Rules

RULES BBC-GNE PUBLIC SPEAKING AWARDS 2008

The BBC-GNE Public Speaking Awards is based on the same rules as those of the highly successful English-Speaking Union International Public Speaking Competition. The aim is to give young people practical experience in the art of public speaking. It also gives them the opportunity to express their views on topics of national and international interest.

1. Eligibility

The BBC-GNE Public Speaking Awards is open to all Netherlands secondary school and universities of professional education (HBO) in fulltime education between 16 and 20 years of age (i.e. the oldest possible competitor would have his/her 21st birthday no later than one day after the prize-giving event on 12 April 2008. Each school may nominate a maximum of two students to participate in the preliminary rounds. Preliminary selection is the responsibility of the schools.

2. Topics

Competitors are required to speak on a chosen topic for 5 minutes, followed by a 3-minute period to answer questions from the audience. The topics for the BBC-GNE Public Speaking Awards 2008 are:

• 'Second Life': An Escape from Reality
• History - A Lesson for the Future
• The wonder in your world
• Carbon footprints: booming economies also have the right to leave one
• Language is a barrier to integration
• ESU topic: New Horizons, New Frontiers

The organisers reserve the right to reject unsuitable titles or topics. It is appreciated that speakers have limited time to make their case and competitors' persuasiveness and ingenuity in dealing with the subject is of considerable importance. Although the judges may penalise the treatment of any subject they consider offensive, unnecessary flippant or outside the aims of the competition, speakers should not be afraid to be provocative, hard-hitting or humorous as long as their intention is clearly constructive. It is advisable to ensure that the speech - and this applies especially to a more light-hearted topic - has pith and substance.

3. Timing

The chairperson of the regional session will introduce the speaker. The speech itself should last 5 minutes with a margin of 30 seconds either way. After 4.5 minutes a red flag signals that the speech must be finished within 1 minute. After 5.5 minutes an audible signal indicates the end of the speaking time. The speech will be followed by a question period of 3 minutes. The speaker will deal with the questions without an intermediary. One of Judges will ask the first question. The timing is therefore as follows:

• Introduction of speaker 0.5 minutes
• Speech 4.5 - 5.5 minutes
• Questions and answers 3 minutes
• Total 8 - 9 minutes

4. General

The order in which the speakers compete will be determined by ballot. The speaker's presentation should be purely oral without use of any other devices. The discreet use of notes, however, is permitted.

5. Judging

There will be at least three Judges per round, who will allocate points on the following basis:

• Topic: content and argument maximum 16
• Presentation: structure, delivery, timing, English maximum 21
• Handling of questions maximum 13
• Total number of points maximum 50
  

> Click here for more details on how points are awarded

The Judges' decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.

6. Prizes

The winner and the runner-up in the National Final will be awarded a trip to London, where they will compete in the English-Speaking Union (ESU) International Final 2008 as representatives of The Netherlands. Please note that the topic for the ESU International Final 2008 in London is different to that of the Dutch competition and is known in December 2007 (see www.bbcawards.com).
Should a finalist be unable to attend the National Final and prize-giving event on 12 April 2008, they will automatically forego any right to the prizes. The winning school will be awarded the prestigious challenge cup the Rose Bowl!

7. Dates

BBC Public Speaking Awards 2008: Regional rounds will be held on three different locations spread over the Netherlands on Saturdays 1, 8 and 15 March 2008. Venues will be published as soon as possible. The semi-finals will take place at the James Boswell Institute, Utrecht on Saturday 29 March 2008. National Final 12 April 2008, Utrecht. International Final 12 - 17 May 2008 London.

8. Registration procedure

Participating schools register one or two applicants by completing the forms online at www.bbcawards.com The preliminary registration date for the BBC-GNE Public Speaking Awards is 21 December 2007 now extended to 20 January 2008, and the closing date is 31 January 2008.
A registration fee of € 12.50 per participating student is required. After registration the school will receive an invoice for the total number of registered participants from their school.

RULES BBC-GNE YOUNG WRITERS AWARDS 2008

1. Eligibility

The BBC-GNE Young Writers Awards is open to all Netherlands secondary school students and universities of professional education in fulltime education between 16 and 20 years of age (i.e. the oldest possible competitor would have his/her 21st birthday no later than one day after the prize-giving event on 12 April 2008). Each school may nominate a maximum of two students to submit their opinion piece. Preliminary selection is the responsibility of the schools.

2. Topics

Competitors are requested to write an opinion piece on one of the topics using a maximum of 600 words. After preliminary selection the two best entries are to be submitted using the registration pages on the www.bbcawards.com website. NOTE: This is the correct procedure and replaces that mentioned in the printed version of these rules.

The topics are:

• 'Second life': An Escape from Reality
• History - A Lesson for the Future
• The wonder in your world
• Carbon footprints: booming economies have the right to leave one
• Language is a barrier to integration
  

3. Judging

At the prize-giving event, to be held in Utrecht on 12 April 2008, excerpts from the texts of the short-listed candidates will be read out. The winner and the runner-up will then be announced. The Judges' decision is final. By submitting their texts, the competitors automatically relinquish their copyrights. The texts will become property of the Stichting Young Writers and Public Speaking Awards and will not be returned. No correspondence will be entered into.

> Click here for more details on how points are awarded

4. Prizes

The winner and the runner-up will be offered the opportunity to follow a one week residential writing course at one of the Arvon (the Foundation for Writing) centres in the UK. Should the winners be unable to attend the prize-giving event, then they will automatically forego their right to any prizes. The winning school will be awarded the prestigious BBC Writers Trophy.

5. Participation

Participating schools register a maximum of two applicants by completing the forms online. The preliminary registration date for the BBC-GNE Young Writers Awards is 21 December 2007 now extended to 20 January 2008 and the closing date for submitting the texts is 31 January 2008.
A registration fee of € 12.50 per participating student is required. After registration the school will receive an invoice for the total amount for the total number of registered participants from their school.

Additional Information