In May, our Primary students were once again able to put their speaking skills to the test. The Choral Speaking Challenge is a now a well established competition, where students, in their School Families, are able to compete in public by reciting a poem or some other piece of writing, in English. Their words left everyone else speechless, especially all the parents, who were able to see for themselves their own childrens´ progress in speaking and oratory skills.
Students at the School begin to speak in public form the very first year in Early Years. And, by the time they get to Primary, they are already able to take part in this competition and prove their abilities, across all the different oratory skills.
Today, being able to speak in public is one of the most valued skills in business. It is one of the most sought after skills when recruiting new employees. Presentations in different languages are an everyday part of many of the jobs which our students will be doing in the future. That´s why the School understands that good speaking skills are a key part of the training and development of our students. This will help them to develop talents which will be useful to them throughout their future professional careers.
Amongst other things, oratory helps them to improve their articulation and broadens their vocabulary. It helps them to perfect their grammar and teaches them to vary and use intonation, an extremely useful skill.They also learn about silences, pauses and other techniques. And, no less important, it shows them the importance and variety of non-verbal communication, good body language, to be able to come across, confidently, calmly and with good leadership skills.