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The Toastmasters Table Topics Contest is a challenging, impromptu speaking competition where participants deliver a 1-2 minute response to a question or topic they’ve never seen before.
Unlike prepared speeches, Table Topics tests a speaker’s ability to think on their feet, organise thoughts quickly, and deliver a coherent, engaging response under pressure.
In the contest, all participants are given the same question or topic, which is presented only when they are called to speak. The question is designed to be general enough for any contestant to answer, typically encouraging creative or personal responses. Contestants are judged on how well they organise their ideas, deliver their response, and engage the audience, despite the impromptu nature of the contest.
Judging criteria includes:
- Content - 55%
- Speech Development: This covers how well the speaker organises their thoughts, with a clear opening, body, and conclusion. Judges look for logical flow and the speaker’s ability to address the topic meaningfully.
- Effectiveness: 30% How well the response connects with the audience is key. This includes relevance to the topic, audience engagement, and the overall impact of the speech.
- Delivery - 30%
- Physical and Vocal Delivery: Judges assess body language, vocal variety, and clarity. A confident, expressive delivery is crucial in engaging the audience and conveying the message.
- Language - 15%
- Appropriateness and Correctness: The use of appropriate, descriptive, and precise language helps enhance the response, making it more vivid and engaging.
Read the TableTopics judging criteria form: www.miranda-toastmasters.org.au/Docs/TTContest%20Ballot.pdf
The contest progresses from club level to area, division, and district competitions. Each round offers a new, unseen question, testing participants' consistency in thinking quickly and speaking effectively.
The Table Topics Contest is a great way for Toastmasters members to hone their impromptu speaking skills, sharpen their creativity, and gain confidence in handling unpredictable situations in front of an audience.
Timing
Contents are to speak between two to three minutes.
Contestants will be disqualified if the TableTopics response is less than 1 minute 30 seconds or longer than 2 minutes 30 seconds