Strategy: Impressing Judges

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Judges are normal people.  They make mistakes, but they do not want to make unpopular decisions if they can avoid it.  Depending on your area of the country, judges may know a great deal, or very little about global events.  They may be parents, coaches, and/or volunteers and they may know or not know very much about the structure of extemporaneous speaking.  Regardless of the background of the judge that you have in a round, there are several tips for how you can impress your judges during a speech.  This strategy piece will cover these tips, which will hopefully assist you in rounds when facing a diverse array of judges.

Tip #1:  Use Global Leaders Names, Especially in International Extemp

Using names is sometimes a lost art form in extemporaneous speaking.  I have seen speakers talk about Zimbabwe, Colombia, and a host of other nations without mentioning the leaders of these countries.  It makes it very difficult to talk about the domestic and foreign policies of these nations without talking about their leadership.  Judges tend to be impressed by competitors that have a command of their content and there is no better way to illustrate that than to have a command of international actors.  This does not mean that you need to give a listing of major Saudi Arabian officials during a round, but if you happen to know the name of the Saudi Arabian finance minister it doesn’t hurt you.  If you talk about an election outcome, you definitely need to know the two major candidates that were featured in the race and should talk about them.  When using a name, make sure you mention the individual’s first and last name when they are first introduced.  You can refer to them later in the speech as “Mr.” or “Ms.” after you have said their full name.  If you struggle with pronouncing foreign names, I highly suggest using the Voice of America’s pronunciation guide, which provides sound files on saying the names of global leaders.

Tip #2:  Use Unconventional, Yet Credible Sources

Most judges are used to the same sources from extemporaneous speakers:  magazines and newspapers such as The New York Times, Newsweek, The Economist, and The Washington Post.  Extempers who choose to focus their analysis on government reports, think tanks, academic journals (e.g. Foreign Affairs or The Middle East Review of International Affairs), or the papers of international organizations will likely pique their interest.  When citing unfamiliar sources it is important that you clarify what they are, especially if it is not immediately apparent based on their title (e.g. The International Crisis Group or the German magazine Der Spiegel).  It also sounds impressive if you cite the author’s credentials to accompany the source.  For example, instead of merely citing Foreign Affairs, you may want to point out that an article was written by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Books can be a great way to impress judges as well.  Just make sure you cite the author’s credentials and the book title before giving the citation.  Every year when I judge extemporaneous speaking, I rarely hear book titles.  Hearing one makes me immediately believe that the extempers is well-read and well-informed and typically leaves me with a good impression of that speaker.  If possible, try to incorporate books into your analysis, and if you have not already done so, please read our previous strategy piece on citing books in extemp.

Tip #3:  When Quoting Sources, Try to Use Direct Quotations from Public Officials or Regular People

Source citations in extemporaneous speaking typically see the speaker cite the source and give a summary of the information contained within it.  Judges are used to this, but they are not used to speaker citing a specific quote from a public official or observer in that article.  As you read information for your files, I suggest highlighting profound or really silly quotations because these are fantastic to bring into the round in the introduction or during your points.  They can also be great AGD ideas and/or assist your impact analysis.  Using quotations also enables you to compare different viewpoints.  For example, you could compare a quotation about how an American leader views the civil war in Syria versus someone suffering from the fighting in the conflict zone.  Historians love to take quotations and use them to drive home their point.  Shouldn’t you consider doing the same?

Tip #4:  Use Creative Transitions and Consider “Extending the Metaphor”

Transitions are an overlooked part of extemporaneous speaking, and they can be a lot more than “First, (insert point tag).”  Try to spice up your transition statements by using “even if” statements to show your judge that even if they do not buy a certain part of your analysis that they can possibly buy into your next point.  You can also use a funny quotation or quick side story to link into your next point.  Doing anything other than the generic “First (insert point tag)” statement will help you stand out from other speakers that use the same internal structures.

An idea to consider is to “extend the metaphor” of your AGD into your transitions.  For example, if you use Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” as your AGD, you may want to use other messages or lines from that poem as your transitions between points.  If you use a story about Brazil’s infrastructure problems as an AGD to setup a question about its struggling economy, you could make your transitions different infrastructure follies that the nation is experiencing.  By “extending the metaphor” of your AGD you help reinforce to your judge that your AGD matters as well as showing the judge a degree of creativity that they will not find in other speakers.

Tip #5:  If Possible, Stay and Watch the Rest of the Round

In many areas of the country extempers compete in their own bubble.  They give their speech and then walk out of the room.  This behavior also takes place at the national tournament and at national circuit events.  If you are not doubling, especially in a final round, make the effort to stay and watch other speakers.  You might learn something from other speakers by doing this and you will also be able to better evaluate how you match up to your competitors.  Furthermore, you will show to the judge that you are committed to the event and are extending a courtesy to your competitors by taking your time to watch their speeches.  I always look favorably on speakers that are willing to stay behind and watch others, and I am sure that there are other judges on your local circuit that share the same beliefs.

All of the above tips are very small details, but in any speech event the smaller details can sometimes make a difference in close rounds.  When other competitors have mastered structure, are even on delivery, and their content is close, judges have to default to speakers that were the most memorable.  Incorporating one or all of the tips above will help you do that.