Effective Speech Making
Voice — Your voice is your most important debating instrument. A steady monotone will quickly bore the House, no matter how interesting the content of your speech. The audience must be able to hear you, and must not be distracted by a low or high pitch. A debater should aim for three particular qualities: He should enunciate clearly (slurred words are confusing or offensive); and he should exhibit variety (sometimes loud, sometimes soft, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes questioning, sometimes stating).
Gestures — Gestures may either distract or reinforce. If they look forced or unnatural, they detract from your speech. If they seem spontaneous, then they emphasize your points. Use them sparingly (or they lose their effect); use them appropriately (or they look ridiculous). But when appropriate, emphasize your point, by moving your body or your hands — pointing, raising your arms, making a fist, shrugging, or any other gesture (parliamentary, of course).
Stance — Depend on your argument, not your podium, for support. Do not slouch or lean; find a comfortable position standing erect and move only to make a gesture or emphasize a point. Do not fidget; your hands may hold your notes or the podium or be used to gesture with, but they should not be allowed to go walking on their own.
Address — Correctly address the debate officials at the beginning of your speech. In a Parliamentary debate, always begin, “Mr. [or Madam] speaker”. In a cross examination debate, you may begin, “Mr. [or Madam] Moderator [or Chairman, as you wish]. “In Parliamentary debate, you should not refer to “Honourable judges, my worthy opponents, ladies and gentlemen” — you refer only to the speaker. In cross examination debate, you may speak directly to your opponent and call him or her by name during the examination period. At other times, and in all parliamentary debates, he should be referred to only in the third person by title: “the second negative debater” or “my friend” and in parliamentary debating, “the Leader of the Opposition” “the member” or “my friend.”
Humour — Humour has two places in a debate: it can be used to make a point, or to relieve tension. It should not normally be used to entertain — that’s very pleasing, but it does not further your objective (which is to win the debate). In any speech, it will help retain the audience’s attention, and will be a welcome addition. Sarcasm, lightly used, can assist a rebuttal, but care must be taken not to offend the judges.
Classic Delivery Errors
1. Fidgeting 2. Folded arms/ hands in pockets 3. Talking too rapidly
4. Monotone voice 5. Slouching or swaying 6. Hesitating or stalling
7. No eye contact 8. Too dependent on notes 9. Talking too slowly
