Students from UAE compete in world debating championships
Young public speakers showcase art of persuasion at the event in Australia
Ateam of UAE students is in Canberra, Australia, for the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships (WIDPSC) that began yesterday and will conclude on April 20.
Ved Kedia of Jumeirah College, who is shortlisted to represent the UAE, is excited.
“The competition allows me to present my debating and public speaking skills as part of Team UAE. It feels surreal as I am getting on a global stage for the first time. The goal is to return to the UAE with valuable connections, a cross-cultural understanding of unique styles and approaches to rhetoric and, hopefully, a trophy,” Ved said.
Four categories
For WIDPSC, participants have to prepare for four categories — Persuasive Speaking, Interpretive Reading, Debate and Impromptu Speaking.
Nikhil Gopakumar of GEMS Modern Academy said he has worked on the art of persuasion.
“It’s all about ethos and pathos. These are key to persuading anybody, be it a judge in a competition or your friend when deciding what pizza to order. I focus on appealing to emotions and add in statistics and logical arguments to persuade,” he said.
Aarya Gupta of Hartland International
School said: “My coaches are training me according to all the necessary requirements for WIDPSC.”
Preparations
Vanya Kaul of Jumeirah College said all participants have been prepped by their coach and mentor Sumana Chatterjee. “I have also been reading texts and listening to previous speakers. This has taught me that there is no substitute for practice,” Vanya added.
Aadesh Yadgouda of GEMS Modern Academy said: “I see the championship as a great learning curve for me. Besides, the friendship
and camaraderie we have experienced is commendable.”
Chatterjee, an international award-winning public speaking coach, who is also the Director of Communications at GEMS Modern Academy, has trained the students for their big day. “It’s a highly sought after international tournament. We have been trying to get in for the last couple of years and we are thrilled it happened this year,” said Chatterjee.
Aryan Kundra, who is the captain of the debating team said: “I have gained immense value from coaching. I have identified gaps that I would not have otherwise noticed.”