Tips on Improving Public Speaking & Competitive Debate Skills at Home (Part III)

Give Feedback as A Parent

We hope you enjoyed Part I & II of this blog series! If you haven't got a chance to read it yet you can do so here:

Tips on Improving Public Speaking & Competitive Debate Skills at Home (Part I).

Tips on Improving Public Speaking & Competitive Debate Skills at Home (Part II).

In this series of articles, you will be able to learn about:

• Steps on how to help students build a habit of practicing at home
• Topics that can help students practice
• How to understand and track a student's progression

You may think only experts can give feedback on one's public speaking and debate skills. But every piece of feedback matters! You may provide students with a new perspective that coaches may not have due to different life experiences, you may give them suggestions as an audience about what they can do to make you more interested in the topic. If you feel the speech is excellent, just tell them that honestly to make them feel more confident.

You may think only experts can give feedback on one's public speaking and debate skills. But every piece of feedback matters! You may provide students with a new perspective that coaches may not have due to different life experiences, you may give them suggestions as an audience about what they can do to make you more interested in the topic. If you feel the speech is excellent, just tell them that honestly to make them feel more confident.

Feedback Categories

Whether giving positive feedback or constructive feedback, it is always good to keep your feedback organized! You can divide your feedback into different categories: Delivery, Organization, Mindset, Content, Engagement. You do not need to comment on each part, just the areas that students have done better than other areas and where they need the most help to improve.

Delivery: 

How confident and natural were they on stage? Did they use any hand gestures? How much time have they maintained eye contact (the longer the better!)? Have they used any vocal skills (emphasis, pause, variations) to make the speech more interesting to listen to?

Organization: 

How clear was their speech? Were the transitions between each part smooth and successfully linked between parts?

Mindset: 

How much effort did the students put in? How serious are they treating the practice?

Content: 

How interesting/persuasive was the content? Have they revealed a detailed explanation?

Engagement: 

How quickly and persuasively have they responded to your questions?

STEP 1: Self-reflection

• When students are reflecting on their own performance, we see what they care the most about/what they feel the most anxious about. If they feel their delivery skills are not strong, they pay more attention to that, and we can recognize the improvement in delivery more frequently to help them to be more confident. Self-reflection also enables students to have a deeper understanding of their skill levels and general ideas of the whole skill roadmap.
• In order to do this, simply ask students, "where do you think you have done a good job and where do you think you can do better the next time?" You can also break it down into short-term improvements and long-term improvements, ask them what they can improve immediately, and what they want to work on for the long-term.

STEP 2: Encouragement

• When the student has finished their speech, recognize their hard work and their improvements! Even small things like they have spoken 10 seconds longer than last time. Do not miss any opportunity to make them feel more confident! Give them more specific feedback to let them think you are telling them to the truth!
• Example: "I realized that you had maintained eye contact for almost your entire speech! I feel you are super prepared so you do not need to refer to your notes, really love it!"

You can have TWO to THREE positive feedbacks based on their speech. But make sure it is more than one!

STEP 3: Areas of Improvement and Suggestions

• A coin has two sides, a speech also has both strengths and areas of improvement. Give students some constructive feedback to help them grow.

You mustn't treat the students too strictly, so they feel disappointed in themselves. You can tell them you understand it is difficult but believe in their potential, or share your story of a similar experience:

• (example) "I feel you are quite nervous when you were presenting, your hands were shaking, and you sometimes were fidgeting. I understand it can be challenging to speak in public, but I believe you can do it after practice! When I was young, I was timid, just like you, but I had to do presentations now and then. So I practiced every day, I would present to myself, record it and watch it again and again, give feedback to myself and improve little by little. This method may be useful for you as well, and now you have the whole family to help you, not only yourself, let's try it out, shall we?"

Give students a maximum of TWO constructive feedbacks; help them improve little by little, DO NOT overwhelm them with 10 pieces of constructive feedback per day.

Keep reading for Part IV below!

Part IV: Track Progression