Extemporaneous Speaking
Prerequisites for Participation
Levels I, II, and H (separate section for heritage learners).
Up to 6 students (max 2 in each level) per school.
Guidelines for Placement into Levels I, II, and H
Level I is for students in German 1 and 2; Level II is for students in German 3 or higher; Level H is for heritage learners. Heritage learners are native speakers, students who speak German at home, or students who have been to full-time German school, in Europe or a Deutsche Schule elsewhere.
Rules for Levels I, II, H
Level I. Students will draw one of 7 topic cards lying face down on the judges' table. They have 30 seconds to collect their thoughts before addressing the topic for one minute. No dictionary or outside help is permitted. Topics are Familie und Freunde, Haus/Wohnung und Wohnort, Schulleben, Sport und Freizeit, Essen, Kleidung und Wetter, and Hausarbeiten.
Level II. Students will draw one of 7 topic cards lying face down on the judges' table. They have 1 minute to prepare. No dictionary or outside help is permitted. Students may write and use brief notes. Then they will address the topic for 90 seconds. Topics are Ferien und Reisen, Gesundheit und Krankheit, Berufe und zukünftiges Leben, Wegbeschreibung, Tiere, einkaufen gehen, and Feste und Feiertage. Students may be expected to use conversational past, future, and some subjunctive II.
Level H. Students will draw one of 5 topic cards lying face down on the judges' table. They have 30 seconds to collect their thoughts before addressing the topic for 2 minutes. No dictionary or outside help is permitted. The general topics for levels I and II are put into a social, political or cross-cultural context. Students are expected to express higher-level thinking.
Criteria for Judging (0-5 points in each category)
- Clarity and fluency
- Grammatical accuracy
- Range of vocabulary and idiom
- Creativity and liveliness
Entries are evaluated according to a 5-point scale: 5 = excellent; 4= above average, very good; 3 = average, good; 2 = adequate, competent, not impressive; 1 = not good, error-filled, not understandable. Total possible points = 20.
Extemporaneous Speaking Levels 1/2 will be running from 9:30-11:30pm in room 3407. Extemporaneous Speaking Levels 3+ and H will be running from 9:30-11:30 in room 2422. At the registration desk students will sign up for a time slot to speak. Please do not forget to sign up for a slot when you register in the morning.