Mind Your Language: The transformative role of public speaking in school education

Public speaking in school plays a crucial role in a student’s overall development, fostering skills that extend far beyond the classroom. By incorporating public speaking into the curriculum, schools aim to empower students with the skills and confidence needed to thrive academically, professionally, and personally.

Here are several reasons why public speaking is emphasised in schools:

Communication Skills: Public speaking provides students with a platform to enhance their communication skills. The ability to articulate thoughts clearly and persuasively is a valuable asset in academic and professional settings.

Confidence Building: Speaking in front of an audience boosts self-confidence. Overcoming the fear of public speaking early in life can have long-lasting positive effects on a student’s self-esteem.

Critical Thinking: Crafting and delivering a speech requires students to think critically, organise ideas logically, and present a coherent argument. These skills contribute to academic success across various subjects.

Leadership Development: Public speaking nurtures leadership qualities. Students learn to take charge, inspire others, and effectively convey their ideas as they address their peers or participate in extracurricular activities.

Civic Engagement: Public speaking encourages students to engage with societal issues, express their opinions, and become informed, active citizens. It instills a sense of responsibility to contribute to discussions on topics that matter.

Career Readiness: In the professional world, effective communication is a highly sought-after skill. Public speaking experiences in school prepare students for future careers where presentations, meetings, and public interactions are commonplace.

Emotional Intelligence: Understanding how to connect with an audience emotionally is a component of effective public speaking. Students develop emotional intelligence as they learn to gauge and respond to the reactions of their peers.

Creativity and Expression: Public speaking allows students to express their creativity. Whether delivering a persuasive speech, informative presentation, or participating in a debate, students have the opportunity to showcase their unique perspectives.

Teamwork: Collaborative projects and group presentations teach students the importance of working together. Public speaking assignments often involve teamwork, fostering cooperation and coordination among students.

Life Skills: Public speaking is a life skill that transcends academic achievements. The ability to communicate confidently and persuasively is beneficial in personal relationships, community involvement, and leadership roles.

Oratory skills also walk hand in hand along with public speaking. They refer to the set of abilities and techniques used in effective public speaking and persuasive communication. These skills are essential for individuals who engage in oratory, which involves addressing an audience with the intent of conveying a message, inspiring, or influencing opinions. “Teachers at our school believe in training the students for every aspect of life. The stress is laid not only on the hard skills but enhancing the soft skills as well. Public speaking, an important aspect of soft skills, is an integral part of everyday teaching in every subject and every classroom. Recapitulation is done by the students to brief up the previous lesson which gives them the confidence to face the public. Students are assigned topics for the presentation in the class. PPTs and projectors are used by them to enhance their performance. Quizzes are conducted by the students and for the students. Every day morning assemblies include the presentation of News, Talk and Thought and it is made sure that every student gets a chance to participate,” shares Shveta Sharma, TGT English at Apeejay School, Mahavir Marg, Jalandhar.