DEADLINE? WHAT DEADLINE?

The Speech Festival is a competition.  And that's why there's a deadline for entries.  I always think, "Clever me.  I'll set the deadline for entries a week earlier than the actually Association deadline."  I do that, and the deadline comes and goes, and the next day, there are loads of students with their enrollment forms, ready to apply.  OK.  I'll extend the deadline another day, and the same thing happens the next day.

I start to thinking, do I do that?  Actually, I have and I do.  I think it's human nature to think you have more time left than you really do.  My sister, for example, was sewing her wedding dress the morning she got married.

I do not understand why a school I know set their deadline for August 28th!! That just doesn't make sense.  Who thinks of anything school related before 1 September??

I will always set my deadline earlier than the actual cut-off date for submissions.  The problem, I think, is students have caught on, and know I'll just extend it anyway, day after day after day... so they don't rush.  I've created a monster I'm afraid!

WORKSHOP SLIDES

Here are the slides from the workshop held Saturday, 14 September. I hope they'll be useful,
especially to those who attended!

CHORAL SPEAKING WORKSHOP ESU PART 1 from fabenglish

 

CHORAL SPEAKING WORKSHOP ESU PART 2 from fabenglish

A GREAT WORKSHOP!

Yesterday was a great session with local teachers. They seemed genuinely interested in this form of performance. I think what makes Choral Speaking so obscure is that not one (except one of my past students in the workshop) has ever done it before. Teaching something you've never done or seen before, and then be scrutinized by an expert sitting right in front of the stage. I have my power point presentation ready to upload. However, my husband has been trying to embed it into my blog. A few problems with Slide Share conversion. I promise as soon as things are straightened out, all will be on this spot. Stay tuned...

GIVING CHORAL SPEAKING A TRY

It's the evening before my choral speaking workshop for the English Speaking Union of Hong Kong.  I'm wondering why would a teacher join up for it.  Wait ....  I know ... it's is truly the most unusual, misunderstood, and strange form of creative expression one can select on the HK Speech Festival syllabus.  A big group of youngsters rarely want to do things together, at the exact same time, in a second language, on a stage, with a teacher looking not so happy in front of them. Rarely.

I've been doing choral speaking (I mean 'training', but for some reason I always hear the word 'doing' bantered about) for 25 years, and I am still trying to figure it out.  My hope to pass along any of the gem-like tips that I've gleaned over the years. Yes, and congratulate teachers for taking the step of find out more about choral speaking, on a Saturday morning nonetheless!

This poem was about traveling the world.  I had actually bought these shirts in Wan Chai for HKD $33

 each!

Here they are, posing after winning Overall Champion for 'Cleaning Floors'.  Guess what it was about.

I think the principal of whoever signed up for my workshop should, on Monday morning, simply present his/her teacher with a trophy at assembly for bravely attempting to to take on the monstrous task of getting kids to speak at the same time on a stage. The inscription should read, "WOW! GOOD LUCK!"

DICEY PRICE

Along with choosing which event to enter in the HK Speech Festival, you've got to take a careful look at something else - the price!  The little kids (Primary children) have to pay $85, while the big kids (Secondary students) are shelling out $90.  This discrepancy in price is understandable, let's say, in a restaurant, or a shoe shop.  Even McDonald's charges less for the children's meals.  But in the Speech Festival it seems a bit odd.  For both age groups, the judges are the exact same.  The judges spend generally the same amount of time per session, or at least, they're paid the exact same amount. I think it has to do with little children are little, thus the 'little' price.  Secondary students are bigger, thus the 'big' price.  There's some logic there, I guess. As long as everyone understands this when students, whether little or big, have to enroll.

HK SPEECH FESTIVAL HERE WE COME!

Hi!
I've finally done it.  I've started a blog.  The purpose?  I've decided to make it one where teachers can go to get English Speech Festival ideas and tips so that they can better prepare their students for the Speech Festival here in Hong Kong.  Teachers want it. Students want it.  And parents definitely want it.  

The ideas I present on this blog will be quite general and not aimed at any specific poem, reading, excerpt or script.  Sorry!  But I'm sure anyone who reads my blog entries will soon see that the tips gleaned can be used for any Speech Festival event, for years to come.

LET'S GET STARTED
At this point, it's all about enrollment.  Students will often ask, "Which poem should I learn?"  My answer is, "Read all the poems for your age, and which one do you FEEL suits you and your personality?"  It's really that simple. It's bad when a youngster says something they don't believe in.  It's worse when a youngster says something they don't believe in while standing in the front of a room of fifty people, one of whom is the judge!  The performance tends to ring hollow, and everyone seems to notice it.