Think Fast, Speak Faster!
As I’ve shared in Part 1, I put two eager students from my public speaking class, twin brothers Isaac and Matthew, to the test in a "faster finger first" competition in this entertaining and quick-paced video challenge. Equipped with buzzers and fast thinking, players compete by responding to nine fast-paced questions about body language, communication, and public speaking. This friendly competition is not only entertaining but also full of fast tips for anyone wishing to improve their speaking abilities, covering everything from speech structures to narrative and even how to pronounce "success.". Ready to play along? You may watch the full YouTube video (on YouTube) here -
I have also expanded their answers to all the questions posed below (add more tips and strategies), hopefully you will find even more value from this blog post!
Q3. Share one way that public speaking can help one in school.
Throughout history, people have used public speaking as an essential means of communication, especially to the masses. From simply informing the crowd of facts and news updates, to persuading the crowd to subscribe to certain beliefs or take action, public speaking is ever-present and needed in public, as well as in school.
Greek leader, Pericles, succinctly put it 2,500 years ago and it still holds true today: “One who forms a judgement on any point but cannot explain” it clearly “might as well never have thought at all on the subject.” (Stephen E. Lucas, 2015).
Public speaking augments a student's ability to express ideas clearly and confidently in class. Students with strong communication skills typically participate more actively and make a good impression on peers and teachers when they are leading discussions, presenting projects, or responding to queries.
In short...
Boosts classroom confidence and engagement: Students with public speaking skills know how to turn their presentations into a two-way street:
In the midst of a conversation or presentation, inject a simple with open-ended questions that allow your audience to share their experiences, stories, or opinions. The speaker then builds on these responses and continue the discussion, pulling a few members of the audience in. Such audience engagement helps to connect better with audience members, which strengthens knowledge retention (which serves the ultimate purpose of conveying the speech message).
Enhances clarity and structure in communication: Public speaking techniques that touches on, for example, running through your presentation materials and script and pick out the key elements to reframe->simplify->emphasise help train communicators to be clear in their speech.
First, pick out technical terms or complex concepts that can be reframed into something relevant. For example, instead of a mere statistic (e.g., about 20% of customers complain), change it into a digestible and relatable concept (e.g., every 5 customers we serve, 1 will complain).
Second, if you find yourself thinking, "my topic is too technical to simplify", it is very likely that your audience will find the topic tedious. Take the effort to re-visit your points and simplify them – how would you explain this to a 10-year-old kid?
Finally, remember the key information that you need to emphasise along the way.
Builds leadership presence among peers: Some people might argue that in the future of AI being prevalent, is there still a need for public speaking skills if AI can reel off a script using any avatar and pre-programmed narration. However, besides high tech, what is going to be incredibly popular and in high-demand are two other "highs" - High-Touch and High-Trust.
High-touch involves social interactions with customers, patients, elderly - jobs in nursing, hospitality etc. will need effective interpersonal communication skills ever more!
High-trust involves job that majority of people still prefer humans to perform instead of robots. For example, a judge in a court. We are confident people will still prefer a human judge to pass verdicts on court cases than robotic judges. Those jobs will need incredible public speaking & communication skills even more!
Public speaking allows you to build trust, share your expertise and messages effectively to far more people, expand your influence and expert authority.
Q4. Pronounce "success".
“Success” is pronounced /səkˈsɛs/. It has two syllables: suh-KSESS, with the stress on the second syllable. Be mindful not to add extra syllables or misplace the stress—it’s not “suck-sess” or “sue-sess.”
In short...
Pronounced /səkˈsɛs/ — stress on the second syllable.
Say it as “suh-KSESS”, not “suck” or “sue”. Think of how you pronounce the second syllabus of “berserk”.
Clear pronunciation conveys confidence and clarity, creating a positive impression upon your audience.
Q5. True or False – "Facts Tell, Stories Sell."
True. Facts are useful, but stories are what make messages stick. Stories engage emotions, create connections, and help audiences remember your key point far better than raw data alone. This principle is widely used in marketing, leadership, and persuasive speaking.
In short...
Stories make messages more memorable: boosting audience’s knowledge retention.
Emotional connection increases audience impact: Amongst Pathos (Emotion), Ethos (credibility), Logos (logic), guess which is the most powerful? Pathos – that’s why we label riveting and impactful speeches as “stirring”, because they stir audience’s emotions.
Used in sales, branding, and persuasive communication: Simply telling your prospects the features of your products/ services will not be nearly as convincing as painting a picture in his or her mind about an actual case of how the product or service benefitted another person.
Q6. First impressions can be formed in seconds/ minutes/ hours.
Seconds. Research shows that first impressions are often formed within the first 7–30 seconds of meeting someone or hearing them speak. This means your opening line, body language, and tone matter a lot—right from the start.
In short...
First impressions form in seconds, not minutes.
Your body language and voice tone matter instantly.
The opening moments set the tone for how you're perceived.
More tips on public speaking & communication skills
Check out our tips on the following five communication topics:
Speaking Confidence Building Strategy
Effective Presentation Techniques
Impromptu Speaking / Think-fast-on-the-feet skills
Our Public speaking & Presentation Skills Training Courses
If you’re keen on taking your communication skills to the next level, to improve your persuasive speaking skills through our training programs:
Click for more about our (weekly group classes) Public Speaking Courses for Adults
Click for more about our (2-day) public speaking/ presentation course for adults
Click for more about our (weekly group classes) Public Speaking Course for Kids / Children
Click for more about our (2-day) public speaking holiday program for Kids / Children
Click for more about our (2-half-day) DSA interview skills holiday program for Kids / Children
