SPEECH FESTIVAL: Missing Important Things – Peter Dixon

Speech 2012 Festival Poem: Missing Important Things – Peter Dixon

This video is a pronunciation guide for the Hong Kong 2012 Speech Festival poems – it is to demonstrate articulation only, performers should decide on how to deliver the poem!

Missing Important Things

I didn’t go to school this week,
I stayed at home with Dad.
I didn’t do a worksheet and I’m really
rather glad.

I didn’t do the number work,
I didn’t do my words,
I didn’t learn my spellings
and I didn’t read my page.

I didn’t go to school today—
we fixed the shed instead,
found some flies and feathers
and dug the onion bed.

I saw the cat have kittens,
I climbed right up a tree,
mixed some sand and water
and held a bumblebee.

I didn’t go to school all week
and I’m really not too sad—
I missed important lessons
and stayed at home with Dad.

Here are a few useful tips…

• Make sure you understand your poem. Ask for help if there are any words you don’t know. Think about when and where the poem is set. What is the message? The meaning?
• Try to find out about the author.
• Make sure you can remember your poem well. Read it aloud, practice at home, write it down and learn it line-by-line, piece-by-piece. Perform your poem for your mom, dad, helper, grandparents, cat, dog, me – anyone who will listen.
• Use expression and intonation carefully. This means you should show some emotion and use your voice to match your poem. Express the exciting parts, sad parts and happy parts. However, don’t get over-excited and try to keep your body and hands still – most judges do not like actions or body language.
• Take breaks, relax, don’t be nervous. Take a deep breath before reading!
• Go to howjsay.com for help with pronunciation or download this video as an MP3 to your computer/ipod/phone.
• Find more tips and advice here: http://bit.ly/R0nVwJ and here.

Below is a 2010 presentation on the Hong Kong Speech Festival, shared with permission from HKU’s Gary Harfitt…

Good luck!

– Mr Tom.