The HKU English Speaking Competition 2021
presented by
Centre for Applied English Studies
and
HKU Campus Toastmasters Club
February, 2021
Registration deadline extended to Feb 10th (Wed)!
Persuade! Inspire!
Speak up! Act out!
The HKU English Speaking Competition 2021 is organised to enhance HKU students’ awareness of and interest in English poetry as well as comedy and public speaking in English. It also aims to encourage creative response and expression through effective use of voice, body and language. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year we will host the Speaking Competition in an asynchronous format by inviting contestants to participate through submission of pre-recorded videos of comedy talk, public speech and poetry reading. We very much hope that this new format will feature speaking challenges open to all HKU undergraduate students to find the best readers, comedy and public speakers of English.
“I’m delighted that the HKU English Speaking Competition will take place in February 2021. It offers an outstanding platform for students throughout the campus to hone their spoken English in a variety of formats – stand-up comedy, public speaking and poetry reading. This is the chance many students have been waiting for to test their communication skills against other students in a competitive yet supportive environment. Please do sign up and see how well you fare!”
~~ Prof. Ian Holliday, Vice-President (Teaching and Learning), HKU
“The HKU English Speaking Competition 2021 is a great opportunity for students to develop communication and public speaking skills. In addition to nurturing the growth of a public speaking culture, this Competition provides a chance for students to write original speeches, to discover contemporary literature, and to learn the art of transforming written words to spoken forms. I encourage you all to consider participating in this truly stimulating event!”
~~ Dr. Alessandro Benati, Director, Centre for Applied English Studies, HKU
Three categories of events
1. Public Speaking
2. Original Poetry Reading
3. Original Comedy Set
Public Speaking: Topics & Format
Contestants will speak only in English and without visual aids or props on one of the following topics in 6 minutes.
- Forgotten lessons from history
- My biggest regret
- What I learned from COVID-19
- True wisdom comes from experience
- My guide to successful mental health
- Advice I’d give my younger self
All contestants will be required to upload their scripts to Turnitin for plagiarism check. Any plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.
Original Poetry Reading: Format
No set themes for this category. Contestants will write an original classic or contemporary English poem for reading. The reading of the poem should be 3 minutes in duration. All contestants will be required to upload their scripts to Turnitin for plagiarism check. Any plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.
Original Comedy Set: Format
No set themes for this category. Contestants will write an original comedy and present it in the format of a standup comedy talk of 7 minutes in English. The talk, in a comedic style, shall appeal to the intellect rather than the emotions, and will be inherently human, with the capability of reminding us of humanity. All contestants will be required to upload their scripts to Turnitin for plagiarism check. Any plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.
Judging Criteria
- Public Speaking: Delivery, Language and Content
- Original Poetry Reading: Clarity of Speech, Interpretation and Dramatization
- Original Comedy Set: Delivery, Language and Content
Prizes
All contestants will receive a certificate. Contestants of each of the category (Public Speaking/Original Poetry Reading/Original Comedy Set) will compete for the following prizes:
- 1st Prize: Excellence in Public Speaking/Original Poetry Reading/Original Comedy Set Award and a book voucher worth HK$800
- 2nd Prize: Book voucher worth HK$600
- 3rd Prize: Book voucher worth HK$400
How to apply
-
Select a category
-
Register online by Feb 10th (Wed)
-
Prepare your content
-
Record and upload a short video of your speech + Submit your scripts via Turnitin by Feb 19th (Fri)
To sign up for the Competition and for further details, please click here!
For enquiries, please contact Cezar CAZAN (cazanc@hku.hk), Grace CHANG (gchang@hku.hk) or Lisa CHEUNG (lisa@hku.hk) from the Centre for Applied English Studies, and Amy WAN (hkutoastmasters@gmail.com) from the HKU Campus Toastmasters Club.
Last updated on Jan 22nd 2021.