What We Do

Members of the Queens College Speech Society will be given a unique opportunity to hone public speaking and presentation skills through a variety of public speaking events in Public Address, Oral Interpretation, Limited Preparation and Debate.

Public Address Speeches

Public Address Speeches are designed to either persuade or inform an audience on a topic of interest. They are original speeches, prepared and memorized prior to the tournament, and are 10 minutes in length. Multiple sources are cited in the speech. Audio-visual aids/handouts may be used to reinforce the message.

Click here to check out the different types of platform speeches!

Limited Preparation

A limited preparation event is an event in which the student has no prior knowledge of the speech they will give and will be given a set amount of preparation time to write a short speech. Preparation times vary by event and range from 2-30 minutes, after which the student will deliver their speech.

Click here to check the different types of limited preparation events!

Oral Interpretation Speech

Oral Interpretation events are intended to present a piece of literature in an entertaining and moving manner. It should explore the entire range of emotions associated with any literature. Although these pieces are prepared and memorized in advance, the speaker must hold the script in a binder. The maximum speaking time is 10 minutes which also includes the original introduction.

Click here to check out the different types of interpretation events!

Debate

Team members will have opportunities to compete in three formats of debate, which are: IPDA, NPDA and NFA-LD.

Learn more about the debate formats here!

Important Resources about Public Address, Oral Interpretation & Limited Prep Events

Individuals seeking additional reading material and examples of Public Address, Oral Interpretation, and Limited Preparation speeches should consider viewing each of the pages above. They have been provided to give you a better understanding of how speeches are presented in front of an audience.

Learn more about the Governing Regulations set by the National Forensic Association on Individual Events here.

Learn more about the Governing Regulations set by the American Forensic Association on Individual Events here.