What are the criteria for judging the oratorical contest?

Depending on the situation and the perspectives one is looking for, the criteria for judging an oratorical contest and their respective weights are as follows:

DELIVERY ………………………….……………………… 50%

CONTENT ………………………………………………….. 40%

PERSUASION/AUDIENCE IMPACT ………….. 10%

---------

TOTAL 100%

DELIVERY - This refers to the outward manifestations of the speaker as follows: posture, gestures, movements, eye contact, facial expression, correct pronunciation and ability to interpret emotions reflected in the oratorical piece by changing the rate, pitch and volume of his/her voice.

CONTENT - This criterion embraces both originality and timeliness of the speech. Depending on the topic given for all the contestants, originality should be taken to mean approach to and development of the topic.

Timeliness, on the other hand, should be taken to mean an awareness of the forces which constantly shape democracy here and abroad. This criterion shall likewise includes clarity of thought, logic of arguments, and the use of language the audience (mostly high school students) can understand.

PERSUASION/AUDIENCE IMPACT - This takes into account the total impact of the entire speech as delivered by the speaker - whether it has moved the audience or not regardless of whatever reaction it may have evoked in the in the judges.

Another criteria for judging oratorical contests which could be used is the following:

Content ……………………………………………………. 40%

- substance or relevance to the theme

- organization

- provocativeness/comprehensiveness

Delivery …………………………………………………… 30%

- voice

- pronunciation/articulation

Craftsmanship ……………………………………………… 15%

- appropriate language

- style/clarity

- stage presence

Personality …………………………………………………..15%

- bodily behavior/eye contact

- posture/gesture

- eye contact