BASIS International Bilingual Chengdu
2024 — NSDA Campus, CN
Informative Speaking
Event Description:
Informative Speaking
Purpose: The general purpose of the speech is to inform. Any other purpose such as to persuade or entertain shall be secondary.
Contest: This contest comprises only memorized orations actually composed by the contestants and not used by them during a previous contest season.
Subject: Effective speeches provide new information or perspectives on a topic, including those that are widely known. The responsibility for choosing a worthwhile topic rests with the contestant. A fabricated topic may not be used. Any non-factual reference, including a personal reference, must be so identified.
Visual Aids: Audio/visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforce the message. If used, the audio/visual aids should enhance or support the message rather than distract from the overall effectiveness of the presentation. During the presentation, no electronic equipment is permitted. Electronic equipment is defined as any object requiring an electrical cord, battery, or solar power to operate it (projectors, cell phones, radios, iPads, computers, etc.). During online competitions, students may choose to share a PPT version of their visual aids in the chat so that the judge has a clear image to reference. The use of live animals or any additional people as visual aids is not allowed during the speech. Items of dress put on and/or removed for illustration during the course of the presentation are considered costumes and may not be part of the contestant’s presentation. Visual aids may not violate policies as dictated by local and state law (weapons, drugs, etc.) The host school is not responsible for providing any facilities, equipment, including tables, chairs, or easels, or assistance in a contestant’s use of visual aids. If a visual aid displays published pictorial material, the source must be included in the work-cited page but does not need to be cited orally.
Length: The time limit in Informative Speaking is ten minutes with a 30-second “grace period.” If there are multiple judges in the round, all must agree that the student has gone beyond the grace period. Should a student go beyond the grace period, the student may not be ranked 1st. There is no other prescribed penalty for going over the grace period. The ranking is up to each individual judge’s discretion. Judges who choose to time are to use accurate (stopwatch function) timing devices. No minimum time is mandated.
Quotation: Not more than 150 words of the oration may be direct quotation from any other speech or writing and such quotations must be identified in a printed copy of the oration supplied prior to registration. Extensive paraphrasing from other sources is prohibited.
Script: The orator's script must identify the quoted materials, state the number of quoted words, include a work cited page in APA or MLA format, and both the orator and the coach must attest by signature that the oration is the original work of the contestant. It is the responsibility of the contestant to have a script ready upon request should the speech be challenged. At the Network Championship Tournament, all quarterfinalists in INFO are required to turn in a printed, typed copy of their manuscript, including a works cited page, to the ombudsperson..
Re-Use: A student may not use an oration the student used in network championship competition in any previous contest year.