Foreign Language Fair Skit Evaluation

Taking the Mystery Out of Foreign Language Fair Skit Evaluation 

Three Model Skits

presenting performance guidelines, principles and concepts to help competitive drama  team presentations become more dynamic, effective, entertaining and successful.  Although the skits are in German, the commentary is in English.

Host - Scott Baker

To view, click on one of the three demonstration skits listed below.

Der Singende Knochen

(10 min: 06 sec)

Die Bremen Stadt Musikanten

(12 min: 56 sec)

Hänsel und Gretel

(9 min: 29 sec)

These skit demonstrations were recorded in 2006 with the help of students from Dr. Baker's German 120 class at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC).  The class was asked to choose one of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and present it in short dramatic form. These classroom performances are shown in their entirety without editing in order to give more accurate examples of typical student skits. 

Although the skits are in German, the commentary is in English.  The principles and concepts presented in judging them are applicable to other languages also.

The host, Dr. Scott Baker, is Assistant Professor of German at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. With a Ph.D. in German Literature from the University of Washington, he has studied at the universities of Tübingen, Münster and Jena. His specialties are drama, 19th century, philosophical aesthetics and  German Idealism.  Dr. Baker also serves as the UMKC High School/College Program German Coordinator.

There are three skits; each is preceded by an explanation by Dr. Baker, and at the end of the performance, followed by his critique.  The print ready version of the German Dramatic Performance Competition critique form used by Dr. Baker is available on this page. Though subject to change from time to time, this form is the form currently in use by German Language judges in the HSCP Foreign Language Fair Competition at UMKC. 

Sample - Judge's Evaluation Sheets

For print-ready forms, Click Here:  Judge's Evaluation Sheets

NOTE:  This is a sample form from Language Fair 2001.  This form is subject to change.  Ideally, the University of Missouri-Kansas City High School/College Program Foreign Language Fair uses a two-judge format in evaluating dramatic presentations.  For example, two (2) judging evaluation sheets (Sheet A and Sheet B) are used in evaluating the skits (one sheet for each judge).  After watching a team's performance, each judge will add up the points they awarded in each category and record this score at the bottom left hand corner of their evaluation form.  When both judges have recorded their score on their sheet, the total recorded on Sheet A and the total recorded on Sheet B are added together and written down at the top right hand corner of Sheet A.  This number constitutes the team's overall score for the drama competition.