// what you will learn
From first sentence to final speech.
Every class ends with the student speaking out loud. Nerves get handled in week 1 rather than avoided for eight weeks.
// what they learn
- ▪Foundations & Stage Fear: Why speaking matters, famous speeches worth studying, plus breathing and relaxation techniques and a first one-minute speech.
- ▪Body Language: Posture, gestures and eye contact: the part of a talk an audience reads before a single word lands.
- ▪Voice and Tone Control: Modulation, pauses and clarity, practised with tongue-twisters and read-aloud passages.
- ▪Storytelling Skills: What makes a good story, using personal experience, and a two-minute story told from memory.
// going further
- ▪Structure & Persuasion: Beginning, middle and end. Simple outlines. Then the techniques that move an audience rather than just inform it.
- ▪Speaking with Visual Aids: Slides, props and visuals used properly: a two-minute talk built around them.
- ▪Debate & Impromptu Speaking: Thinking on your feet, structure for and against, and group debates on topics students actually care about.
- ▪Interviews, and Practising with AI: Answering questions confidently, then using AI as a debate opponent and interviewer for unlimited, low-pressure practice.
// course outline
Eight weeks. Sixteen classes. A lot of talking.
Two one-hour classes a week, ending with a final project the student chooses: a speech, a debate or an interview.
W1
Lecture 1 & 2
Introduction to Public Speaking · Overcoming Stage Fear
- ▪Why public speaking is important
- ▪Famous speeches and young speakers
- ▪Fun icebreaker activity
- ▪Tips to manage nervousness
- ▪Breathing and relaxation exercises
- ▪First 1-minute speech practice
W2
Lecture 3 & 4
Body Language in Speaking · Voice and Tone Control
- ▪Importance of posture, gestures and eye contact
- ▪Exercises for confidence
- ▪Practice short introductions
- ▪Modulation, pauses and clarity
- ▪Fun tongue-twister activities
- ▪Reading short passages aloud
W3
Lecture 5 & 6
Storytelling Skills · Structuring a Speech
- ▪What makes a good story?
- ▪Using examples and personal experiences
- ▪Activity: tell a 2-minute story
- ▪Beginning, middle, end format
- ▪Using simple outlines
- ▪Practice with a chosen topic
W4
Lecture 7 & 8
Persuasive Speaking · Speaking with Visual Aids
- ▪Techniques of persuasion
- ▪Speaking to influence an audience
- ▪Group activity: mini persuasive talks
- ▪Using slides, props and visuals effectively
- ▪Designing simple visuals
- ▪Practice: 2-minute talk with props
W5
Lecture 9 & 10
Impromptu Speaking · Debate Basics
- ▪Thinking on your feet
- ▪Quick response games
- ▪Practice: random topic speeches
- ▪What is a debate?
- ▪Structure: for vs against
- ▪Group practice on a fun topic
W6
Lecture 11 & 12
Interview Basics · Debate with AI
- ▪What is an interview?
- ▪Asking and answering questions confidently
- ▪Practice with peer interviews
- ▪Using AI as an opponent in debates
- ▪Practice debating both sides of a topic
- ▪Feedback on clarity and confidence
W7
Lecture 13 & 14
Interview with AI · Advanced Speech Practice
- ▪Practice answering AI-generated interview questions
- ▪Building confidence for Q&A sessions
- ▪Reflection on performance
- ▪Longer speeches of 3-5 minutes
- ▪Using storytelling and persuasion together
- ▪Peer review activity
W8
Lecture 15 & 16
Final Project Preparation · Final Presentations
- ▪Students choose their final format: speech, debate or interview
- ▪Drafting and practice
- ▪Instructor feedback
- ▪Students deliver their final project
- ▪Reflection on the journey
- ▪Certificates awarded
// is this right for your child?
Who this is for.
Children aged 12 and up
Confidence is built in a small, supportive group where everyone is nervous on day one.
Quiet kids who dread presentations
Stage fear is handled in the very first week, not left until the end.
Students entering debates or MUNs
Weeks 5 to 7 are built around structured debating and interview technique.
Kids who talk well but ramble
Structure, outlines and timing turn enthusiasm into something an audience can follow.
Future interviewees
Answering questions under pressure is a separate skill from speaking, and it gets its own modules.
Anyone who wants to be heard
Clear speech is the skill that makes every other skill visible.
// see it in action
Watch BBT Kids on Instagram.
Class projects, build days, pitch days and student work, all posted as it happens on @bbtkids_.
// spoken english faqs