Speaking Camp Kangaroos

When we get up to speak in front of audiences, we may want to teach them something new or entertain them – and both of these are essential purposes for many speeches. However, most commonly, we’re getting up to speak because we want audiences to think, feel or act differently – we want to persuade them of something.

Across the Winter Holidays, our Kangaroos students will be looking closely at these types of persuasive speeches. Whilst students will likely have already covered basic persuasive speech structure in our Koalas or Tabby Cats programs, this focus of the Kangaroos program takes this type of speech to the next level.

Students learn how they can use various techniques – from chain words to repetition – to help make their speeches sound much more persuasive. Students also have plenty of opportunities to apply these techniques across a range of different types of persuasive speeches, with a particular focus on advertising!

Our Speaking Camp Kangaroos workshop is a mixed-experience program.

There are three groups of students who would benefit from undertaking the Speaking Camp Kangaroos program:

1. those who have previous formal coaching in public speaking – this may be from one of our programs (including our Speaking Camp Koalas holiday program, or our Wombats or Wallabies weekly term programs), from another provider or potentially through their school;
2. anyone who is trying out public speaking for the first time, is already reasonably confident and is unable to attend the Speaking Camp Koalas workshop; or
3. students who have previously completed the Kangaroos workshop who are interested in developing their speaking skills even further – given the program changes from holiday to holiday, students are more than welcome (and even encouraged) to try it again and again.

If you’re not sure whether your child fits into any of these categories, please get in touch and we can chat about your circumstances!

Alternatively, please check out our video below to see how our holiday workshops function!

After completing the Inspiring Audiences workshop, students should:

• have been exposed to the fundamental principles that underpin persuasive speeches;
• understand a range of new techniques to help them sound and feel more persuasive when giving a presentation; and
• have been given multiple opportunities to present to their class in each and every session.

Fundamental Concepts

The program starts with a succinct (but necessary) revision of the essential concepts covered in our introductory-level programs, including audience engagement and speech structure. This helps set students up for the rest of the program and ensures that everyone starts on a similar level, even if they’ve not undertaken an SSA program before.

Persuasive Techniques

There is an almost unlimited list of techniques available that can be used to persuade one’s audience. Given the time available, students in the Kangaroos program will have a closer look at a handful of these, aiming to ensure that they are able to apply them in a range of different circumstances (and in particular advertising speeches).

Advertising Speeches

Ads are an unavoidable and integral aspect of modern life – wherever we look, someone is often trying to sell us something. This workshop will take students through the essential elements of advertising, helping them apply the persuasive techniques that they’ve been taught in speeches where they look to persuade their audience to buy a particular good or service.

Developing Persuasive Presentations

The rest of the program guides students through various persuasive speeches. Coaches will work with students to make them feel comfortable in a variety of public speaking contexts and get them to engage their critical thinking skills in as many situations as possible. This is done through a variety of activities, working both solo and in groups, to help them gain invaluable skills across as many scenarios as possible.

Our classes vary in size every holiday depending on how many bookings we receive – however, the maximum size of our Speaking Camp Kangaroos class is 9 students per coach, with a maximum class size of 16 (with two coaches).

If there aren’t any spots left, it’s usually because we’ve hit capacity – please get in touch with us and we’ll see what we can do about either opening an extra class, fitting your child into the existing class, or putting you on a waitlist in case any students pull out!

After each Speaking Camp Kangaroos workshop, students will have:

• an emailed feedback sheet prepared by their coach, which outlines what they’ve improved on during the course, and what they could continue to work on in the future;
• a certificate recognising that they have completed the Speaking Camp Kangaroos workshop;
• a workbook containing the key concepts that students covered during the workshop; and
• a more refined understanding of how they can apply their speaking skills in day-to-day life!

As a mixed-experience program, our Speaking Camp Kangaroos program is designed to be completed multiple times – with a different focus every holiday, there’s always something new for students to take away from the program!

However, if you’re looking for something more regular, you may want to give one of our term programs a try, such as Public Speaking Wombats or Debating Wallabies, which will build on the skills learned during our holiday workshops.

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions, or get in touch using our contact form to learn more!