Public Speaking Tips for High School Students

High school students have an exciting opportunity to build communication skills that prepare them to use their voice to advocate for positive change. According to Forbes, public speaking is becoming more and more important, with educators around the globe “elevating the art of public speaking to a core requirement along with math and science.” As young people begin to combine their knowledge of culture and technology with effective public speaking skills in high school, they can emerge as inspiring, informed leaders.

Chris Anderson, the curator of TED says, “At a time when the right idea presented the right way can ripple across the world at the speed of light…public speaking is the key to unlocking empathy, stirring excitement, sharing knowledge and insights, and promoting a shared dream.”

This article will describe three strategies that students can incorporate to improve their communication.

• Listen to Understand
• Gather Evidence that Persuades
• Practice Speaking with Passion

Why Do High School Students Need to Develop Their Public Speaking Skills?

Over the past few years, society has experienced a dramatic shift in priorities. Indeed, policymakers and professionals from the world of business, healthcare, education, art, and public service now recognize the value of diversity and inclusion. Right now, young people have the opportunity to speak about justice, climate change, and the need for innovation, as Greta Thunberg has done.

Additionally, high schools across the nation increasingly focus on communication, collaboration, and creativity. As the world embraces globalization and the corresponding advances in technology, articulate students can help shape conversations regarding norms and goals.

As an independent, single-sex school, Marlborough empowers students by teaching them how to engage an audience with dynamic, timely presentations. For instance, our students can boost their public speaking skills in courses that focus on entrepreneurship, computer science projects, media studies, or social justice.

How to Improve Public Speaking Skills in High School

Since the art of persuasion can affect listeners and call them to action, high school students should hone their public speaking capacity with the following strategies.

1.    Listen to Understand

Effective communication begins with active listening, enabling students to identify a need and its underlying challenges. High school students who practice active listening then build trust and credibility.

Students can take the information they acquired while actively listening during interviews and conversations to begin crafting a relevant presentation.

Before researching a topic, students should ask a few questions to guide their listening:

• Who is my target audience? In other words, who shows interest in this topic, and why?
• Who might benefit from my presentation?
• How should I address concerns about my topic?
• What is the most appropriate call to action?

For instance, high school students might apply these questions to a topic, such as literacy:

• My audience is an educated group of adults who want to help underserved children in a neighboring school improve their reading skills.
• The children at the school would benefit from a cooperative program that stresses literacy.
• The school in question lacks funding and resources to enhance their existing literacy program. Furthermore, the school needs volunteers to facilitate outreach.
• I should persuade the adults in my audience to contribute resources and time to launch a literacy program that will train qualified teenagers from my school to mentor these children through one-on-one tutoring, reading games, and group activities.

Thus, listening to experts — including educators and parents — can help students formulate a reasonable plan and construct a compelling argument.

Developing public speaking skills in high school can spark curiosity as it improves listening, empathy, and analysis.

Active listening and adequate planning can help high school students control their nerves during the presentation, drawing attention to the content, rather than anxiety.

At Marlborough, students in the Xcelerator: Honors Capstone Program in Entrepreneurship research the need for a product or service, then confer with advisors and team members. Eventually, the students develop a 20- to 25-page business plan that includes detailed financial recommendations and a social media marketing campaign. The students pitch the idea to a panel of judges during Marlborough’s SPARC Tank.

2.    Gather Evidence that Persuades

Students who try to improvise without speaking from a place of knowledge rarely succeed in capturing the audience’s attention. By contrast, students who have devoted ample time to their research stand a better chance of convincing an audience that their point of view is valid.

Students should know how to assemble and assess data; otherwise, the presentation might flounder. While students may rely on Keynote, PowerPoint, or Prezi for their speech, they should remember that less is better. A longer presentation with busy, copy-heavy slides can be counterproductive. The goal of public speaking in high school is to pique and sustain the audience’s interest, then motivating them to act.

Moreover, persuasion hinges on consistent proof that builds throughout the speech. Thus, students should provide cohesive evidence that supports their argument.

At Marlborough, our students learn to research various contemporary topics and sharpen their public speaking skills in exciting courses, such as Honors Humanities Seminar: Theories & Politics of Race, The Actor’s Voice: Shakespeare, VTV Broadcast & Video Production, and Entrepreneurship 101: Design Your Future.

3. Practice Speaking with Passion

Typically, students dread public speaking because they are underprepared. They may know generally what they want to convey, but they have not considered the topic completely. Preparedness includes practice, which unleashes passion for the subject.

To reinforce their knowledge of the topic, students should initiate a series of conversations about the topic with varying individuals, including peers, teachers, parents, mentors, and experts. They should present their thesis statement succinctly and describe key points, asking the other person to help them think more deeply about the issue, raising questions, pointing out potential flaws, and suggesting alternatives.

When students explore a topic from these angles, they are more likely to feel ready to explain it to an audience in a formal setting. The conversations, then, deepen understanding, while enhancing retention. Thus, fully prepared students can embark on public speaking in high school with confidence.

At Marlborough, our students have numerous opportunities to practice speaking with passion. For instance, students frequently join our award-winning Debate Club to learn the art of negotiation and persuasion.

Mastery Leads to Personal Growth

Mastering public speaking skills in high school takes time, so students should enroll in courses and participate in activities that require them to make individual and group presentations. By focusing on public speaking in high school, students become proficient speakers, which can benefit them throughout college and adulthood.

Mastery, then, begins with active listening and evidence-based research, progressing to expressive, eloquent presentations that reflect the students’ beliefs and values.

Public speaking in high school can lead to mature thinking, which conveys the following characteristics:

• Resilient Problem Solving
• Respectful Collaboration
• Inspiring Leadership

At Marlborough, our students understand that strong communication skills prepare them for life in the 21st century. In other words, we want students to speak up and speak out. Thus, they take courses that emphasize public speaking in high school, including the Honors Capstone Program in Arts, the Honors Capstone Program in Justice, and the Honors Capstone Program in Entrepreneurship.

Why Choose Marlborough?

Marlborough serves girls in grades 7 through 12. We are a private, college-preparatory secondary school, conveniently located in the heart of Los Angeles, California.  

Our goal is to ignite intellectual inquiry and to build the problem-solving, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills that our students will need to innovate, invent, and lead in college and beyond.

Next Steps

If you want your daughter to become a curious, agile thinker, consider Marlborough. Our innovative program can help your daughter build confidence and poise. By developing her public speaking skills in high school, she can feel prepared for college and beyond.

Want to know more about the Marlborough experience?

Contact us today!