The Judging/Evaluative Criteria of After Dinner Speaking

The desire for consistent judging criteria is essential to the learning process of forensics students. When evaluating the After Dinner Speaking (ADS) judges need to focus on a variety of criteria. Some of these criteria transcend event descriptions while others are indigenous primarily to ADS. The topic chosen for the event should demonstrate that the student picked a topic that he or she was interested in and was suitable for him or her, one that had a universal audience appeal, and one that could be addressed within the realm of good taste. The topic or approach to the topic should be original. The structure and delivery of an ADS speech should be evaluated in the same way other public speeches are evaluated, with attention being paid to sound thematic development, the use of previews, reviews and a well organized body, with special attention paid to language, enthusiasm, timing, and flexibility. Th