The Public Speaking Program
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With the Public Speaking Program, United Netherlands offers its internationally-awarded public speaking experience to motivated students and young professionals who are interested in improving their presentation, pitching and speeching skills. Read more below, or ask one of our Ambassadors!
Why Public Speaking?
Public speaking is a vital skill, no matter your studies or your career path. Whether you have to defend your thesis, give a training, or pitch a product: feeling confident speaking in front of a group will help get your message across. Luckily, persuasive public speaking is a skill that you can learn – but it does take practice.
United Netherlands aims to provide motivated students and young professionals with the opportunity to develop themselves in a safe but challenging group environment. The Public Speaking Program is taught by former United Netherlands delegates, meaning that your trainers have received intensive public speaking trainings for six months and have participated in two international Model United Nations conferences. As our trainers are (recent) graduate students, they are accessible, while their experience allows them to challenge participants on all levels. Finally, as the Public Speaking Program is taught in English, the program is also a great way of improving your language skills and your confidence in speaking English!
What is the Public Speaking Program?
The Public Speaking Program consists of five English-spoken training sessions, which provide a solid basis in the art of public speaking. Each training starts off with a brief overview of the theory behind effective public speaking. This is followed by challenging exercises that allow you to put theory to practice right away. Every week, we focus on a different aspect of public speaking. Key topics are body language, use of voice, structure, rhetoric, and framing. Through plenty of practice, you will find that your presenting, debating, and pitching skills improve in no time.
By focusing on personal goals of participants and using the challenging atmosphere of the group, participants of all levels can grow in their public speaking. Your trainers and peers will offer personal feedback, which you can directly implement in your next speech. In each training, you can expect multiple opportunities to practice, ensuring that you experience a steep learning curve! Next to in-class training, participants will also receive small homework assignments, such as preparing a short speech.
Who are we looking for?
The Public Speaking Program is open for students and young professionals who:
- are willing to overcome public speaking anxiety
- want to master their public speaking skills
- are motivated to experience personal and professional growth
Quote – What I liked most about the program was the combination of technical exercise and the actual speeches we had to give. The program gives you the opportunity to practise speaking in front of an audience, and the tools to become better at it.
Tara Kenkhuis, Amsterdam Program
