English Courses

Great speakers aren’t born; they’re built. LANG 2068 helps students craft and deliver impactful public speeches, developing confidence, stage presence, adaptability, and creativity for effective communication in academic, professional, and social settings. By honing critical thinking and persuasive techniques, students learn to inspire and influence diverse audiences. With practice, feedback, and a supportive environment, this course empowers students to find their voice and speak with impact in any situation.

• A two-part course design. In the first half, you'll build your speaking repertoire through lectures, lively discussions, and hands-on practice. In the second half, you'll bring it all together in your assessments, supported by peer feedback and consultations.
• You'll build a portfolio of tangible deliverables, including an elevator pitch, a self-produced online video, and a Japanese-style PechaKucha presentation. You'll also gain a toolkit of speaking techniques you can showcase to recruiters and keep using long after the course ends.

• Assessment 1: A live elevator pitch
• Assessment 2: An online video
• Assessment 3: A live persuasive PechaKucha presentation

This course is designed for students of all language proficiencies, from first-time speakers to seasoned presenters, who wish to speak with confidence, clarity, and impact in a variety of settings.

Whether public speaking is a source of fear or excitement, the course meets students where they are and pushes them further, providing practical tools and strategies for improvement regardless of their starting point.

Prerequisite(s): 1403, 1406, 1407, 1408, or 1409

Student testimonials

• “The course exceeded my expectations. All the techniques, materials, practices, and examples really helped me with public speaking and presenting my ideas in general. The lecturer was very good at teaching us on tips and techniques in speaking with impact; I felt challenged by the course in a good way."
• “I came in pretty nervous about public speaking, but this course changed that for me. It was more interactive than I expected and the teacher and classmates were really supportive, so it never felt scary to get up and try things. By the end I felt a lot more confident speaking in front of people."
• “I've always been interested in public speaking, as it's one of the few things I'm good at academically. I just want to say, I think this is by far the most useful language course to legitimately help me in my professional career. If I had learned this course before I came to UST, my work in HR 2 years ago would've been smooth sailing."
• “I feel the LANG2068 course has a very sustained focus on actually improving our confidence and ability to speak in front of different audiences. Would highly recommend!”