament places quite a bit of emphasis on style and charisma. And I guess one of the tips is to feel confident. Feel funny. Feel that you own the stage/podium/room and your confidence can elevate your debate to a different level altogether. Have a drink of water, perhaps think of some good punchlines that might make your speech memorable. But don’t overdo it - remember that debate is first and foremost about argumentation and logic - language and laughter come second.

Be a little selfish but be collaborative. This is still, sadly, teamwork and there is every chance that your teammate might stab you in the back by using all the points discussed and leaving you with nothing. That’s why keeping one or two arguments for yourself and packaging them like extensions are very important. It’s the one time where selfishness is a virtue. But don’t be afraid to cooperate - because without cooperation, the debate hardly flows for your team.

Do you have any tips for the impromptu round?

(Name: Jess Ma)

Well… go with your intuition! Since you only have 2 minutes, you really don’t have a lot of time to choose one topic out of three, so choose the one that strikes you without hesitation! There must be a reason why it struck you. After deciding on a topic, try to develop it with different angles. For example, will you support the quote or oppose it? In which perspective you view the object -- personal, political, social, or any special identities? Are there more than one meaning to the phrase? You can also try placing your topic in different time periods to point out its change or how it impacts you/the world. For instance, does it have different short term and long term impacts? Does it mean something different in the past? These should be okay for the speech (at least it can sustain you for 3 minutes). Afterwards, think about your introduction and conclusion in words, not points. It’s very important to know how to start and end your speech to keep all your material together. Try not to reiterate your points as your conclusion as some judges may complain of repetition.

On making notes during prep time, do not write in full sentences. Use keywords/points!! This saves you a lot of time. Don’t forget organization and try to organize your thoughts as you churn them out (e.g. according to perspectives, logic, relevance etc). Re-read your thoughts before you go out. When you’re up there, smile, chin up and deliver your speech with confidence! Don’t doubt the quality of your content or panic, just do it. :)

Do you have any tips for the interpretive reading round?

(Name: Samantha Lai)

By the time you’ve chosen your piece, half the battle is already over. For interpretive reading, having an appropriate passage is just as, if not even more, important, than good execution. So take time to choose what you’re going to read, and choose carefully! As it goes, people would probably be significantly more interested in listening to a story about children escaping from an abusive household rather than a passage in which a few old men discuss different fishing techniques. A piece of literary merit can always give you some bonus points, so do try to distance yourself from the likes of Rainbow Fairies and Twilight. But ultimately, what’s most important is that you choose something you’re comfortable with and have the ability to pull off. Can you do an uncannily realistic old lady impression? Try finding a piece with an old lady in it, then! Do your friends find you vaguely psychotic? Murder mysteries it is! Can you cry on command? If so, try to find tear-jerking pieces and break everyone’s hearts in the room! It’s no easy process, but it’s truly worth it when you find the right piece.

As Karina said earlier on, it’s really important to practice as much as you can! Try out different intonations, vary your pace, fine-tune the way you emote. It’s never too early to start preparing and there is always going to be room for improvement. So keep working at it, and have fun!

Do you have any tips for after dinner speaking?

(Name: Gregory Wong)

The hardest part of nailing an afterdinner might possibly be its theme. Just like the other speeches in WIDPSC, everything is a story. The genius is in putting together all the jokes and references together such that they flow naturally into a seamless, compelling story. When planning your speech overall, think of your theme and story first, and let the fun find its way in, or fear making your pun(ishment) and humor come across too forced. See how that random pun didn’t make sense? If you want to challenge yourself, have your theme take up a message or a moral. For example, you may want to make your theme about cheating – and how the cheaters always lose in the end.

Finally, let pauses work their magic. If you’ve tested out your jokes on your friends and are guaranteed they get laughs, pause after your punch lines to give the audience time to process the humor. Just like paragraph breaks between ideas, pauses give your listeners time to digest your thoughts! ...You follow me?

Are there any memorable experiences from your trip that you’d like to share with us?

(Name: Chloe Yeung)

One thing I’ll never forget is constant rapport from all the competitors around me. All the competitors from other countries are so willing and eager to make friends and joke around even minutes before a round is kicked off, even though most of us would probably be trying to calm our nerves and would have cut off all connections with the outside world. Upon walking up to the stage for my speeches, I’d pass by a line of fellow competitors who’d whisper “good luck” in my ears, and when I came back after, I’d pass by a line of high-fives and whispers of “good job” and “that was a great speech”. That kind of instant bonding doesn’t just happen anywhere. And needless to say, my wonderful friends from Team HK are people that I know will stick with me for the rest of my life. The one moment that still resonates in my mind is when I had the honour of receiving the 10th overall best speaker at the tournament: truth be told, I wasn’t even aware that my name had been called; I just heard all my teammates screaming and cheering, and I felt a teammate push me into the aisle to receive my award. As I walked back to my seat, all of my teammates surrounded me in one massive hug, each teammate then hugging and congratulating me with such pride and support in their eyes. Throughout this entire experience, I think I will be most glad for the friends that I have made and the relationships that I know will never fade away.