It is often said that next to death, speech making is the most feared event.
This is news, however, to eight students who are competing in the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s Plain English Speaking Award.
These students from across Victoria have shown they thrive on the pressure of public speaking.
Tomorrow, they will compete in the State Finals of the Plain English Speaking Award at the Treasury Theatre. The winner will go on to compete against other state finalists in the national finals to be held in Melbourne on August 18, 2003.
The State finalists are: Chris from Brighton who attends Melbourne High School, South Yarra; Felicity from Geelong who attends Geelong Grammar School; Jerome from Berwick who attends Dandenong High School; Julien from Warrnambool who attends Brauer College, Warrnambool; Mark from Diamond Creek who attends St Helena Secondary College, St Helena; Melanie from Castlemaine who attends Girton Grammar School, Bendigo; Nathan from Somerville who attends Padua College in Mornington; and Ildi from Lower Templestowe who attends Methodist Ladies College, Kew.
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority chief executive officer Michael White said there was a record number of participants in this year’s Award.
"During 2003, more than 160 students competed in regional finals across Victoria, three times more than the number of participants than last year," Mr White said.
"The finals of the Award provide students from all school sectors with the opportunity to learn together. In 2003, 46 per cent of participants came from government schools, 31 per cent from independent schools and 23 per cent from Catholic schools."
Mr White said plain speaking involved "the use of the right words, in the right way, to convey meaning in the clearest, simplest, shortest and most courteous way possible".
"This is a goal for all speakers whether or not they stand up in public," he said.
"The Award provides an excellent opportunity for students to build self-confidence and extend their skills in oral communication, speech writing and research."
Students’ success in the Award depends on their ability to use the same kinds of oral skills and techniques as those described in the VCE English Effective Oral Communication Area of Study.
The competition is open to secondary students who are at least 15 years of age in the year of competition and not older than 18 years of age at the time of competing in regional, state or national finals.
In Victoria, the Plain English Speaking Award is organised and conducted by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority in liaison with The Plain English Foundation Inc.
The Australia-Britain Society and a number of private industries have generously sponsored the Award since 1977.
The Award began in Victoria in 1977 as part of the celebrations of the twenty-fifth year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
So successful was this competition, that it became an annual event. In 1978 other states and territories in Australia were invited to join, and in a few years all were taking part.
The panel of judges uses a set of criteria including:
STATE FINAL: Tuesday 5 August 2003
Venue: Treasury Theatre, Rear of One Treasury Place
Time: 1-4pm
NATIONAL FINAL: Monday 18 August 2003
Venue: Dallas Brooks Convention and Function Centre, 300 Albert Street, East Melbourne
Time: 10am-1pm