Young students make their voices heard in the fifth edition of the ESU Public-Speaking Academy

Over three days last month, 33 students from six Sixth Form Colleges came together to participate in the English-Speaking Union’s November 2016 Public Speaking Academy.

Hosted and sponsored by the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry in Valletta, the Public Speaking Academy has become an annual event organised by the ESU, offering all sixth formers in Malta a short, intense course in effective communication in social, personal and professional contexts.

In an era when communication is all, and it’s becoming increasingly important to get your voice heard literally and metaphorically, the ESU Public Speaking Academy focusses on giving Malta’s future entrepreneurs the tools and language skills to better prepare themselves for their future careers.

The ability to communicate clearly is not one that comes easily to most people, and yet it is one which is essential both professionally and when it comes to personal interaction.

This is why the English-Speaking Union of Malta offers courses in both public speaking and debating skills. These help participants learn how to get their message across in a mature and productive way, but also to dis- cuss diverse opinions in a structured and responsible manner.

The Public Speaking Academy, led by ESU director of Education, Pia Zammit, directed participants through a journey that enabled them to discover the most successful ways to overcome any fears they may have when speaking in public, how to harmonise their body language with their verbal communication, the value of persuasive speech, and how to control and improve their voices. The participants were also treated to a presentation by a guest speaker-scriptwriter and actor Malcolm Galea.

The journey for Academy students continues this coming March when they will be able to test their honed skills in a National Public Speaking competition. The person who will be judged best Public Speaker of the Year will then have the opportunity to travel to the ESU HQ in London and compete with students from all over the world in an International Public Speaking Competition in May. The competition is open to all 16- to 20-yearolds resident in Malta.

Photo Credit: Nicole Mifsud Participants in the November 2016 ESU Public Speaking Academy, together with the ESU’s director of Education Pia Zammit, who ran the academy.