The UH Honors Debate Workshop Speech program offers instruction in the most common NSDA events offered at high school speech tournaments. We offer instruction in Extemporaneous Speaking (foreign and domestic), Original Oratory, Informative Speaking, Humorous Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation and Program Oral Interpretation. All speakers will develop skills to determine competitive topics, writing speeches that are individualized to the speaker, and perform speeches in an extemporaneous or memorized manner (depending on the event). All interpers will develop the skills to find pieces that they have a personal connection with, interpret the literature to find a compelling story, “cut” the literature to fit the time constraints, and have a performance ready to go for the competitive season.
Students will choose one event to focus on for the first week, July 7 through July 12. July 7 is registration and orientation day, with instruction starting on July 8. If students wish to focus on a second event, they can sign up for week two (July 15-19). In the intensive weeklong sessions we will start by watching recordings of champions in the events, then progress to choosing topics or literature, then to writing/cutting the speeches, then practicing the speeches and concluding with an workshop tournament. The goal of the instruction in each event is to have students ready to compete at the highest levels of local, state, and national competitions.