Australian Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships

1 | ABOUT

Welcome


...to the official AIDPSC website. Please have a look around and enjoy as we count down to the next Australian Championship to be held at BGGS, Brisbane, on 23 - 25 September 2024.


The Championship is aligned with the ideals of excellence, identity, and the art of expression, ie the ability to communicate and gain recognition and respect for ones ideas and opinions. It targets tomorrow's leaders - students in a global market who must learn to interact and collaborate with peers from diverse schools and cultural backgrounds.


2 | What is AIDPSC?

The Australian Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships (AIDPSC) is an annual oratorical event that has been modelled on the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships (WIDPSC) which is held annually around the world. The Championship is an innovative five-day event that requires students to interact and collaborate with like-minded peers from diverse and different schools, cultural backgrounds and countries. Each participant must compete in four different events:

  • Debate
  • Impromptu Speaking
  • Persuasive or After Dinner Speaking
  • Interpretive Reading.


In the AIDPSC each competitor progresses through two rounds of competition, then high-scoring speakers in each event proceed to the final round which will determine the winner in each event. Scores in the regular rounds will determine the overall ranking of individual competitors.


Each year the AIDPSC uses this overall ranking to select the Australian contingent who will represent their country and their school at the WIDPSC each year.




The AIDPSC is a unique Australian competition for many reasons:


  • Students will not be debating in their own school team.
  • Each debating team will consist of two debaters who have been randomly paired. The debaters will then have the challenging task of developing a coherent presentation in a short time, while working with a partner they have just met. The challenging environment provides an avenue for individual students not only to practise and test their oratorical skills but to value the importance of the art of expression. In the Twenty-First Century the ability to communicate and gain recognition and respect for our ideas and opinions is vitally important.
  • Furthermore, during this Tournament, each event will take place in front of three or four adjudicators drawn from the teachers who will accompany the students. At the end of the tournament, the students will receive their adjudication sheets with comments attached.
  • Apart from testing the students’ debating skills, they still have to prove themselves in three other oratorical domains.
  • It is a tournament that will unfold over the course of three days, which will give the students an opportunity to network with many students from a variety of schools from across the nation.
  • Each school must send an accompanying teacher with their team as the teachers attending AIDPSC will be expected to adjudicate the various events during the tournament.


3 | APSA Constitution

Definitions


APSA: the umbrella title for The Australian Public Speaking Association was founded by Naomi Williams in 2009. Naomi Williams [Moreton Bay Boys’ College, Brisbane], Robyn McNamara [Moreton Bay College, Brisbane], Jillian Burgess [Ravenswood School for Girls, Sydney], Kelly Gallivan [St. Kevin’s College, Melbourne] and Rima Khallouf [Trinity College, Melbourne], shall be known as the Founder-Members.


A.I.D.P.S.C.: the title of the Australian Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships, indicating a competition hosted each year by Colleges along the east coast of Australia (in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne). The Executive Council shall consist of the founder-members and those Colleges/ Individual Coaches who have attended for at least three [3] out of five [5] years and have hosted the competition.


Operation:

APSA shall organize the Australian Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships.

The Executive Council shall act as a steering committee, forming strategy of APSA, ensuring the continuation of A.I.D.P.S.C., and giving support to the host College. The Executive Council shall have the power to co-opt replacement members, should the need arise.

The Association shall include the Executive Council and all those Colleges and leagues who participate on a regular basis. Places shall be divided among participating Colleges in an equitable manner, determined by the host College in conjunction with the Executive Council. The Founder-Members are entitled to send a team, from their current College of employment, to the Australian Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships each year.

Policy and rules shall be discussed at the AGM during A.I.D.P.S.C.

Changes will be made by general consensus. Between AGM's, decisions shall be made by the Executive Council.


Accommodation and other domestic arrangements shall be in the hands of the host College, as shall the holding of the A.G.M.


4 | Events

Event Guidlines and Descriptions

ALL COMPETITORS MUST ENTER ALL FOUR CATEGORIES. COMPETITORS WILL BE MARKED FOR INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE THROUGHOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIPS.


General Guidelines

Students must author their own speeches and may not use any speech or reading that has been used in an inter-school competition prior to July 1 of the year that they are competing in the Australian Individual competition. Students may not use any published or recorded material in any medium verbatim or virtually verbatim without attribution. Penalties may be applied to any competitor who violates any of these rules. Students usually present the same material in all rounds of a prepared event but it is also acceptable for them to present different material if they wish to. There is no additional credit given for using different material.


Debate

  • This is coordinate debating. Each competitor will debate with a partner from another school, often another school. Even though they are debating as a team, they are scored individually and advance separately.
  • The debaters are not told the resolution until 45 minutes before the debate. The two sides must agree on the definition, ie, what the resolution means. The Government (the side in favour) must tell the Opposition (the side against) the definition after 10 minutes, ie, when there are 35 minutes left to prepare. The resolution must be interpreted in a reasonable manner that reflects the spirit of the resolution.

​

The length and order of speeches are as follows:

  • The Proposer: 6 minutes
  • The Opposer: 6 minutes
  • The Seconder to the Proposition: 9 minutes
  • The Seconder to the Opposition: 9 minutes
  • The Opposer (summing up): 3 minutes
  • The Proposer (summing up): 3 minutes

Warning bells are signalled at:

Proposer/Opposer:

  • 1 minute (single) (protected time)
  • 5 minutes (single)
  • 6 minutes (double)
  • 6 min 30 secs (triple)


Seconder to the Proposition/Opposition:

  • 1 minute (single) (protected time)
  • 8 minutes (single)
  • 9 minutes (double)
  • 9 min 30 secs (triple)


Proposer/Opposer (summing up) (protected time)

  • 3 minutes (single)
  • 3 min 30 secs (double)


  • 30 seconds grace shall be allowed each speech but there is no minimum time limit.
  • Emphasis on judging will be on clash, spontaneity, logic, wit, content and teamwork.
  • The side which does the best debating - and therefore the side to which the highest score is given - may not be the side which wins the argument. This is similar to the situation in court where the side with the better lawyer may still lose the case - the facts may overwhelmingly favour the other side. They advance as individuals based on their own scores, NOT as a team.


Impromptu

  • Each speaker will draw a piece of paper listing three topics, which may consist of a word, a quotation, a phrase or anything unrelated to current events. The speaker must choose one of the three and then has up to two minutes to prepare. The room manager will start timing at the moment he or she begins to read the topics. The speaker may write notes during preparation but may not bring them up with him or her when he or she speaks. The speaker may have the piece of paper with the topics in hand, if he or she so chooses. The topic will be announced at the end of the speech.
  • Speakers may speak in favour, against, in favour AND against, or simply about the topic. Speakers may take a humorous approach, a serious one, or some combination of the two. Wit, humour, logic, philosophy and sentiment are all equally welcome. It should be the sort of speech that would be delivered if the speaker were asked to speak on short notice to a general audience on the topic given. Judges will be looking for agility of thought, for substance (some meat on the bones), for organizational ability, and, above all, for the ability of each speaker to communicate with style and originality.
  • The speech must last between 3 and 5 minutes.
  • The tabulation room will assess a penalty if the speech is too far under time or overtime.


A penalty of 5 points will automatically be incurred if it is observed that notes are used.


Interpretive Reading

  • Each competitor will read a passage from a novel or short story or poetry (or selection of poems), serious or humorous, and of literary merit.
  • The reading should not be a speech from a play or a dramatic monologue.
  • Readings of an explicit or sexually explicit nature are not acceptable or appropriate.
  • The use of facial expressions and gestures, as the competitor feels appropriate, is encouraged, but should not distract from the primary emphasis in judging the category - the reader’s use of voice.
  • The reading should be between 7 and 11 minutes long. An introduction of up to one minute is included in the time permitted.
  • The introduction should give an indication of the context of the reading and convey the reasons why it has been chosen. The introduction should be a direct address to the audience, personal and informal, and the piece(s) should be of literary merit.
  • If a competitor chooses to do a conclusion, it need not complete a narrative episode: instead, the reader may choose either to leave the audience in suspense or to sum up in a few words how the episode goes on to reach a conclusion.


After Dinner Speaking:

  • An after-dinner is the kind of speech that is given after a formal dinner to an audience who have a common interest or share some aspect(s) of identity, employment or character (e.g. the left-handed society or the dental association).
  • This category includes the kind of speech given at a convention, e.g. by the Chairman or sales manager of a firm or specialised group, reviewing the practices, policies or employees of that firm or group.
  • The speaker must address an imaginary audience of his/her own choosing. He/she must deliver some new and relevant insights to them in a way designed to inform and entertain.
  • An after-dinner speech must not be just a stand-up comedy routine.
  • Although not necessarily human, both speaker and audience must be credibly capable of communication through speech: i.e. they may be vampires or aliens, for example, but they may not be animals. The only exception to this rule is that the speaker and/or audience may be animals if they are derived from books, films or plays/musicals in which they already have the power of speech - e.g. characters from Animal Farm.
  • No props may be used.
  • The speaker may ask the chairman to announce who is being addressed immediately before he/she delivers the speech. In that case, a brief and suitable form of words must be provided. Otherwise the speaker will identify the audience in the opening lines of the speech.
  • Notes must be limited to both sides of one 3 x 5 inch card, and should be used as little as possible.
  • Each competitor must speak for 6 minutes, with a grace period of 1 minute on either side.

​

  • Salutation is optional if the chairman has identified the audience before the speech begins.
  • The audience and purpose of the reading is paramount - inappropriate content, or readings of an explicit nature will not be accepted


A penalty of 5 points will automatically be incurred if MORE than one 3 x 5 inch (7.62 x 12.7 cm) card is used.


Persuasive Speaking:

  • This speech is designed to persuade and must be on a serious topic, although this does not mean that humour might not be useful at points in the speech.
  • A problem/solution approach must be taken, although the speaker may finally conclude, for good reasons that must be shown, that no solution can currently be found.
  • The solution may be simple, but must be actionable by the audience.
  • The persuasive element may be in convincing you that the problem exists, or its significance, or it may be a problem that everyone knows exists and the persuasiveness is in convincing you that the solution is valid. Obviously, this may mean that the speaker devotes most of his or her time to the problem and less time to the solution, or the other way around. As long as it is convincing, that is fine.
  • Speeches will have been prepared beforehand and should be about 10 minutes in length. Notes must be limited to both sides of one 3 x 5 inch card, and should be used as little as possible.


A penalty of 5 points will automatically be incurred if MORE than one 3 x 5 inch (7.62 x 12.7 cm) card is used.


For examples of these speaking styles please visit YouTube: WIDPSC or AIDPSC

Speakfest is an opportunity for Middle School students to engage in spirited debate with likeminded peers in an environment that will enable them to hone and enhance their public speaking and debating skills.


This event is will be run in conjunction with the AIDPSC and is modelled on the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking which is held annually around the world.

Event Guidelines and Descriptions

Debate:

This is “coordinate” debating. Each competitor will debate with a partner from another school, often another country. Even though they are debating as a team, they are scored individually and advance separately.


The debaters are not told the resolution until 45 minutes before the debate. The two sides must agree on the definition, ie, what the resolution means. The Government (the side in favour) must tell the Opposition (the side against) the definition after 10 minutes, ie, when there are 35 minutes left to prepare. The resolution must be interpreted in a reasonable manner that reflects the spirit of the resolution.

The length and order of speeches are as follows:

  • The Proposer: 4 minutes
  • The Opposer: 4 minutes
  • The Seconder to the Proposition: 6 minutes
  • The Seconder to the Opposition: 6 minutes
  • The Opposer (summing up): 2 minutes
  • The Proposer (summing up): 2 minutes

Warning bells are signalled at:

Proposer/Opposer:

  • 1 minute (single) [Signalling end of Protected Time]
  • 3 minutes (single) [Signalling beginning of Protected Time]
  • 4 minutes (double)
  • 4 min 30 secs (triple)

Seconder to the Proposition/Opposition:

  • 1 minute (single) [Signalling end of Protected Time]
  • 5 minutes (single) [Signalling beginning of Protected Time]
  • 6 minutes (double)
  • 6 min 30 secs (triple)


Proposer/Opposer (summing up) [Protected Time]

  • 2 minutes (single)
  • 2 min 30 secs (double)


  • 30 seconds grace shall be allowed each speech but there is no minimum time limit.
  • Emphasis on judging will be on clash, spontaneity, logic, wit, content and teamwork.
  • The side which does the best debating - and therefore the side to which the highest score is given - may not be the side which wins the argument. This is similar to the situation in court where the side with the better lawyer may still lose the case - the facts may overwhelmingly favour the other side. They advance as individuals based on their own scores, NOT as a team.


Impromptu

Each speaker will draw a piece of paper listing three topics, which may consist of a word, a quotation, a phrase or anything unrelated to current events. The speaker must choose one of the three and then has up to two minutes to prepare. The room manager will start timing at the moment he or she begins to read the topics. The speaker may write notes during preparation but may not bring them up with him or her when he or she speaks. The speaker may have the piece of paper with the topics in hand, if he or she so chooses. The topic will be announced at the end of the speech.


Speakers may speak in favour, against, in favour AND against, or simply about the topic. Speakers may take a humorous approach, a serious one, or some combination of the two. Wit, humour, logic, philosophy and sentiment are all equally welcome. It should be the sort of speech that would be delivered if the speaker were asked to speak on short notice to a general audience on the topic given. Judges will be looking for agility of thought, for substance (some “meat on the bones”), for organizational ability, and, above all, for the ability of each speaker to communicate with style and originality.


  • The speech must last between 3 and 5 minutes.
  • A penalty of 5 points will automatically be incurred if it is observed that notes are used.


Interpretive Reading

  • Each competitor will read a passage from a novel or short story or poetry (or selection of poems), serious or humorous, and of literary merit.
  • The reading should not be a speech from a play or a dramatic monologue.
  • Readings of an explicit or sexually explicit nature are not acceptable or appropriate.
  • The use of facial expressions and gestures, as the competitor feels appropriate, is encouraged, but should not distract from the primary emphasis in judging the category - the reader’s use of voice.
  • The reading should be approximately 5 - 9 minutes long. An introduction of up to one minute is included in the time permitted.
  • The introduction should give an indication of the context of the reading and convey the reasons why it has been chosen. The introduction should be a direct address to the audience, personal and informal, and the piece(s) should be of literary merit.
  • If a competitor chooses to do a conclusion, it need not complete a narrative episode: instead, the reader may choose either to leave the audience in suspense or to sum up in a few words how the episode goes on to reach a conclusion.
  • The audience and purpose of the reading is paramount - inappropriate content, or readings of an explicit nature will not be accepted


After Dinner Speaking

  • An after-dinner is the kind of speech that is given after a formal dinner to an audience who have a common interest or share some aspect(s) of identity, employment or character (e.g. the left-handed society or the dental association).
  • This category includes the kind of speech given at a convention, e.g. by the Chairman or sales manager of a firm or specialised group, reviewing the practices, policies or employees of that firm or group.
  • The speaker must address an imaginary audience of his/her own choosing. He/she must deliver some new and relevant insights to them in a way designed to inform and entertain.
  • An after-dinner speech must not be just a stand-up comedy routine.
  • Although not necessarily human, both speaker and audience must be credibly capable of communication through speech: i.e. they may be vampires or aliens, for example, but they may not be animals. The only exception to this rule is that the speaker and/or audience may be animals if they are derived from books, films or plays/musicals in which they already have the power of speech - e.g. characters from ‘Animal Farm’.
  • No props may be used.
  • The speaker may ask the chairman to announce who is being addressed immediately before he/she delivers the speech. In that case, a brief and suitable form of words must be provided. Otherwise the speaker will identify the audience in the opening lines of the speech.
  • Notes must be limited to both sides of one 3 x 5 inch card, and should be used as little as possible.
  • Each competitor must speak for 5 minutes, with a grace period of 1 minute on either side.
  • Salutation is optional if the chairman has identified the audience before the speech begins.
  • A penalty of 5 points will automatically be incurred if MORE than one 3 x 5 inch (7.62 x 12.7 cm) card is used.


Persuasive Speaking

  • This speech is designed to persuade and must be on a serious topic, although this does not mean that humour might not be useful at points in the speech.
  • A problem/solution approach must be taken, although the speaker may finally conclude, for good reasons that must be shown, that no solution can currently be found.
  • The persuasive element may be in convincing you that the problem exists, or its significance, or it may be a problem that everyone knows exists and the persuasiveness is in convincing you that the solution is valid. Obviously, this may mean that the speaker devotes most of his or her time to the problem and less time to the solution, or the other way around. As long as it is convincing, that is fine.
  • Speeches will have been prepared beforehand and should be from 8 minutes in length - with a two minutes grace either side. Notes must be limited to both sides of one 3 x 5 inch card, and should be used as little as possible.
  • A penalty of 5 points will automatically be incurred if MORE than one 3 x 5 inch (7.62 x 12.7 cm) card is used.


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There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience.

- Alexander Gregg