How to Get on the High School Speech Team
Talk to the speech coach and current team members., Choose your event., Pick a speech or topic area from your event.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Talk to the speech coach and current team members.
They’ll tell you if there are particular speech categories that they’re looking to recruit in.
They’ll also be able to tell you what it’s like to be on a speech team and provide you with specifics about practice and event times.
If you don’t know who the speech coach is, ask your classmates or a teacher. -
Step 2: Choose your event.
There are eleven nationally recognized speech categories.
They are:
Dramatic Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Program Oral Interpretation, Informative Speaking, Original Oratory, Extemporaneous Speaking, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate, and Congressional Debate.
Decide which event you want to participate it.Every event shares a few general skills such as public speaking ability, but they each require their own set of talents.
For example, Humorous Interpretation requires an ability to make people laugh, while Extemporaneous Speaking requires an ability to come up with original speaking content in a short amount of time.
If you’re planning to do a Duo Interpretation, you’ll need to find a partner, while a Policy Debate will require you to get the debate question ahead of time.
Evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses in determining which event to focus on.
If you’re not sure which event you want to focus on, choose one that you think you’ll perform best in during your audition.
Once you’re on the team, your coach will most likely allow you to change your event if another event appeals to you.
You can find a description of each event at the National Speech & Debate Association website. , Depending on the category you choose, you’ll either need to pick a pre-written speech or write your own.
For example, if you choose Dramatic Interpretation as your category, you’ll choose a scene from a play or a short story to perform.
If your category is Informative Speaking, you’ll need to research a topic and write your own speech.The National Speech & Debate Association provides examples of past speeches for each of the eleven speech categories.
Look through these examples to get ideas for your own speech.
Most categories require the speech to be ten minutes or less. -
Step 3: Pick a speech or topic area from your event.
Detailed Guide
They’ll tell you if there are particular speech categories that they’re looking to recruit in.
They’ll also be able to tell you what it’s like to be on a speech team and provide you with specifics about practice and event times.
If you don’t know who the speech coach is, ask your classmates or a teacher.
There are eleven nationally recognized speech categories.
They are:
Dramatic Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Program Oral Interpretation, Informative Speaking, Original Oratory, Extemporaneous Speaking, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate, and Congressional Debate.
Decide which event you want to participate it.Every event shares a few general skills such as public speaking ability, but they each require their own set of talents.
For example, Humorous Interpretation requires an ability to make people laugh, while Extemporaneous Speaking requires an ability to come up with original speaking content in a short amount of time.
If you’re planning to do a Duo Interpretation, you’ll need to find a partner, while a Policy Debate will require you to get the debate question ahead of time.
Evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses in determining which event to focus on.
If you’re not sure which event you want to focus on, choose one that you think you’ll perform best in during your audition.
Once you’re on the team, your coach will most likely allow you to change your event if another event appeals to you.
You can find a description of each event at the National Speech & Debate Association website. , Depending on the category you choose, you’ll either need to pick a pre-written speech or write your own.
For example, if you choose Dramatic Interpretation as your category, you’ll choose a scene from a play or a short story to perform.
If your category is Informative Speaking, you’ll need to research a topic and write your own speech.The National Speech & Debate Association provides examples of past speeches for each of the eleven speech categories.
Look through these examples to get ideas for your own speech.
Most categories require the speech to be ten minutes or less.
About the Author
Jordan Ortiz
With a background in education and learning, Jordan Ortiz brings 3 years of hands-on experience to every article. Jordan believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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