We hope the below ActionTalks FAQ for taking part in the ActionTalks Speech Writing Competition will be helpful. For further enquiries please contact [email protected].
Please share the topics and with your students and encourage them to write a 600 word speech on one of the topics.
We have also developed three interactive resources accompanied by lesson plans that you can deliver to your class. To download our resources simply go to “Download Resources” and enter your details.
There is a word count of approximately 600-800 words, excluding bibliography.
Anyone aged 14-18 residing in Ireland can participate in the competition. While some classrooms use our learning resources, it is not necessary to have partaken in one of these classes to participate.
ActionTalks is free to enter.
To enter ask your teacher to email your entry to [email protected], with your name and school clearly in the heading.
If you meet the age criteria and live in Ireland, yes, you can enter. However, we strongly recommend reading our resources as a good starting point for writing your speech.
Unfortunately, our competition is only open to those residing within the Republic of Ireland.
Unfortunately, our judges won’t have the level of Irish needed to adequately judge a speech written in Irish this year. We admire any student with an interest and ability to deliver a speech in Irish and will work on ways that Irish could be included in future competitions.
Speech Writing Skills – Writing skills are important, so we recommend having someone proofread your speech to check for any grammatical or spelling mistakes. It’s also a good idea to read your speech out loud to yourself or someone else a few times to check the punctuation and flow of your speech. While the tone should be formal don’t forget to make your unique style come through in your writing!
Innovative Ideas or viewpoints
We recommend reading through a wide variety of sources about our chosen topic and coming up with your own viewpoints, ideas and solutions. Remember that you are not only writing about a certain issue, but also critically analysing it and providing your own viewpoint.
Creativity in getting points across –Be creative! Try to find unique ways to present your arguments. Think outside of the box and be original!
Global outlook – Your speech should have a global outlook. While it is encouraged to base elements of your speech in an Irish context, you should analyse your theme with a global outlook in mind.
Ideas complemented by case studies, facts and figures- References are very important- while it is amazing to incorporate your own experiences and viewpoints into your speech, it is important to have your arguments backed up by case studies, facts and figures. While in-text citations aren’t necessary, please include all your sources in the bibliography.
Don’t use AI
Speeches must be written only by the participants- plagiarised speeches or speeches written using AI will be disqualified.
By submitting a speech, the student and school are giving permission for the speech and the student and school name and image to be publicised on the ActionAid website and in third party publications. Only finalist speeches will be published.
