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Speech

Level III+

At 9:30 in the assigned room, each student will be given 30 minutes to prepare a 3-5 minute speech that will be delivered verbatim or from notes. Students supply their own pen and paper and no phones will be allowed. At the end of the preparation time the notes are collected and handed back at the appointed time. Students will return at their appointed times to deliver their speeches.

The topic is on the life of a famous person from Germany. Students are to prepare before the German fair and they may use the following resources to find information about famous Germans. Students should come prepared to write a speech without tools.

Erich Kästner

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Caspar David Friedrich

Rubric

	Distinguished 4 points	Superior 3 points	Excellent 2 points	Good 1 point
Organization	Students write and speak in paragraphs rather than in unconnected sentences. There is a clear logic to the order of their points, which flow smoothly and support each other.	Students write and speak in paragraphs rather than in unconnected sentences.	Students write and speak in sentences, some of which are connected to each other. Their points may support their claim, but they are not organized.	Students write and speak in unconnected sentences. There is no clear organization to what they are saying.
Quality of Thought	Students are able to describe the topic in detail and with nuance, presenting or recognizing multiple sides of the issue (I think x, though some may think y, because…” etc.).	Students are able to describe the topic in detail. They take a stance and then defend it throughout the speech.	Students are able to describe the topic with some detail. They have a stance/claim, but it lacks some support.	Students are unable to describe the topic and lack a stance/claim.
Fluency	Students have excellent control of all time frames as well as accurate use of grammar (gender, sentence structure, etc.). Vocabulary is varied and specific, showing a good command of the German language.	Students have good control of past, present, and future time frames, as well as mostly accurate grammar/vocabulary. There may be a few mistakes with gender or sentence structure, but nothing that would distract from the overall presentation. The judge can easily understand what they are saying.	Students have moderately good control of past, present, and future time frames, though these may break down at times. Students use mostly accurate grammar/vocabulary, and although they make several mistakes, nothing distracts too much from the presentation. The judge can understand what they are saying.	Students do not have control of past, present, and future time frames. They struggle with grammar/vocabulary, and it is difficult to understand what they are saying.

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	4 Points Distinguished	3 Points Superior	2 Points Excellent	1 Point Good	0 Points Poor
For each question:	The student goes above and beyond question requirements. This score should be reserved for students who do an exceptionally good job of answering the questions, and should thus be given rarely, if at all.	The student fully answers the question. While there may be pauses or hesitations, they do not distract from the student’s meaning. Vocabulary is accurate and varied.	The student mostly answers the question. Some medium length pauses may be present. Vocabulary is mostly accurate and somewhat varied.	The student struggles to answer the question. One word answers or long pauses and frequent inaccurate use of grammar.	Student is unable to answer the question.

	Distinguished 4 points	Superior 3 points	Excellent 2 points	Good 1 point
Fluency and Comprehensibility	The student can participate with ease and confidence in conversations on familiar topics. He/she can usually talk about events and experiences in various time frames. He/she can usually describe people, places, and things. (ACTFL Intermediate High)	The student can participate in conversations on familiar topics using sentences and series of sentences. He/she can handle short social interactions in everyday situations by asking and answering a variety of questions. He/she can usually say what they want to say about themselves and everyday life. (ACTFL Intermediate Mid)	The student can communicate and exchange information about familiar topics using phrases and simple sentences, sometimes supported by memorized language. (ACTFL Novice High)	The student struggles to understand and answer the questions, even with repetition.
Accuracy	Very few mistakes present; the student is able to use varied vocabulary and sentence structures.	Some mistakes present, but nothing that distracts from the interview.	Many mistakes present, but comprehension still possible.	Errors make comprehension difficult or impossible.

	Distinguished – 4 points (reserved for truly exceptional recitations)	Superior – 3 points	Excellent – 2 points	Good – 1 point
Delivery	The student presents the poem with both proper intonation and feeling.	The student presents the poem with proper intonation. The delivery is smooth with proper pauses.	The student presents the poem with mostly proper intonation, but with a few pauses or emphases in odd places.	The student hurriedly recites the poem without thinking about the meaning behind it.
Pronunciation	All words are pronounced correctly.	95% or more of words are pronounced correctly.	Most words are pronounced correctly; mistakes are not distracting.	Many words are mispronounced, making it difficult to understand the poem.
Memorization	The poem is completely memorized.	The poem is completely memorized with 1 or 2 pauses.	The poem is memorized. The student may need 1 – 2 promptings.	The poem is not memorized.
Comprehension	The student completely understands the poem.	The student is able to accurately answer the follow up question.	The student is able to answer the follow up question, though with less specificity as a “Superior” rating.	The student is unable to answer the question.

	Distinguished 4 points	Superior 3 points	Excellent 2 points	Good 1 point
German Pronunciation	Pronunciation is perfect with near native like qualities.	All words are pronounced correctly, with 1–3 mistakes.	Most words are pronounced correctly.	Many words are mispronounced.
German Intonation	Intonation is perfect with near native like qualities.	Emphasis is given to important words; the intonation makes sense.	Intonation makes sense, with 2–3 mistakes.	Intonation is off; students don’t seem to understand what they are singing.
Musical Technique	Excellent use of dynamics, flawless performance.	Good music technique is observed.	A few mistakes are present, but nothing that distracts from the performance.	Mistakes distract from the performance.