The Young Communicator – Public Speaking Scenarios for Kids/Teenagers

It has been a while into COVID-19, and we are starting to see some return to normalcy as face-to-face settings resume once more. For our young communicators, this would also mean a return to face-to-face communication settings that they may be required to manage, even at a young age. As these settings start again, the relevance of public speaking skills will start to kick in.

As public speaking coaches/trainers, we understand the importance of learning soft skills in a professional and guided environment. This should entail both theory and practice. Part of this approach thus requires an understanding of how the learner will apply the communication skills being covered. Similarly, for our young communicators, the covered techniques should be versatile enough to cover public speaking scenarios that kids/teenagers often encounter in school. Thus, we need to first understand these scenarios!

Today, we will be sharing three general public speaking scenarios that your kid may experience and how to approach them!

The Typical and The Formal

Let’s start with the ‘typical’ or traditional speaking scenarios that pre-date our virtual stage days, especially for our young learners. These scenarios involve a single stage as the point of attention to a larger audience (e.g., a speech contest, a valedictorian speech). For these scenarios, the main challenge is the confidence to face a large group (something that we may have missed during this COVID-19 period!).

When faced with such a scenario, your child may need a special focus on content crafting as a foundation. While scary, these are settings that can be prepared for in terms of scripting and even body language cues. For these scenarios, the aim is to help your child master the content they are delivering while keeping an eye on body language elements suited for the bigger stage!

Ready or Not, Impromptu!

A more dreaded speaking scenario involves no preparation or a limited period for your child to prepare. In such impromptu settings, the additional pressure of speaking off-the-cuff can be difficult to manage. Examples of these settings can include impromptu responses to questions and oral examination (e.g., stimulus-based conversations), requiring students to digest information fast and provide a coherent response.

In such a scenario, the foundational elements of typical public speaking settings would still apply. However, beyond that, it is important to guide your child through the thinking-on-the-feet moment. Here, we encourage you first to approach this from the mental aspect and discuss what your child should focus on in the initial minutes of the impromptu settings. Work on answering structures or prompts that can help these young communicators respond on the spot!

Building Networks, Making Friends

Networking or building rapport may sound like a scenario that does not apply to young communicators, but the fast-moving world may require your child to start practising a subset of these skills in school. We have heard from students about their experiences in facilitating discussions, building conversations, or even campaigning for leadership positions (n building rapport). The challenge is to manage a fluid communication scenario in such settings while projecting confidence.

Similar to impromptu settings, the challenge is adopting a structure or template that can help your child navigate the fluid setting. Instead of focusing on rote-learning methods (e.g., memorising a script or response), invite your child to internalise the content and respond to impromptu settings. Beyond just responding, encourage them to think about possible questions they may ask to move a fluid setting like this forward!

Versatility is the Name of the Game

With the changing communication settings, young communicators may find it challenging to manage. The challenge is developing the versatility to modify their approach depending on the setting. Public speaking is more than just speaking on stage to a large audience – for the most part, our young public speakers will need to manage both large and intimate communication settings. We hope the sharing above gives more insights into approaching the different scenarios!

* Not even just different genres of speeches, but through different medium too! *